4 
28 
St. Lucia. 
.^ rum ^ le C0a ^ Il o business of the port of Castries, this Colony is entirely agricultural, and 
ie Administrator reported that its undeveloped natural resources would not appear to justify the 
expenditure of any large sum in exploring them, and that any financial aid which might become 
available for research would probably prove more productive if employed in other parts of the Empire, 
where there are greater prospects of success. 
i the Administrator added that St. Lucia could assist in building up the general prosperity of 
the Empire b\ rendering the Colony more productive; and that this is being done with the aid of the 
Imperial Department of Agriculture and the good work performed by the local Agricultural officers. 
rvo valuable minerals are known to exist in St. Lucia. 
St. Vincent. 
i he Administrator reported that there were no important industries in St. Vincent on whose 
behalf research work was not already carried on, and that the chief industries, namely, cotton, 
arrowroot and sugar, were under the care of the Imperial Department of Agriculture. The soil and 
climate of the Colony are not specially suitable for other agricultural products, and the Agricultural 
Superintendent is unable to suggest any subject for special investigation in addition to the industries 
mentioned, which are already well cared for. 
ineent produces the finest quality of long staple Sea Island cotton, and Mr. S. C. Harlaud, 
a scientific investigator of high attainments, was engaged from 1917 to 1920 on special research work 
und(..*i the auspices of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, which is now being 
continued by Mr. D. P. Montague. 
1 he Administrator stated that, so far as he was aware, no geological investigation at St. Vincent 
and its dependencies had ever been made, except by American scientists in connection with the 
Soufriere volcano. He considered that such an investigation was certainly advisable. 
A specimen of clay received from St. Vincent was found to contain bauxite. It appears to 
have been taken from the small island of Balliceaux, but its origin cannot be identified with certainty. 
Since 1917 a Ureek subject has carried on. a sponge fishery from the islands of Union and Canouan 
in the St. Vincent Grenadines. 
A whaling industry was established in the island of Bequia, nine miles south of St. Vincent, 
about 1870, and is still carried on during the five months from January to May. The average annual 
catch does not now exceed 12 or 15 whales, but it was formerly much greater. The decrease is 
described as due to the inexperience of the present generation. The older men, who were trained 
in American whalers, have now died out. 
Note .—The Colonial Research Committee has made provision for the geological examination of 
St. \ ineent, and for enquiry into the sponge fishery. The question whether the prospects of the 
whaling industry are such as to justify investigation by an expert on the spot is under consideration. 
IMPERIAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
A copy of the despatch of the 11th June, 1919. was sent to the Imperial Commissioner of Agricul¬ 
ture .for the West Indies. The Commissioner reported that, in so far as matters of research came 
within the scope of the activities of the Imperial Department in relation to such subjects as crops and 
their attendant pests and diseases, it was desirable that they should, for the most part, be dealt with 
as mutters of the ordinary concern of the Department, since it was seldom that any matter of this kind 
could be dealt with as a separate entity. 8ir Francis Watts stated that through the Department of 
‘Scientific aud Industrial Research provision had already been made for investigations concerning 
cotton, and that this work was proceeding satisfactorily. He also referred to the arrangements which 
had been made for investigations concerning sponges, and recommended the proposal, to which effect 
has since been given, for the employment of a geologist for the purpose of a general examination of 
the islands of the Windward and Leeward group. 
The only new suggestion made by Sir Francis Watts was one for the appointment of an economist 
to he attached to the Imperial Department in order to investigate the conditions under which the 
agricultural industries of the West Indian Colonies were carried on. It was pointed out that labour 
difficulties were prominent in practically every island and that emigration threatened to make them 
worse. Sir Francis Watts considered that the reasons for the failure of the labouring population 
to maintain their numbers and to provide a surplus were partly medical and partly economic, and 
that their study appeared to be a practical and legitimate subject for scientific research. Something 
had already been done in regard to the medical aspect, but very much more remained to be done in 
order to ensure the putting into practice of the precepts of modern teaching. Intelligent application 
of this teaching was absolutely essential to secure a healthy and virile population in these Colonies, and 
it was to the neglect of this that many of the present troubles were due. Sir Francis Watts added that 
the economic aspect of the matter had never received systematic, expert study. 
'Note .—The Colonial Research Committee considered this proposal, but were of opinion that it 
went beyond the scope of the Committee, and accordingly could not entertain it. 
The replies received from the Windward and Leeward Islands will be better understood if a short 
account is given of the position of the Imperial Department of Agriculture. This institution was 
established in 1898 on the recommendation of the West India Royal Commission of 1890-7, and its 
expenses are defrayed wholly from Imperial funds. 
Die work of the Department is to aid in the maintenance and supervision of the botanic and 
experiment stations in the Windward and Leeward Islands, to deal with questions from those Colonies 
involving agricultural research, and to give assistance in agricultural matters to any of the other West 
Indian Colonies when it is requested to do so, and as far as its means permit. 
The personnel of the Department consists of a clerical staff and the following senior officers:—The 
Imperial Commissioner, an entomologist, a mycologist, an economic botanist, an agricultural chemist, 
$nd a scientific assistant. The duties of the scientific assistant are chiefly connected with the publics- 
