Report of Society's Meetings. 129 
From Secretary oj State to Governor Sir W. y. SendalL 
6th September, 1898. 
Sir, — You will have learnt from public sources of in- 
formation that Her Majesty's Government have decided 
that, in accordance with certain of the recommendations 
of the West India Royal Commission, a Department of 
Agriculture shall be established in the West Indies. The 
cost of this Department for a period of ten years will be 
provided from Imperial funds, and grants will also be 
made in aid of the Public Revenues of Trinidad and 
Tobago (for the benefit of the latter Island), British 
Guiana, Barbados, the Windward Islands and the Lee- 
ward Islands, to provide for or to assist in the main- 
tenance of Agricultural and Botanical Establishments, 
Industrial Schools or other kindred purposes, as has 
been done for the current year in subhead S. 3 of the en- 
closed supplementary estimate laid before Parliament 
last Session. 
2. The head quarters of the Imperial Department of 
Agriculture in the West Indies will be at Barbados, and 
the Staff will consist of a Commissioner of Agriculture, 
a Travelling Superintendent and a clerk. Dr. D. Morris, 
C.M.G., Assistant Direftor of the Royal Gardens, Kew, 
has been appointed Commissioner of Agriculture, and 
will take up his duties in Barbados early in 06lober 
next. He will correspond dire6lly with the Colonial 
Office upon all matters concerning the general work of the 
Department ; on matters affe6ling Colonial Establish- 
ments and expenditure he will correspond with the several 
Colonial Governments through the Colonial Secretaries. 
3. He should be consulted on all Botanic and Agricul- 
tural questions and on all matters affe6ling the organisation, 
duties and expenditure of the Botanic Departments or 
other kindred institutions, wherever their cost is to be re- 
imbursed from the Imperial grant in aid, and his services 
and those of his assistants should be made use of in every 
way possible with a view to the development of the re- 
sources of the Colonies. 
4. The general principles on which the work of the 
Department will be organised are indicated in the addi- 
tional note appended to the report of the Royal Com- 
E2 
