3Iiscellaneous, 



[May, 1909. 



still be able to give to Antigua, in com- 

 mon with other West Indian Islands, the 

 benefit of his experience and advice in 

 agricultural matters. 



This resolution was proposed by Mr. 

 A. P. Cowley and seconded by Mr. A. 

 Spooner, both of whom referred in the 

 highest terms to the value of Dr. Watts' 

 services to the Leeward Islands during 

 the past twenty years. 



After Mr. J. D. Harper and the 

 Hon'ble D. McDonald had spoken in 

 support of the resolution, His Excellency 

 Sir Bickham Sweet-Escott, k.c.m.g., 

 Governor of the Leeward Islands, who 

 presided at the meeting, made a brief 

 speech. He wished to express his entire 

 agreement with all that had been said 

 by the preceding speakers. The services 

 which Dr. Watts had given to Autigua 

 had been of the highest value. They all 

 regretted his departure, but hoped that 

 the new Commissioner would be able 

 to make frequent visits to Antigua, 

 where his old friends would always be 

 glad to see him. The resolution was 

 then carried unanimously. 



In reply, Dr. Watts thanked the 

 members present for all the good things 

 they had said about him, and he then 

 referred to the work which he had been 

 able to do at Antigua. His labours in 

 the Leeward Islauds had been attended 

 with success, but he could not lay claim 

 to more than a partial share in that 

 success, inasmuch as it had been so 

 largely brought about by the co-opera- 

 tion and assistance given by planters 

 and others. He had realised that in 

 order to advance agriculture it was 

 necessary for him to associate with the 

 planters, and to work with them. He 

 trusted his successor would do the same. 



Dr. Watts referred to the advances 

 that had been made in the Leeward Is- 

 lands during recent years. In addition 

 to sugar— which was still the special 

 product— they now had another im- 

 portant crop in cotton. Proper atten- 

 tion must be given to this crop, and 

 every effort made, by employing all up- 

 to-date methods, to reduce the cost of 

 production. In this way prosperity 

 would be made more permanent. 



On Thursday evening, January 21, the 

 members of the Agricultural and Com- 

 mercial Society gave a dinner to Dr. 

 Watts at the Globe Hotel, St, John's, 

 prior to his departure. About sixty 

 members were present, His Excellency 

 Sir Bickham Sweet-Escott K.c m.g., 

 his Honour the Chief Justice (J. S. Udal, 

 Esq.) and the Hon. E. St. John Branch, 

 Colonial Secretary of the Leeward Is- 

 landss being among the guests, 



In this connection, reference may also 

 be made to an article which appeared 

 in the Antigua Sun of January 21 last, 

 which placed on record the chief points 

 in the work to which Dr. Watts has 

 given his attention since he first came 

 to the West Indies. Exactly twenty 

 years ago, i.e., in January, 1889, Dr. 

 Watts was first appointed Chemist to 

 the Government of Antigua. After 

 serving nine years in this position, he 

 was appointed Analyst and Agricultural 

 Chemist to the Government of Jamaica, 

 but returned one year later (in 1899) 

 to take up the post of Analytical and 

 Agricultural Chemist in the Leeward 

 Islands under the then newly-appoint- 

 ed Imperial Department of Agriculture. 

 Four years later the duties of Super- 

 intendent of Agriculture for the Lee- 

 ward Islands were added to this post. 



The work connected with experiments 

 with sugar-canes began in Antigua in 

 1891, and later greatly extended under 

 the auspices of the Imperial Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, has occupied a 

 considerable part of the time of Dr. 

 Watts and his colleagues, and has been 

 productive of very useful results, 



The conclusions arrived at from this 

 work showed the benefit that would like- 

 ly accrue through the introduction of 

 the Central Factory system, and it was 

 largely due to this that it was made 

 possible to establish the Antigua Central 

 Factory in 1903, 



Among other important matters which 

 have claimed attention may be men- 

 tioned the cotton industry in Antigua, 

 Moutserrat, St. Kit's-ISewis, and the 

 Virgin Islands, the lime and cacao in- 

 dustries at Dominica and Montserrat, 

 together with much work relating to 

 minor industries, 



Di. Watts has always been closely 

 associated with educational matters : 

 first in Antigua and later in the Leeward 

 Islands generally. He had done much 

 to promote science teaching in connection 

 with secondary education, and to deve- 

 lop the systematic teaching of agricul- 

 ture on btoad lines. 



A large number of papers dealing 

 chiefly Avith the lines of work referred 

 to, have been contributed in recent 

 years to the West Indian Bulletin by 

 Dr. Watts, —Agricultural Neios, Vol. 

 VIII. No. 177, February 6, 1909. 



