January, 1910.] 



2 



INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OP 

 TROPICAL AGRICULTURE AND 

 COLONIAL DEVELOPMENT, 

 BRUSSELS, 1910. 



We have received from the Director 

 of the Imperial Institute, London, an 

 account of the preliminary proposals 

 with regard to the British Section of the 

 abovenamed Congress. 



It appears that an International Con- 

 gress of Tropical Agriculture and 

 Colonial Development was held in Paris 

 in 1905, and at the close of that Con- 

 gress an International Association was 

 founded, having for its principal object 

 the Organisation of such Congresses in 

 the future. It is proposed by the Inter- 

 national Association to hold a second 

 Congress at Brussels in May, 1910. The 

 local arrangements at Brussels will be 

 made in co-operation with the Belgian 

 Association for the study of Tropical 

 Agriculture. The International Botan- 

 ical Congress will also meet at Brussels 

 at the same time and will take part 

 in the proceedings. Representatives 

 have been appointed in Great Britain 

 and its Colonies, Germany, Prance, Italy, 

 Belgium, the United States and else- 

 where, and local committees are in 

 process of formation in those countries 

 to make arrangements for the reading of 

 papers and other matters. 



The following is a schedule of the 

 subjects proposed for discussion by 

 the British Representatives at the 

 Congress :— 



1. Rubber. 



Utilisation of natural rubber resources. 

 Acclimatisation of exotic rubber trees. 

 Formation of rubber plantations. 

 Methods of tapping. Composition of 

 latices. Composition of raw rubber. 

 Methods of preparing rubber. Storage 

 and transport of rubber. Insect and 

 fungoid pests affecting rubber trees. 

 Economics of rubber production, etc. 



2. Cotton. 



Cultivation of exotic cottons in new 

 countries. Improvement of native 

 cottons. Breeding of more productive 

 or pest-resistant varieties. Schemes for 

 seed selection. Utilisation of bye-pro- 

 ducts. Organisation of ginning stations. 

 Packing, transport and shipment of 

 cotton. Methods of disinfecting cotton 

 seed. Remedial measures against insect 

 and fungoid pests of the cotton plant, 

 etc. 



3. Tobacco. 

 Cultivation. Planting in new coun- 

 tries. Soils suitable for tobacco cultiva- 

 tion. Manures. Organisation of field 

 experiments. Composition of tobacco. 

 Methods of analysis. Fungoid and 

 insect pests affecting the tobacco plant 

 or stored tobacco. Economics of tobacco 

 production. Varieties in demand in 

 different consuming countries, etc. 



4. Wheat. 



Methods of cultivation. Accounts of 

 field experiments. Methods of manuring. 

 Breeding of prolific and rust-resistant 

 varieties. Analysis of wheat required 

 by different markets. Methods and 

 times of marketing. Transport and 

 storage. Remedies against insect pests 

 affecting stored wheat. 



5. Cane-Sugar. 

 Field experiments with sugar-canes. 

 Selection of canes. Maintenance of rich 

 varieties. Manuring of sugar-cane. 

 Organisation and working of cane- 

 sugar factories. Utilisation of bye- 

 products, etc. 



6. General agriculture. 



Organisation of field experiments and 

 demonstration plots. Improvement of 

 native agriculture in the tropics. Rota- 

 tions suitable for the tropics. Catch 

 crops. Methods of manuring suitable 

 for use by natives. Improvements in 

 agricultural tools and machinery, etc. 



7. Forestry. 

 Schemes for forest conservation. 

 Working plans. Re-afforestation in the 

 tropics. Timber and fuel supply. Utili- 

 sation of minor forest produce. Special 

 forest products such as palm oil, oil 

 seeds, tanning materials, gums, resins, 

 turpentine, etc. 



Sections (1) Rubber and (6) General 

 Agriculture are those which most nearly 

 affect the patrons of the Tropical Agri- 

 culturist, although the discussions on 

 Cotton and Tobacco are likely to be 

 followed with interest by a considerable 

 section of readers. At the present stage 

 of the Rubber industry the questions 

 relating to that product may probably 

 be relied upon to afford the subject cf 

 keen and valuable discussion. It is to 

 be hoped that the problems of general 

 native agriculture will meet with equally 

 full attention, and that they will not be 

 relegated to a secondary position owing 

 to the competition of the more opulent 

 industries. 



R. H. L. 



