31 



Ntt-I ,ifor»M t«fft »if| ot (WHI t ^Wotl0 * s r moil rt^m nvrtiy* ffa^niufl 



I have from the commencement of the negotiations on the subject, made it clear that it was not 

 possible with the present staff to undertake any tuition, but that if the apprentices had received a 

 good education, they would be able to read and understand such books as were given them, treating 

 of the furdamental piinciples of gardening and agriculture. 



The plan has been carried out, and so far has proved satisfactory. The apprentices have worked in 

 the Hope Gardens, as gardeners work in the Kew Gardens. They are learning the elementary practice 

 of gardening, and the use of tools, and are as far advauced as can be expected after less than a year's 

 work. I am satisfied with their industry in this respect, and expect that after another two years they 

 will be fairly proficient 



With regard to books, I have lent them some from the Departmental Library — These are 

 The alphabet of the Principles of Agriculture. By Professor Tanner, F.C S. 

 Further steps in the Principles of Agriculture. By Professor Tanner, F.C.S. 

 In both of these books, each chapter ends with a number of questions on the subject matter, and 

 the answers to these questions have been satisfactorily written out by the apprentices, have been looked 

 over by me, and are filed in this office. 



Text Book of Indian Botany. By D. Oliver, late keeper of the Kew Herbarium, and 

 Professor of Botany in University College, London. 

 From written descriptions of the structure of flowers which they wrote for me, they appear to be 

 able to understand and apply the teaching given. 



Plant Life By Dr. M. Masters, Editor of the " Gardeners Chronicle," and Examiner in 

 Botany for the University of London. 

 This work, on the physiology of plants, is more difficult and requires reading over aud over 

 again, with constant reference to it during their stay in Jamaica. I feel sure they are slowly assimi- 

 lating the instruction. 



Industrial School. — An Industrial School has been established in the grounds of the Hope Gardens, 

 and a certain number of the boys are engaged in daily labour in the Gardens. The staff in the Gardens 

 is not sufficient to allow of any direct instruction to be given to them, but I hope that arrangements 

 may soon be made to afford ihem special instruction in curing and pruning Cocoa, in the special cultures 

 of Sisal Hemp, Onions, &c, and in the proper cultivation of the ordinary products of the Island. If this 

 practical work is combined with school work in Dr. Nicholls " Tropical Agriculture," and elementary 

 text books, and is continued for a number of years, it may be expected that the best of them will be 

 capable of acting as instructors in other parts of the Island, and that all will be able to exert an in- 

 fluence, wherever they may be living, in the improvement of the methods of agriculture at present em- 

 ployed. 



■ 



Bulletins. 



Seven Bulletins have been published containing 25 separate articles, giving information on new 

 and important agricultural industries, as well as notes on other cultures, lists of plants growing in 

 the Gurdtcs and cescriptions cf nalive plants. Finally there is an Index to numbers I to 21. 



fibre. — Fibre cultivation and preparation is perhaps the most important of the new industries re- 

 commended. A list of all the chief fibres, wnh notes and lat- st quotations in the London market, was 

 preoared to illustrate a very fine collection, sent to the Department from Kew Gardens for the Exhi- 

 bition. Tnis exhibit attracted a good deal of attention, and has been presented to the Jamaica Institute 

 for display in the Museum. 



An excellent report by Mr. C. P.Cross on the fibres shown at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition 

 was reprinted, as it teems with information and is not readily accessible. 



Sisal Hemp is the most promising of all fibres for this Colony, aud notes on its cultivation were 

 published in October, 1889. 



Fruit. — The Orange trade should be very much larger than it is. The numb?r exported during 

 the year ended 31st March, 1»91, was 40,725,085 valued at £57,015 2s. 4d This is less than the 

 exports in 1887 and 1888, and it is unsatisfactory that such a promising industrj' should be crippled 

 through want of care in packing. Notes on curing and packing, as practised in California, appear 

 in Bulletin 21. 



With the total destruction of the Orange groves in the Azores by disease, noticed in No. 16, it 

 might be expected that there would bo a good market for this fruit in Great Britain, and as a matter 

 of fact small consignments to London Fruiterers have paid handsomely, and regular consignments aro 

 now made to Scotland. Fruit properly cured and packed, will stand the journey well, and will last 

 davs afterwards in excellent condition. 



In No 21, there is also a description of a mode of making genuine Orange Wine, which has been 

 successfully used in Jamaica and has produced a wine said to be equal to good sherry. With so much 

 local knowledge of the art of making first class Rum, there ought to be no difficulty in producing Ja- 

 maica Wine from the Orange as well as from the Grape. All the Oranges in the Island could be 

 utilised in this way, and it would no doubt pay very much better than to export the fruit. 



The method used in Sicily for obtaining the essence from the lemon, and described in No. 16, 

 could be also employed with the lime which grows so abundantly in the Island. There is also the 

 process known as a Vicuelle, which is perhaps somewhat simpler, though a special machine is neces- 

 sary. This, however, is small and inexpensive, and no doubt could be made in Jamaica. One of 

 these, I believe, has been imported for an estate in St. Ann'6. 



The export of limejuice is gradually diminishing, the amount for the past 12 months being 

 53,884 gallons of the value of £2,245 3s. 4d. or less than half what it was in 1886. If the extraction 



