THURSDAY, JUNE 25.—AFTERNOON SESSION, 
5 P.M. 
Chairman: Sir H. HesKetu Bett, K.C.M.G., Governor of 
the Leeward Islands. 
Tue CuHairMAN: Gentlemen—It is due to an unfortunate 
circumstance that I have the honour of presiding over this 
meeting. Sir Louis Dane was to have done so, but he has, 
unfortunately, been taken ill. I am sure everyone here will 
join with me in wishing him a speedy and complete recovery. 
We are going to have the pleasure now of hearing a paper 
by Mr. Frank Shuman on “ The Utilization of Sun Power 
for Irrigation and other Purposes in Tropical Agriculture.” 
Mr. Shuman has had a very long experience in regard to this 
fascinating subject, and I am sure he will explain it to us in 
a most interesting manner. 
THE UTILIZATION OF SUN POWER FOR IRRIGATION AND 
OTHER PURPOSES IN TROPICAL AGRICULTURE. 
By FranK SHUMAN. 
Although unlimited power is daily thrown to the earth by 
the sun, it is only lately that a practical means of utilizing this 
power has been discovered. It is not generally known that 
the unconcentrated rays of the tropical sun will boil water, 
but such is the case, and in order to obtain power of any 
required amount, it is only necessary to collect sufficient sun- 
light and throw it upon a boiler. 
By concentrating the sun’s rays it is possible to obtain 
sufficiently high temperatures to melt the hardest metals, steel 
having been thus melted, and also a sixpenny-piece in. seven. 
and a half seconds. But such high temperatures are not 
necessary for power purposes, and in the sun-power plant 
described only five concentrations are used. The solution of 
the problem of producing mechanical power from the sun’s 
