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DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION. 



Correspondence. 



The correspondence is an important item in the business of the De^ 

 partment. 



Information sought has been on the following subjects : — cultivation 

 of economic plants, and their preparation ; manures ; pests, fungoid and 

 insect ; machinery ; native plants ; on J amaica from correspondents 

 abroad wishing to settle ; etc. 



Printed Matter. 

 Information of a general character is provided for by the issue of a 

 Bulletin once a month, and by occasional leaflets. By this means the 

 burden of correspondence is lessened in a marked degree, and besides, 

 intelligence is conveyed to many who would not take the trouble to 

 write for it. Bulletins are not issued broad cast, but to those who apply 

 for them. 



The Bulletin deals with subjects coming under the following heads : 



(1) Cultivation and curing of agricultural products in general. 



(2) Tools and Machinery. 



(3) Fibre and Fibre Machinery. 



(4) Vegetables and Fruits. 



(5) Fodder Plants. 



(6) Economic Plants. 



(7) Manures. 



(8) Diseases of Plants. 



(9) Forestry. 



(10) Ornamental Plants. 



(11) Botanical Notes. 



I have also to thank the Editors of newspapers for their courtesy in 

 inserting notices from time to time. 



Lectures for Small Settlers. 



A lecturer is not sent to give demonstration unless there is good evi- 

 dence that a large number of people in a certain district are anxious to 

 have the benefit of his services, and actually ask that he should be 

 sent amongst them. If the Governor considers that it is clear that 

 there is a real need for a lecturer's services which justifies his being 

 called away from his duties in the Gardens, arrangements are made for 

 the demonstrations to take place. I believe that by this means good 

 work is being done. 



My experience of the small settler class is that wherever they have 

 been trained from childhood upwards on properties where careful and 

 thorough work has been insisted upon by the resident owner or manager, 

 they have learnt not only to appreciate the value of such work, but 

 they have followed out the good example on their own " grounds" ; — 

 in fact very often these grounds bear marks of greater care and give 

 better results than large properties, because they constantly receive at- 

 tention from the eye of the owner to a greater extent than is possible 

 over a large area. 



Training of Boys in Agriculture. 



Education should be a combination of a training of the mind with a 

 training of the eye, the hand, and the whole body. If the day of in- 

 struction is divided between the purely mental, and the bodily work, 



