158 TIMEHRI. 
dolerite, or what Professor Azruni terms gabbro. Where 
this class of rock occurs, we invariably get ochre coloured 
loams, frequently of a high fertility, I have seen soils 
here of this kind that favourably compare with the cacao 
soils of Grenada and other West Indianislands. In con- 
neétion with this matter, the Government are taking steps 
to examine into the composition of the soils of certain parts 
of the colony in their own occupation, to aét as a guidance 
as to the desirability of future further examinations. Un- 
fortunately, when we come to consider such products 
as cacao, coffee, &c,, very little can be found recorded in 
English literature dealing with the agricultural require- 
ments of the plants. Inthe report of the Botanic Gardens 
to be shortly published, Mr. T'enman and myself have made 
an attempt to supply some of this with regard to cacao, 
and we hope to supply similar information later with re- 
gard to other products. Our Venezuelan neighbours are 
in advance of us in these matters, possessing in Caracas, 
an Agricultural College with a Professor of Agricultural 
Science. They also have established agricultural colo- 
nies for men of limited means in sele€&ted distriéts in 
the interior which I believe have been most successful 
in their results. I now suggest that the desirability of 
the establishment of similar settlement should be repre- 
sented to the Royal Commissioners by some of us who 
are interested in minor agricultural produéts. An inter- 
esting point for discussion has been indicated to me by 
Mr. T, S. Hargreaves, the Secretary of the Institute of 
Mines and Forests, on the effect of the gold industry 
upon the labour supply for agricultural purposes. I be- 
lieve Mr. Hargreaves is prepared to supply figures to 
show that the gold industry has not proved inimical, 
