Agricultural and Commercial Society. 35 
especially the former, on behalf of the system of small 
plots adopted by them. 
The discussion was closed by Professor Harrison who 
gave a forcible and concise account of the British Guiana 
work in seedlings and the magnitude of it, and spoke 
in convincing terms of the danger of drawing conclu- 
sions for practical purposes from the small plot results. 
After lunch the Conference was resumed with the 
papers on the sugar industry of Jamaica of no general 
interest, and the day's labour concluded with a paper by 
Mr. Howard on the effect of disinfecting tops before 
planting on the Spring. The trend of the paper and 
the discussion it led to was in the direction of the value 
of disinfection where much fungus had existed, which 
might attack the planted top. 
xlgricultural Education was taken in hand on the 
Monday morning, and a paper of the greatest interest 
on the work being done at the Training College in 
Jamaica read by Mr. Macfarlane. At this stage the 
chemical section retired to discuss certain points submit- 
ted to them for report, and the agricultural section then 
withdrew for a like purpose. Meanwhile the subject of 
praedial larceny had been raised by Dr. Morris, and was 
being discussed, when Sir F. M. Hodgson, in his official 
capacity, objected to the subject being taken up by the 
Conference, and stated that as he looked upon praedial 
larceny being the outcome of the poverty of the people, 
he would always set his face strongly against flogging 
as a punishment for it. This statement must, I think, 
be looked upon by all who have the interest of the 
peasant agriculturist at heart as being singularly unfor- 
tunate. To put it mildly the Governor of Barbados in 
no uncertain terms expressed his sympathy with one of 
the greatest curses the industrious farmer has to contend 
with. Nothing is more disheartening to the honest 
labourer than to have the fruits of his toil snatched from 
him by the lazy scoundrel to whom the gaol presents no 
horrors, and who can only be appealed to through the 
£ 2 
