Both had made application for admission without fees on the ground of poverty. It was agreed to admit them on payment of half the usual fee. The Chemist stated that there were now seven students. (b) Reservoir at Hope-Reporting that the capacity of the reservoir was 330,000 gallons, that the delivery pipe fills it in 30 hours and the outlet is a 3 inch pipe only and the new 5 inch pipe did not draw direct from the reservoir, but from the old 3 inch pipe; that it takes 70 hours to empty the tank by a new conduit and with the rate of flow enables on acre of cane to be irrigated per departmental day. He recommended that a direct connection be made with a 5 inch pipe at a cost of £30, to enable 6 acres of cane to be irrigated per day. This recommendation was held over for consideration, when funds should be available. (c) School Gardens and Essential Changes in the Code-Recommending radical alterations by increased points for agricultural subjects. This was directed to be circulated. (d) Instruction in Economic Botany-Pointing out that since Mr. Fawcett has found himself unable to continue to give instruction in Economic Botany to the agricultural students, and as Mr. Teversham had yet no special local knowledge on the subject, it might be necessary to add a new officer to the staff of the Botanical Department, as this subject was necessary to the students' course. The Archbishop said that first a substantial agreement should be come to as to what teaching is required, second that the work should be so organized that they should utilise for that purpose to the full extent the best ability of the men belonging to the Botanical Staff, third that they must secure the co-operation of Mr. Fawcett and Mr. Cousins and enough of flexible connection with the Jamaica College to secure proper agricultural teaching for that institution, and in such a way that they should not add men to the staff and that the heads of departments should not be called on to do elementary work. The Chairman read a letter from the Jamaica Schools Commission asking that arrangements should be made for scientific agricultural teaching to be given at the Jamaica College. After considerable discussion the Board appointed a Committee consisting of the Chairman, Mr. Fawcett, Mr. Cousins, Mr. deMercado, Mr. Middleton, to meet to consider the matter of the teaching of economic botany and the matter of secondary school classes. (e) Borers in Sugar Cane-Asking permission to print a leaflet for distribution, on practical measures for reducing the ravages of these pests. It was agreed that it might first be ascertained whether there was such a publication of the Imperial Department of Agriculture, and, if so, that a supply should be obtained if the matter was suitable for (f) New buildings at the Laboratory-Reporting that the work (h) Fermentation Work-Submitting Mr. Allan's report since the (i) Work of Superintendent of Sugar Experiments. (j) Mr Teversham's lecture at Port Maria-Stating that he had suggested that Mr. Teversham should work up the lecture into three short articles for the Agricultural Journal. This was directed to be circulated. The Secretary submitted a report re cotton industry, stating that as directed he had arranged for a vigorous cotton propaganda on the Pedro Plains, that Mr. Cradwick had already held a meeting in conjunction with the Black River Agricultural Society, had distributed Egyptian cotton seed and leaflets on cotton cultivation and had arranged to return to the district in September; that Mr. C. G. Farquharson at Black River had agreed to buy all the cotton offered within the next two years at a price to be fixed by the Board, at the same time not restricting anybody from selling elsewhere; that Egyptian cotton grown by the settlers of the Pedro Plains, collected by the Rev. C. T. Rickards, had been ginned by Mr. Fursdon at Hartlands, that the cotton looked poor, as it had evidently been picked before it was ripe but it had however ginned out a high proportion of lint, and asking authority to ship this ginned cotton to London; that he had arranged with Capt. Constantine who had kindly consented to carry it freight free to Southampton; that he had examined the two hand cotton gins salvaged from the S.S. "Costa Rican" and had found them covered with rust, due to the action of chemicals which formed part of the cargo, besides the action of the salt water; that on the authority of the Colonial Secretary he had sent the gins to the Railway work shops to be examined, reported on and put in order; that the British Cotton Growing Association had been so good as to send two other hand gins to replace these. It was reported that Mr. Morais of Kingston had cotton seed for sale and the Secretary was asked to see him on the subject. The Archbishop said he was going to the Pedro Plains and would like to speak on the subject of cotton if the Secretary would give him the outlines to work on. The Board agreed that the Secretary should send on the cotton to London, and should also send the cotton from the Prison Farm. The Chairman submitted the remarks of the members of the Board on Criollo Cocoa and read a minute from Mr. J. V. Calder on the subject. After discussion it was resolved to recommend instructors to be cautious in advocating the planting of this variety of cocoa in districts other than where it was seen growing hardily and luxuriantly at present, as until they had figures on the net profits per acre, to show superiority to other varieties it was premature to advocate its cultivation everywhere. The Director of Public Gardens submitted reports as follows :(a) Mr. W. J. Thompson on his recent visit to school gardens at Mount Fletcher, Clifton and Content. (b) Mr. Thompson's visits to school gardens at Bethesda, Woburn Lawn, Somerset &c. (c) Mr. Thompson's visit to Trinity Ville, Morant Bay, Hector's