52 



others, would be welcomed by all those who, as 

 specialists, planters, merchants, or manufacturers, are 

 connected with the subject of agricultural production in 

 the British tropics. 



A British institute of the character indicated would, 

 of course, be affiliated with the various agricultural 

 societies in the British tropics and with the International 

 Association, and would, with great advantage, take over 

 the work at present performed by the British Committee 

 of the Association. 



The best methods by which those countries which 

 are connected with the International Association can 

 co-operate in its work and strengthen its action are 

 to be considered at a meeting of the members of 

 the Association at the close of this Congress. I feel 

 satisfied that the large work which lies before the 

 International Association will be best promoted by a 

 scheme involving the affiliation and close co-operation 

 of a society or institution in each of the European 

 countries interested in the advancement of tropical 

 agriculture, and our Continental colleagues have 

 expressed the wish that this opportunity should be 

 taken to elicit the views of the British members on this 

 important subject. 



GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE. 



The organization of Government Departments of 

 Agriculture is a subject of much importance, intimately 

 connected with that of technical education. I referred 

 to some of its aspects in a Presidential address to the 

 Section of Chemistry and Agriculture at the meeting 

 of the British Association in 1906. It must be admitted 

 that generally in the British tropics the organization 

 of Agricultural Departments is still primitive and 

 wanting in principle. Owing to causes to which I have 

 alluded, it is not easy to find a supply of men educated 

 and otherwise qualified to fill official positions of 

 authority in the subject. 



It is now recognized that the Director of a Govern- 

 ment Agricultural Department in the tropics, or, as 

 he is more usually called, although with some risk of 

 misunderstanding, the Director of Agriculture, should 



