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TRINIDAD. 
- The Secretary of State’s despatch was considered by a Committee of the Board of Agriculture, 
whose report is appended almost in extenso. 
- “ Trinidad and Tobago, in common with all the other British West Indian Colonies, are mainly 
dependent on agriculture for their economic welfare. 
“ In tropical agriculture there is a great field for continuous research work, both upon immediately 
practical problems and others which may lead to practical developments^ A large amount 
of useful research work has been and is being carried out, chiefly by officers of Government Agricul¬ 
tural Departments, but progress is necessarily retarded owing to most of the officers having also 
administrative duties. Scientists visiting the West Indies, or otherwise taking a special interest in 
the work, often express surprise that so much has been accomplished in spite of this obvious heavy 
handicap. It is an urgent necessity that this condition of affairs should be improved, and that 
additional resources in men and money should be available for the prosecution of research work of 
Vital importance to the West Indies and to the Empire as a whole. 
“ it is difficult, to provide these funds locally, and in the West Indies there are no universities or 
other endowed seats of learning to assist in research as in the United Kingdom. The chief agricul¬ 
tural products, including in this term timber and stock, are sugar, cacao, fruits (bananas, citrus, &c ), 
coconuts and copra, lime juice, cotton, coffee, rice, spices (nutmegs, &c.) t tobacco, tirnoei and stock. 
“ The conditions under which they are produced, and also their diseases and pests, are more or 
less similar throughout the West Indies, and many of the problems awaiting investigation would, 
when solved, bear results of practical importance to several of the Colonies. For these reasons one 
central research institute would be the most economical and efficient means of providing for the 
agricultural development of these colonies, and Trinidad appears to possess advantages and facilities 
which indicate it as a site of such a central institution. In the days before the War, the whole 
British West Indies (British Guiana, Trinidad and Tobago, Windward Islands, Leeward Islands and 
Jamaica) exported agricultural products to the value of about £11,762,000, of which ovei one quarter 
of the whole came from Trinidad and Tobago. More recent figures for all the colonies are not 
immediately available, but the proportion is probably substantially the same now. Trinidad and 
Tobago also produces on a commercial scale a much larger variety of the chief West Indian products 
than any other West Indian Colony. In 1918 the value of the chief products were : — 
Sugar and products . 
Cacao 
Coconuts, copra, &c. 
I jive stock and skin 
, £ 
1,547,085 
1,014,981 
224,099 
31,041 
“ Other advantages possessed by the Colony for the prosecution of research work are the existence 
of botanic gardens and experiment stations, stock farms, Fiver Cacao Estate, St. Augustine 
Estate (sugar), &c., all forming part of the equipment of the Department of Agriculture. Tn these, 
with the additional assistance already referred to, increased research activity could more easily be 
developed than by the establishment of entirely new centres. , , . - c , 
“ The Colony is also the only one in the West Indies in which there is already a trained Iorest 
Officer who has under his care large areas of Government Forest Reserves and Plantations. 
“ The geographical position of the Colony is convenient, and it is free from hurricanes and serious 
eart ^F 0 i 6 these reasons the Committee recommends that a Central Agricultural Research Institute 
for the West Indies is the most urgent necessity, and that Trinidad offers the most favourable site. 
The Governor concurred in the. report of the Committee. , inn 
, Note _It has now been decided to proceed with the establishment of an Agricultural College m 
Trinidad, and it is intended that the Imperial Department of Agriculture should be transferred to 
Trinidad, and should be located in the neighbourhood of the college. These measures should meet 
the need to which the Committee draw attention. 
It may be added that in this Colony there is an important oil industry. 
WINDWARD ISLANDS. 
General. 
The industries of the Windward Islands are almost entirely agricultural, and the researches 
necessary in connection with these industries are carried out under the supervision of th ? Ifn P™» 
Department of Agriculture,'to which reference is made under a separate hear! at the end ot the West 
Indian^section ^ ^ ^ of the report, the Colonial Research Committee have made provision for 
the engagement of a geologist to make an examination of the mineral resources, of the W mdward 
Islands. 
Grenada. 
The "rowing of cocoa is the predominant industry in this Colony, and the value of the cocoa 
exported amounts to three-quarters of the total exports. Other exports of importance are nutmegs, 
mace, cotton and limes. 
Considerable efforts have been made to cope with thrips, black blight and Diplodia in. cocoa, but 
these pests continue to cause much damage. . i w 
The Governor recommended that investigations should be undertaken to ascertain whethei 
mineral oil, bauxite or copper existed in the Island in commercial quantities. 
BI-5W? 
