Agricultural and Commercial Society. 93 
The President stated that Mr. Scard was unfortunate- 
ly unable to prepare a paper on Cane Farming for the 
present meeting ; it was therefore postponed. 
The President was thanked for a number of pamphlets, 
etc., of the Irish Department of Agriculture and Tech- 
nical Education of which he gave the following account : — 
This Department was established by Government 
some three years ago, with ample funds at its disposal, 
portion of the available balance appropriated from what 
was known as the spoliation of the Irish Church. It 
has been making good use of these funds and doing 
some excellent work throughout the country, promoting 
technical education among the people, establishing 
new industries for the peasantry in the congested 
districts of the south and west of Ireland, assisting in 
the formation of local Agricultural Associations, looking 
after the Coast and inland fisheries, publishing and 
circulating pamphlets and leaflets ^on various subjects, 
and generally promoting the Agricultural interests of 
the country, with a Central Office in Dublin where 
enquiries are readily answered and useful information 
given on all subjects appertaining to the objects and 
scope of the Department. Indeed, I may say, that it 
seems to me that its methods are being closely followed 
— so far as differing conditions will admit — by the 
Imperial Department of Agriculture for the West Indies, 
and our own Board of Agriculture in this colony. 
A few years ago, one of our members — the Re\'. W. 
B. Kitchie, I think it was — suggested the employment 
of itinerant teachers in this colony for educating the 
.Villagers in the development of what are locally, known 
