statistics, the issue of circulars ou the cultivation of crops, 
supply of seeds to farmers, consultations, &c., &c. 
The Seccion should maintain close touch with the 
Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, and agricultural 
data should be collected and tabulated according to a 
delinite and uniform plan in all the Departments, so that 
it may prove useful for the compilation of the Carla 
Agricola of the country. 
The special duties of the Assistant should be to tour 
the Department as travelling Agricultural Instructor, 
advising the farmers on all questions pertaining to the 
cultivation of their crops, &c. 
Attached to the Capital might be an experimental 
station, where experiments should be made with new or 
little known crops, and w'here modern methods of cultiva- 
tion might be demonstrated. Such establishments should 
also produce seed for distribution to farmers. 
This idea might be carried further, and a small experi- 
mental and demonstration farm established at the principal 
municipalities, so that the country people who Hock to 
the weekly markets might visit these experimental lields 
and cari'y bacx with them useful ideas and impressions. 
Such experimental lields should be maintained by the 
municipalities, whilst the Gobernacion or Departmental 
Government, in order to stimulate and promote com- 
petition, might offer prizes annually to the best and most 
efficiently maintained station. 
There is I lind, among a certain ckiss of youth in this 
country, a growing distaste of all that savours of agricul- 
ture which is to be deplored. This tendency is not 
conlined to this country, it is found in other parts. With 
the object of remedying this, elementary agricultural 
education should be taught in the schools, and school 
gardens established where the practice of agriculture may 
be taught to the boys. The principles of agriculture 
should be instilled in the young minds in an instructive 
and attractive manner calculated to create a love for the 
profession. Agricultural education in the schools, and 
the establishment of school gardens, have done excellent 
work in other countries, and there is no reason why 
useful work should not be accomplished in this country 
in a similar way. A part of the municipal farm or garden 
might be placed at the disposal of the municipal schools. 
The organization of these e.xjierimental fields should be 
under the direction of the Seccion Agricola, and the 
Travelling Agricultural Instructor should give practical 
assistance in their organization and maintenance. 
To the Seccion Agricola should be attached a Veterinary 
Surgeon, if the Department is important from a cattle 
point of view, and in the case of such Departments as 
El Valle, a stock farm, as I have before indicated. 
Such Secciones Agricolas should, in my opinion, be 
commenced in a modest way in accordance with the 
funds which the Department can afford to devote to 
the service. The Secciones might be started with an 
annual provision of from $10,000 to $20,000, according 
as to whether it included a stock farm with a Veterinary 
Surgeon or not. 
The formation of such a Seccion as part of the adminis- 
tration of the Gobernacion, with the staff indicated, and 
with financial provision for affording assistance to the 
farming community in the manner that I have outlined 
in this report, should do much to place the agricultural 
and cattle industries on a progressive and prosperous 
footing. 
The Return Journey from Cartago. 
We left Cartago on our return journey on Janyary 28th, 
taking the route via Pereira, Manizales and Mariquita. 
Leaving the river La Vieja behind, one immediately 
commences to climb to regain the highlands of Caldas. 
We passed the initial kilometres of the new railway line in 
construction, the Caldas Railway, destined to connect 
Cartago with Manizales. Here we found the country 
more densely settled, and the contrast with El Valle in 
this respect at once demonstrated. We reached Pereira 
in the afternoon, which town, as I have before mentioned, 
has an altitude of 1,418 metres above sea-level. 
From Pereira we proceeded to Santa Rosa de Cabal, a 
distance of 12 kilometres. This town was founded in 
1844. It lies at an altitude higher than Pereira, being 
1,697 metres above sea-level, and its average temperature 
isl8°C. Its population numbers 20,017. The principal 
industries are cattle, coffee and cane, but attention is also 
given in this district to panama hat making. There are 
three Lrilkuloras for cleaning coffee, and there is an 
electric light plant which provides light at the cheap 
rate of 10 centavos (5d.) per lamp. There are also gold 
and silver mines. The Caldas Railway is projected to 
pass Santa Rosa de Cabal, which should eventually 
assist much in the development of trade and commerce 
with this progressive and important centre. 
Fig. XVII.— .a. Wood Suspension Bridge near Pereira. 
