July, 1910.] 



55 



and Co-operation. 



serious attempt already made elsewhere 

 (but in our neighbourhood) in that 

 direction and endeavour to draw a 

 lesson which may have an important 

 bearing on local policy. We refer to 

 the Land Settlement Scheme which was 

 devised for St. Vincent — a plan which has 

 now been long enough in operation for 

 some definite conclusions to be drawn 

 from it. 



Mr. P. A. Stockdale, in an instructive 

 minute to the Board of Agriculture, 

 recounts that after the hurricane of 1897, 

 the Government of St. Vincent under- 

 took the settlement of the ruined peasant 

 on the laud. Small holdings were formed 

 on some thirteen estates in different 

 parts of the island, and an agricultural 

 instructor was appointed by the Imperial 

 Department of Agriculture whose whole 

 time was devoted to visiting the allot- 

 ments, instructing the allottees on the 

 best manner of growing their crops and 

 of> preparing them for export. Pro- 

 visions and arrowroot were the chief 

 crops grown, bub with a view of enabling 

 the holders to establish cultivations of a 

 permanent character economic plants 

 were distributed tree of charge from the 

 Botanic Station, and their cultivation 

 was carried out under the advice and 

 personal supervision of the Agricultural 

 Instructor and the Agricultural Superin- 

 tendent. The area of the allotments 

 varied from 1 acre to 7J acres, and the 

 principal economics grown were cacao, 

 coffee, oranges and rubber. At the end 

 of 1907 there were over 60,000 cacao trees 

 established on some 584 allotments, and 

 the total estimated production of cured 

 cacao for the year 1906-7 was 53 bags, of 

 which 48 were exported. A thorough 

 inspection of all the allotments was 

 made in 1904, and again in 1907, and it 

 was estimated in the latter vear that 

 36,402 cacao trees had " improved," 13,272 

 were in " fair " condition, while 20,436 

 were " poor." 



Since that minute was written, the 

 report on the scheme for 1908-9 has come 

 to hand, and the remark made by 

 Dr. G. Praser, the agricultural instructor 

 engaged to look after the allotments — 

 and the allottees — will repay careful 

 consideration. Thus of the Linley Valley 

 estates he says : " Cacao continues to do 

 well, but the cultivations had to be 

 followed up closely as the allottees were 

 inclined to be very neglectful, especi- 

 ally in the matter of pruning. . . 

 Allotments in this valley continue to 

 improve generally. Allottees are now 

 doing a little better with the planting of 

 pigeon peas for green dressings and are 

 burying all the grass and bush available 



to improve their lands. Manure in the 

 form of compost heaps continues to be 

 made. Mulching has been adopted by a 

 few allottees t They will soon see the 

 benefit of it, and I hope their action will 

 be an example to others." In Cumber- 

 land Valley " the cultivation of economic 

 plants, ground provisions, canes and 

 cassava was fairly well done. The plant- 

 ing of pigeon peas and other catch 

 crops for gresn dressing purposes was 

 advised, but allottees are inclined to 

 be very neglectful unless constantly 

 remindpfl." Clare Valley and Questelles 

 holders were disappointed at the prices 

 realised for arrowroot, but ground pro- 

 visions gave very good returns, the prices 

 received in the local market being 

 satisfactory. " Allotments on the whole 

 were well looked after, but some 

 allottees were very neglectful in making 

 up compost. The planting of pigeon 

 peas for green dressing purposes was 

 advised, but so far only a few allottees 

 have taken advantage of the advice 

 given." On Richmond Hill Estate " Sea 

 Island cotton was planted, and fairly 

 satisfactory results were obtained by 

 allottees who paid strict attention to 

 their cultivation." At New Adelphi 

 " the ground-nut crop was attacked by 

 a caterpillar. Spraying with Paris green 

 was advised but not carried out. The 

 crop did not turn out well"; while at 

 Park Hill Mr. Praser gave direct instruc- 

 tions in reference to the improvement 

 of the cultivations, and hoped by ex- 

 ample to show those allottees who did 

 not carry out instructions the folly of 

 their neglect. 



These brief extracts demonstrate re- 

 markably clearly the inner workings of 

 the schemes, and are very instructive. 

 The poor prices realised for arrowroot 

 confirm the comment by Mr. Stockdale 

 that " to make it complete, an agency 

 should have been established for the 

 purchase or for the sale on commission 

 of the produce." In England where ex- 

 perience of small holdings shows daily 

 the absolute necessity for co-operation, 

 people complain that they no longer 

 receive the prices they formerly enjoyed 

 owing to the competition arising out of 

 the local extension of small holdings. 

 Instead of this position becoming 

 stronger by the advent of the fellow- 

 workers, each new recruit is merely one 

 more added to the number who are 

 cutting the throats of their neighbours. 

 There is danger that this experience will 

 be extended all over England if serious 

 attention is not paid to the question of 

 organising the production and sale of 

 produce on the thousands of newly 

 acquired holdings scattered about the 



