is hoped that as a result further co-operation will be 

 secured for a project which is of vital importance. 



A BRITISH INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE. 



In dealing with the question of proper provision for 

 technical education in tropical agriculture, as well as in 

 considering other matters of importance to the subject, 

 advance is retarded by the absence of any unofficial society 

 or institution in this country which can claim authority 

 to speak in the interests of British tropical agriculture, 

 and represent the opinions and promote the interests of 

 those who are engaged in what ought to be regarded 

 as an honourable profession. The matter is outside the 

 sphere of any Government institution, and the Inter- 

 national Association for Tropical Agriculture, by reason 

 of its constitution, obviously cannot assume these 

 duties ; in fact, British relations with the Association 

 are hindered by the absence of any British society of 

 the kind. Surely the time has come for the formation 

 of a society comprising all interests in a subject which 

 is so profoundly connected with the welfare of the 

 Empire. 



I desire to submit to the British Section of the Associa- 

 tion for its consideration, and for such action as it may 

 consider expedient to take, the question as to whether 

 it is not desirable to proceed to form a British Institute 

 of Tropical Agriculture, whose functions would include 

 the holding of meetings for the reading of papers, the 

 discussion of all matters concerning tropical agriculture, 

 and the consideration of education and qualification for 

 the profession, and, in fact, doing whatever it may con- 

 sider desirable to promote the interests of the subject of 

 tropical agriculture, and of those who are engaged in 

 it. My own experience in the period of twenty years 

 during which I have been closely in touch with the 

 subject, and with those who are working for it in all 

 parts of the world, has led me to the conclusion that 

 action in this direction is much needed, and that the 

 establishment in this country of such an institute on 

 the lines of those of other professional bodies, such as 

 the Institutions of Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical 

 Engineers and the Institute of Chemistry, and many 



