Feb. 1908.] 



159 



Miscellaneous* 



gestion that they might use their influ- 

 ence with the Jamaica Agricultural 

 Society, in order to induce them to pro- 

 vide the money necessary to put it into 

 operation. 



Considerable delay occurred, but on his 

 Grace the Archbishop taking up the 

 scheme it was put into operation. On 

 account of the preliminary delay, it had 

 to be hurried in such a way as to make 

 it fit into the financial year, and for 

 want of proper personal advertising and 

 explanation of its aims and objects, a 

 good deal of suspicion was encountered. 

 The entries for the first round of th6 

 competition were, therefore, very small. 



The scheme as originally drawn up 

 was published in the Journal of the 

 Jamaica Agricultural Society (Vol, V, p. 

 14), aud provided for prizes to be given 

 for the cultivation of land and for the 

 establishment of permanent or staple 

 crops, to be competed for amongst small 

 settlers and property headmen in differ- 

 ent parishes of the island, 



Some persons opposed to the scheme 

 attempted to make a great deal of the 

 apparent lack of interest on the part of 

 the people whom it was intended to 

 benefit, pointing to the small number of 

 entries as evidence that it was unsuited 

 to our peasantry and would never gain 

 their confidence. 



The lack of interest, however, was only 

 apparent ; the peasants' suspicion of the 

 scheme was real, and who could have 

 expected it to be otherwise. The scheme 

 was put into operation and was intended 

 to benefit a class whose chief acquaint- 

 ance with the Government was through 

 the Tax Collector ; and any scheme in 

 which the Government had even the 

 smallest share was necessarily associated 

 in their minds with a deep-laid plan to 

 still further increase their taxes. That 

 this suspicion was not unconquerable 

 was the firm belief of the promoters of 

 the scheme, for they were convinced 

 that a scheme which so thoroughly 

 entered into the details of the daily lives 

 of the people in their own homes would 

 in time become exceedingly popular. 



The chief cause of the small number of 

 entries during the first round of the 

 competition was because the parishes 

 were not sufficiently canvassed, and the 

 scheme was not thoroughly explained to 

 the people who were expected to 

 compete. This was borne out by the 

 fact that in Hanover, the first parish in 

 which the scheme was properly ex- 

 plained, ninety people entered the com- 

 petition- 



The ministers and clergymen of all 

 denominations took up the scheme 

 heartily ; the school teachers were per- 



haps even more enthusiastic, and on the 

 latter becoming competitors, in many 

 districts, the last breath of suspicion was 

 blown away. 



During the first round of the competi- 

 tion, the judges came to the conclusion 

 that the money would be more profitably 

 spent if divided into a larger number of 

 prizes. The Rules were therefore amend- 

 ed to practically their present form, 

 and are now as follows : — 



' Prizes will be awarded for cultivation 

 of land, and the establishment of per- 

 manent or staple crops. 



' Only persons holding not more than 

 20 acres of land to be allowed to compete, 

 and the land entered for competition 

 must be one piece, not divided by other 

 persons' property intervening ; but a 

 road, river, or gully may run through it. 



' The residence of the competitor to be 

 on the ground entered for competition ; 

 and such residences and grounds to be 

 situated near (within a stated distance 

 of) a Main or Parochial road. 



The prizes to be allotted in three 

 classes : 



First Class Holdings not over 20 acres. 



' No person to compete in more than 

 one class, but competitors may select 

 any class for which he or she can qualify, 

 and no prizes will be awarded unless 

 there are at least twice as many com- 

 petitors as there are prizes offered. 



' Prizes to be given in each parish as 

 follows :— 





1- 



t 



2nd 



3rd 



4th 



5th 





Pri 



ze 



Prize, 



Prize. 



Prize. 



Prize. 





£ s. 



d. 



£ s. d 



£ s. d 



£ s. d. 



£ s. d. 



1st class hold- 















ings not 















over 20a .. 



4 







3 



2 



1 5 



15 



2nd clasa 















holdings 















not over 















10a. 



3 







2 



L 10 



1 



10 



3rd clasf 















holdings 















not over 















5a. 



2 







1110 



I 4 



1G 9 



9 



' No person to be allowed to compete in 

 Class I unless he or she has five acres in 

 permanent crops such as coffee, cacao, 

 oranges, grape fruits, limes, coconuts ; 

 no one to be allowed to compete in Class 

 11 unless he or she has three acres in such 

 permanent crops ; and no one shall be 

 allowed to compete in Class III unless he 

 or she has oue acre in such permanent; 

 crops, 



