308 
[ Enclosure. ] 
Oxford Street, Freetown, 
31st J uly, 1894. 
SIR, 
WITH reference to the question which your Excellency 
proposed for my consideration as to the best measures to adop t for 
promoting agricultural industry in this jolony, I have the dons 
to ed y following statement of m 
2. During the last few years, owin io don bt to keener com- 
petition in Teade and the diminution of profits, public attention 
as been much directed to the subject of agriculture, and a few 
efforts, more or less extensive, have been made to give practical 
effect to the new-born idea. Judging from attempts that I have 
myself made e in same direction, I have good ground for saying 
that there exists in the colony great ignorance of the conditions 
fora successful is profitable prosecution of eser enterprise, 
See in the presence of intelligent competition 
3. It matter of vital importance to the eatr of the 
colony that Me Should be taken, even at some cost, to give a 
right direction to the dn impulse in fa vour of agriculture, 
and s [Uer it from being succeeded by disappointment and 
reac 
4. PM of the points in which it is felt such npe may be 
i pre ip ously given relates to the mode of preparation for 
t of produce, especially those exported. bi European and 
reset markets. It was suggested whether in respect, at least, 
of the small growers, their produce might not be bought, prepared 
and dealt with by the government. This suggestion involves a 
trading by the es Me under circumstances in which it will 
come in competition with private enterprise. I think if the 
government should seek to carry out this suggestion, it will 
hinder rather than esq de the very enterprise which it is its 
Special object to prom 
. The Board of Rel has passed a resolution not long ago, 
agreeing with the view, that the establishment of a bot tanical 
knowledge generally lacking is twofold, viz.:—how io cultivate 
the produce, and how to prepare it properly for market. The 
POARI station, if established, can be so arranged that, within a 
erate area, it might annex to itself the work of a farm for the 
cultivation of a few of the main products, such as coffee and 
which attention is being directed by the por here. 
a at principle precy med in the cultivation of one or two 
lants can in course of time be easily adapted by mé planters 
themselves to others ; V that it will, according to my view, no 
be necessary to make at the botanie station a farm tor every one 
of the commercial products to be grown in the colony 
eti come coffee in particular, iid cacao and. 
cola in a less degree, will be the chief articles cultivated in the 
colony ; ae there i ig already evidence of some activity in coffee 
growing. At the same time, there are evident to those who have 
my practical S bipes of the proper suite of fruit m 
as the coffee, grave errors in the method adopted in 
cültivation hire. 
