December i, xSgi.] THE TROPJOAL AGRICULTURIST. 385 
AN AGEICULTUEAL COLLEGE FOR 
TEINIDAD 
is suggested in the Agricultural Record for August 
in an elaborate article by the editor, entitled 
Report of the Technical and Practical Teaching of 
Agriculture in EoRlaud and Belginm, wilh suggestiouB 
for the formation of a iSohool in Trinidad. 
After stating and reviewing the systems of agricul- 
tural leaching in Britain and Bslgiutn, the question 
of a local inslilution is thus dealt with : — 
A comparison between the Enplish and Belgian 
system is very iustruotive. In England where so 
much has been done by private muuificence or cor- 
porate bodies, not only in agricultural education, but 
alno in the arts and uciecooB, the learned professiotiB, 
in charities and other public matters. In Belgium on 
the contrary the State taking everything inio its own 
hands. One result of the Enpflish system is, as 
I liave already mentioned, thiit there is no uuifoim 
system of teacbing, or Btiiudard of qualitioation, the 
tendency beinf^ rather to aim at the minimum and 
so-called practical atiainments. In Trinidad it is 
esreoittHy useful to study these different systems, and 
most people will aiimit that while in both countries 
education is as far-reaching as possible, that in this 
Colony with its struggling and undeveloped induetriea 
and its numerous and unioEtruoted class of small pro- 
prietors and the complete absence of privnte enterprise, 
the sugar propriotora excepttd (they being all abseoteesj 
a scheme of education in Agriculture should be 
framed more after the Belgian system, this being less 
devoted to dairy work, stock, and minor matters, which 
could bo learned anywhere, and do not immediately 
concern us. Another illusion would bo dispelled which 
has been hitherto a completj etumbling-blook in the 
way of establishing a school in Trinidad, viz: tliat a Model 
Farm must enter into any project of the kin l. It will 
be seen that both in Euglaud und Belgium it is found 
better and cheaper to obtain assistance in practical 
teaching from neighbouring estates, and it will come 
like a revelation to some, that all the essentiisls for 
a first class Agricultural College already exist in Trini- 
dad and more or less in the other West Indian 
Colonies. Another important consideration (in both 
countries) is the im])ortaiice attached to instruction for 
Bohoolmisters and rural teaching (for peasnuts) by 
means of itinerant professors, and lectures, and demon- 
Btrations. Nowhere in the world is there a greater 
wealth of vegetation, combined with dense ignorance 
of the elementary laws of plant life, and soieutifio 
culture than in the West Indies, and it would wtll 
repny any omouut of expense and trouble if a better 
knowledge of the selection of seed, graftiijg, and pru- 
ning, treatment of blight and the more skilful prepara- 
tion o( the various products could bo instilled into 
the rural popnlntion in these parts. The present means 
of teaching available in Trinidad as referred to, com- 
prises ; 
1. A well furnished Chemical Laboratory. 
2. A well appointed Botanic Garden with all sorts 
of Horticultural operations always going ou and a 
piirfeot Herbarium. 
3. A very complete|G07ernment Dairy and Stook Farm. 
4. The Experimental Farm at jOhaguauas, proved 
to be suitable, and which should bo used as a depot 
and eobool of forestry. 
5. Teohuiea! teaching by Officers of the Public 
Works Department in land measurement, surveying, 
etc. * 
(). The assistance of adjacent estates of which 
many accomplished Managers would no doubt willingly 
atsist. 
* la Grenada Sir AV. H. Hutchineon, whose efforts 
to improve tho well-being of all classes under his 
government aro cynically termed " philanthropic " by 
tho " West Indian iu London," suggests that the 
Publio Works Department might serve as a technical 
school iu many brunches of trade ; if so, there is no 
doubt that tho South Konsingtou autboirties would 
render every as.sistauoe, snd in Trinidad Ihii sugses- 
tion would fall iu with tho oduoatioual schemo of the 
Yiotoris lustitato. 
19 
7, The propinquity of the Oatholic, ivnd Royal Col- 
leges, and Nopinqu Schools to the Victoria Institute, 
of which the Agicultural School would form a part. 
If the syllabus of South Kensington is adopted, some 
modifications would have to bo introduced, and if the 
Trinidad sohemo ia brought under their system of 
examination, some special forms of questions would 
have to be devised, bearing on tropical Agriculture; 
Our present colonial staff would be sufficient, with 
the addition of a Professor of Agriculture, having as 
a speciality Entomology, Economic Geology, Physics, 
Draning, etc. It should be his business also to under- 
take peripatetic work in the most important rural 
districts. The subdivision of the different courses of 
lectures etc, would he a very simple matter of detail, 
students passing in honours should be Bent for one 
year either to Belgium, London (Cambridge) or the 
United States, and part of the money of the present Olas- 
sical Scholarships might be devoted to this purpose. 
The College would be very nearly self-support- 
ing if a moderate fee was required from the 
pupils, although the Government would naturally be 
ohnrgeable for itinerant teaching, and for the courses 
for schoolmasters. Inasmuch the Professor of Agri- 
culture would bo somewhat of a specialist and oonfor 
groat public benefit by studying the various inseots,t 
fungi, etc., which affect our crops, his salary otight to 
be charged to the Government. 
Another important matter would be the compilation 
of suitable test-books. This might be easily dono 
after the model of Professor Tnuuer's excellent little 
work, if his permission could be obtained. 
The course of lectures yiveu by the different toachera 
should be printed in the shape of notes. 
PEARL SHELL AND BEOHE-DE-MER 
FISHERIES. 
The Commissioner of Pifherits, Mr. W. Saville- 
Ksnt, p.L.s,, &C.I has returned to Brisbane by the 
Cintra from his extended Northern tour. Among 
the more prominent results accomplished in connection 
with his trip, that of the discovery of mother-of- 
pearl shell in considerable abundance in the vicinity 
of the Wellesley Islands, in the Gnlf of Carpentaria, 
and also the continued success of the pearl shell 
nursery established by tho Commics'oner of Fisheries 
at Thursday Island over two yesrs ago, have been 
already recorded. Mr. Saville-Kent has devoted a 
considerable interval on this occafion to visiting the 
bslche-de-mer stations throughout the Great 'Barrier 
system, the result of which will take the form of a 
report for the oousideration of tho Government, em- 
bracing a comprehensive scheme for the Bubcivision 
of the entire beche-dc-mer producing grounds into 
seotional areas, to be let on lease by publio auction 
or to be pUced temporarily in reserve for resuscita- 
tion, as may seem desirable, on lines corresponding 
generally with those upon which the oyster fisheries 
are conducted. A searching investigation has proved 
beyond question that the heohc-de-mer grounds 
are much overfished, more particularly in th« 
neighbourhood of the ^hipping ports, and where 
they are necessarily of most easy aooese. The 
opinioa obtained from the leading boit and station 
owners engaged in this tr^ide is greatly in favour of 
the now regulations suggested, and the carrying out 
of which ia calculated to add substantially to both ttie 
intrinsic value of the fishery and to the revenue 
returns. A sine qua non of (ha new regime proposed 
will bo the appointment of district inspectors and the 
systematic patro! of the fishing grounds, and the need 
for this is already widely recognised on indepeodeut 
grounds, and in the interests of both the employers 
and the native labourers engaged iu the fishery. 
* In Grenada I am informed that it is proposed 
to engage a Professor of Eutoraology to study this 
subject especially, with a view of finding remedies 
for the destruction of such as affect the different crops 
of that island. 
