278 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST lOrr ]. issfi. 
plans lay idle antil Mr. Chamberlain, one day 
visited Kc'w and, cornin^i across tliein, asked their 
l)urpose. Being told they were desi{{n8 for houses 
which they required money to build, he obtained 
a fuoniise from Sir William llareourt, tlien Chan- 
cellor of the Exchequer, to attend to this need at 
Kew Gardens. Sir AVilliain Harcoiirt demurred 
at the ligure required, but fjave the promise and 
was kept to his word by Mr. Chamberlain when 
at one rime shewing an inclination to lay the 
matter aside. The liousen, of which the third is 
now being completed will, when the interior doors 
6. To prepare bulletin'!, leaflets, aud other literature 
on subjects suitable for cultivation in the West Indies. 
So much for the skeleton scheme, ibo bones, tha 
fabric as it were. Now to enter into details : 
THE WOKKS OF THE BOTANIC STATIONS. 
These are already in existence on a good many 
islands. It is proposed to extend the work which 
they are at present doing. They are to devote 
themselves in a systematic manner to the work of 
introducting, propagating, and distributing all the 
promising economic plants of the tropics; they are 
to initiate the experimental cultivation of new or little 
known plants, aud assist in tlie efforts made in the 
larger colonies to secure improved varieties of the 
sugar cane. Tliey are to act as centres for diffusing 
accurate information, and as training institutions for 
the practical teaching of tropical agriculture ; also 
R8 the heidquarters from which agricultural in- 
atrnctors conld be sent to give lectures and demons- 
trations bearing upon the selection of land for tropical 
economic plants, their suitable cultivation, and the 
best methods for curing and packing the produce. 
Such, roughly, then, is the outline of Dr. Morris's 
work. It must be understood that blacks as well as 
whites are to participate in the benefits which may 
arise from the work of the new Department. Their 
numbers are vastly in excess of the whites, and it is 
to their efforts largely that we must look for the 
future prosperity of the islands. It will be the busi- 
ness of Dr. Morris's instructors to help them to help 
themselves. They will be taught how to get the most 
out of their patches of ground ; they will be told what 
produce it is best fitted for ; seeds and plants will be 
given or sold to them. This will all be a slow busi- 
ness, and Dr. Morris says plainly that the experiment 
must take ten years before we shall see its full result. 
The aid given by such botanic stations as are at present 
in existence, though much under manned, we m*y 
repeat here a few of Dr. Morris's figures, showing 
the number of plants distributed in Dominica (for 
example) during six years : — 
1891 9,000 plants. I 1801 .SO,O00 plants. 
1892.... 17,000 " „ 1895,... :^6,00!) „ 
1893 22,000 „ I 189G 42,000 ,, 
These are, of course, all economic plants. The great 
demand has been for Liberian coffee, of which over 
75,000 plants have been sent out. The others were 
chiefly limes, cacao, oranges, kola, nutmegs, and 
vanilla. The cost of a cacao plant in a pot is a 
farthing, of coffee plants less than a tiirlhing, 
whilst nutmegs cost a penny. The di'^tribution 
of seeds was also lai-ge, no less than 2,23.3 cacao- 
pods of good varieties, capable of yielding -14,Gl)0 
plants, having been sent out to local planters in three 
years. At present the most flourishing industry is 
the production of lime juice. And yet fifty years ago 
it exported 6 000,000 pounds of coffee in one year. 
These are suggestive figures. Today the people are 
emigrating to Cayenne and Venezuela, and those 
who remain are iu immediate need of assistance. The 
vrorking of the Government's scheme is well illus- 
trated by Dr. Morris's plan for dealing wllh it when 
he reaches the Islands. Dominica, he thinks, maybe 
saved by establishing at ouce a trade in bananas 
and other fruit with New York or London, He pro- 
poses to employ two agricultural instructors at the 
Botanic Station, to have six students, aud start an 
industrial school for training 25 boys The result, 
says the Doctor, will soon show itself. And the cost 
are open, aflord an iniiiiense vihia from end to end. 
the entire length being 60U ft. or that of an 
Atlantic liner. Description of the nunierons 
plants I caw would take a gre-u deal of e)iace, 
more than their iiiterof^t dellland»^. An iuM-ct- 
devouiing [ilant, discovered by Dr. Morris in the 
^Vest Indies, and named after him Threua.<i 
Moirisii was most strau;j;e in apitearance. lis 
many mouths resemble minute gre^n purses with 
a single opening, tjothed round it* edges. 
The newest j)lant was one from New 
Guinea of which the flowen» >vere long 
woolly-looking tasseln. The beautiful Victoria 
l{egia was in <ine blossom, its huge tea-tray-like 
leaves resting calmly on the surface of a hothouse 
pond. I saw also the pa]>er mulberry (lironsone- 
tia F.apyrifera) the fibre of which i* put to innum- 
erable uses. From it are manufactured Japanese 
table napkins, paper, cloths, roi>e &c. Rolls of 
" tapa" cloth made from it are handed down in 
is interesting, m i( givM an idea of how the grant 
IB to be speut : — 
Curator 
Two af^ricultutal inittractorB at U>01. 
Travblliug allowance 
Forem-n .. [[ 
Twelve labourers, 15/. .. \ , 
Six students, 10/. 
Tools and manure 
£200 
300 
HO 
ISO 
IHO 
(iO 
60 
Industrial School 
The following figures give the totals : 
Head office 
Nine botanic stations and four indus- 
trial schools 
Sugar cane experiments in British 
Guiana 
Horticultural Show, exhibition of 
implements 
Literature 
Elementry school teaching aud scbool 
garden 
Colleges and schools for teaching 
scientific agriculture . . 
£1,000 
600 
£1,500 
£2,900 
9.700 
1,000 
500 
500 
600 
9,600 
£17 000 
Oiie of the great difficulties which has hitherlo 
stood in the way of the small cultivator has been the 
absence of markets It is to help him to ship his 
produce, fruit or whatever it may be, the moment it 
IS ready that the subsidy for the establishment of a 
special hue of coasting steamers has been granted. 
And tne masters of these must not only carry But bay. 
The sugar mills, v. hicb are to be erected with borrowed 
money, of which the Government guarantees the 
mterest, scarcely comes within Dr. Morris's province- 
and for the present it is too early to discuss the 
proposed purchase of estates upon which to place small 
proprietors. r ^ ^lucui 
A heavy burden of responsibility obviously rest on 
the head of the new ofhce, whicli will reqoire steady 
plo3ding indifference to difficulties and opposition, 
and restless energy. The sugar planters '^are stil 
thr^feSi:r '^""'^ °^ '''' 
Those who are fearful of scientific methods of pat- 
o'^hf-'li^r .V'w ^^"^i" ""^ybe referred 
^?ntlnl .? ^"^'J" proJucts which economic 
Botan.cal Departareuts have introduced and widely 
distributed witbiu a hundred years- 
Ginger. Bourbon cane. Camphor 
Nutmeg. Coffee 
Clove. Mango. 
Black pepper Logwood. 
Guinea grass Cinnamon. 
Sago palm. Bamboo. 
And ever so many more. 
tree. 
Orange. 
Lime. 
Citron. 
Tarn. 
Cacao. 
Shaddock. 
Lemon 