River, Manchioneal, Port Antonio, Buff Bay, &c., re small holdings competition, &c. (d) Mr. Thompson's visit to Yallahs district. (e) Mr. Cradwick's work for July, reporting that 10,000 Criollo plants had been planted by settlers in Hanover during the past 18 months. (f) Mr.Cradwick's itinerary from 23rd August to November 10th. (g) Mr. Cradwick's reports, Hanover and New Market Shows. (h) Inspection by Mr. Palache of school gardens at Snowdon, Manchester. (i) Work of Hope Experiment Station. () Mr. W. J. Thompson on manurial plots of bananas at Burlington and Orange Hill. (k) Apprentices at Hope ready for employment. (1) Information on the use of cloth for shading tobacco. All these were directed to be circulated. Mr. Fursdon said that he had seen a notice in the newspapers that there was a disease killing off cattle around Walker's Wood. The Secretary stated that he had been to St. Ann's Show and had heard nothing of the matter, but he would write prominent penkeepers there on the subject. The Chairman said that this was the last occasion on which he would have the pleasure of presiding over a meeting of the Board. This was a matter of great regret to him and he wished to express his acknowledgments to the members for their valuable co-operation in the work of the Board at much cost of time and labour to themselves for the kindness and support they had shown him as Chairman. The Board had done a considerable amount of useful work and he had no doubt would continue to do so. The Board took the place of the head of an Agricultural Department and such an organisation must continue to exist and to carry on its present services until such a Department can be formed. He hoped that Sir James Swettenham would take the Chairmanship of the Board when he assumed the Government. The Governor is in a position to do more in pushing the work of the Board than is possible for the Colonial Secretary under the constant pressure of his official work. He intended to leave his opinion on this subject on record for Sir James Swettenham's consideration. He again thanked them and expressed the pleasure which it had been to him to be associated with them and preside at their meetings. Mr. de Mercado said that they were all sorry to part with Mr. Olivier. It had been a pleasure to act on the Board with him as Chairman. They had found in him a Chairman, who always came to the Board with every subject well considered, and they were enabled to carry on the work in an efficient way, owing to the attention given by him to all the work of the Board. It was a subject of considerable surprise that Mr. Olivier should be able among all his arduous duties to take the immense amount of trouble involved in this work and he for one felt, and he thought he expressed the feelings of the Board, that the success of the Board of Agriculture had only been made possible by the very great interest and the great effort and the immense amount of work the Chairman had given to the business of the Board. He hoped they would have the chance of renewing their very pleasurable acquaintance with him. The Chairman in acknowledging the kind expression of the appreciation of the Board said that the Board had been a most efficient and satisfactory combination to work with because of the extensive variety of the interests and qualifications of its Members in direct or indirect connection with Agriculture. They had four leading practical planters, Mr. Calder, Mr. Cork, Mr. Fursdon and Mr. Shore representing all the principal branches of Agriculture; they had Mr. deMercado representing its commercial interests, and Mr. Middleton representing commercial and manufacturing interests. Besides this they had the technical members of the Board, Mr. Fawcett and Mr. Cousins; they had connected themselves with Education through the Chairman of the Schools Commission and the Superintending Inspector of Schools, and they were in close touch with the Jamaica Agricultural Society through their joint Secretary. [Issued 10th October, 1904.] Printed at the Govt. Printing Office, Kingston, Jam. Anthony Bean, Esq., Holstein, Spring Hill, P.O., to Director of Public Gardens and Plantations. Dear Sir, 28th September, 1904. I have just read in the Bulletin for September, 1904, at page 214 about the shipping of breadfruit from this Island to the other countries. Pa: 2. "No other similar attempt has been made, so far as records are known to us." I am in a position to say that the late Rev. Wm. Smith, Rector of Portland, when he was Curate at Golden Grove, St. Thomas-yeEast, occasionally shipped breadfruit to his friends in England, by sailing ship, from Port Morant. He used to thoroughly roast the fruit and pack it, unscraped, in barrels. It always reached its destination in good condition and was duly appreciated by the recipients. When required for use it was heated in an ordinary kitchen oven, then scraped and sent to table. Yours faithfully, ANTHONY BEAN. CHEMICAL NOTES ON "BASTARD" LOGWOOD.* By BENJAMIN C. GRUENBERG AND WILLIAM J. GIES. [From the Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, 31. 367-377. July, 1:04.] During the past few years the growers of logwood in Jamaica have been greatly disturbed by an apparent increase on their properties of an unmerchantable variety of the plant known as "bastard" logwood.t The exportation of this wood along with real logwood has served to condemn all the logwood from the districts which have shipped it. "Bastard" logwood differs from the genuine varieties, from the *From the New York Botanical Garden, New York. Some of the chemical work was done in the laboratory of physiological chemistry of Columbia University. +Fawcett Bulletin of the Botanical Department, Jamaica, 3: 179. 1896. 1 Clipping from a Kingston, Jamaica, newspaper, sent to Dr. D. T. MacDougal by Mr. William Fawcett (September, 1901.) |