42 COCOA AND CHOCOLATE 



out for several decades. The husbandry of the earth 

 goes on from century to century with little change, 

 and the methods followed are the winnowings of ex- 

 perience, tempered with indolence. And even with 

 the bewildering progress of science in other directions, 

 sound improvements in this field are rare discoveries. 

 There is great scope for the application of physical 

 and chemical knowledge to the production of the raw 

 materials of the tropics. In one or two instances 

 notable advances have been made, thus the direct pro- 

 duction of a white sugar (as now practised at Java) at 

 the tropical factory will have far-reaching effects, but 

 with many tropical products the methods practised 

 are as ancient as they are haphazard. Like all methods 

 founded on long experience, they suit the environment 

 and the temperament of the people who use them, so 

 that the work of the scientist in introducing improve- 

 ments requires intimate knowledge of the conditions 

 if his suggestions are to be adopted. The various De- 

 partments of Agriculture are doing splendid pioneer 

 work, but the full harvest of their sowing will not be 

 reaped until the number of tropically-educated agri- 

 culturists has been increased by the founding of three 

 or four agricultural colleges and research laboratories 

 in equatorial regions. 



There is much research to be done. As yet, however, 

 many planters are ignorant of all that is already estab- 

 lished, the facilities for education in tropical agri- 

 culture being few and far between. There are signs, 

 however, of development in this direction. It is pleasant 

 to note that a start was made in Ceylon at the end of 

 19 17 by opening an agricultural school at Peradenija. 

 Trinidad has for a number of years had an agricul- 

 tural school, and is eager to have a college devoted to 

 agriculture. In 1919, Messrs. Cadbury Bros, gave 

 5000 to form the nucleus of a special educational 

 fund for the Gold Coast. The scientists attached to the 

 several government agricultural departments in Java, 

 Ceylon, Trinidad, the Philippines, Africa, etc., have 



