281 
SCHOOL GARDENS IN JAMAICA. 
{From Proceedings of the Jamaica Agricultural Society.) 
Mr. Esson said the time had come when something should be 
done with regard to school gardens — to make these of some prac- 
tical value in the agricultural advancement of the island. He felt 
they were losing a valuable opportunity of getting at the children 
in a more sympathetic way than they were doing at the present 
time. That the agricultural instructors were doing good work no- 
body could deny, but the value of their work would be considerably 
enhanced if arrangements were made by which they, the instruc- 
tors, would go into the school garden and teach the children from 
there. 
Mr. Cousins said this matter had been under consideration for 
some time. He thought arrangements could be made with the 
Educational Department by which the Instructors would be able 
to devote more time to the school gardens, and believed in the 
next few months something practical in the matter would be done. 
The President pointed out that a great deal of effort had been 
made to improve the teaching in school gardens. As many 
teachers as would come, were brought up to Kingston once a 
year and given such agricultural instruction as was possible in that 
limited period. Of course, these things took a long time because 
they had to take men already out as teachers, bring them now 
again, and try to teach them a new subject, and they could not ex- 
pect that everybody would take interest in the subject or be suc- 
cessful. The number of school gardens had increased immensely 
within the last two years, and the conditions in which the gardens 
were kept were also much improved, and he thought the govern- 
ment had reason to look forward hopefully to future develop- 
ments. 
Mr. Esson said he would like to see the school gardens as dis- 
tributing centres for economic plants, etc. 
