CO882-10 — Page 413

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

CO. 882/10

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

books and publications, which are the means by which the local department can follow work elsewhere, is in 1921 Rs. 50. for which sum four books might be obtained, if care were given to selecting those of modest price.

Research Work.

On the other hand, the Government appears to have been as generous as circumstances permitted in trying to provide for sith reasonable research work as has been indicated to them; for example a vote of Rs. 1150 stands on last year's estimatės, and Rs. 500. on this year's, for fittings for a laboratory; these sums appear to have been used for such apparatus as polarimeters for sugar determinations in a colony where no sugar is grom, and fittings for determining eugenol in cinnamon oil, an oil which is already X profitable industry,

The Government appears to have been persistently misled as to the real needs of a department of Agriculture in a Colony of this size. To take a few examples; actual field- work on the control of an ordinary root-disease of vanilla has been for years hung up pending the erection of special glass- house,

estimated to cost Rs. 5000, for studying the phesiology of the vanilla plant. The time of the committee appointed by His Excellency the Governor to report on possible development of local resourose (in 1919) appears to have been sacrificed to the consideration of a menorandum by the Curator of the Gardens on such items as the following:- erection of complete laboratories for chemistry, diseases, biology and technology: purchase for Rs. 50,000 of a yacht for marine biological research; purchase for Rs. 50,000 of an estate in complete working order to show planters how to cultivate coomuts! manufacture of paper from wood of the Parkia tree: appointment of a chemist, an entomologist and a marine biologist: there are altogether over 20 items of a similar nature and extent,

It seems extraordinary that such a state of affairs can have existed for so mny years. While schemes and proposals were being solemnly put forward which were too ambitious and costly for colonies ten times the area and wealth of Seychelles, existing crops were neglected, While elaborate research was

being dreamed of, ordinary methods of cultivation were forgotten. While costly laboratories were being discussed, the most ordinary instruction of the agriculturist was left improv- ided for. While dreams of increased crops resulting from

•laborate soil research were being indulged in, planters

omitted to keep records of the areas and even the crops of their estates. An interesting point to be noted is, that during this period, the medical department and other depart- ments appear to have conducted their work satisfactorily with- out being seriously hampered by the lack of costly research institutes for their respective professions.

The whole idea of the uses of a Department of Agriculture have been distorted through the publication of plans of the kind mentioned above. It is doubtful whether the unfortunate planter of Seychelles now knows what the Department exists for. He has apparently been led to believe that his salvation lies in the applications of some mysterious and rapid scientific remedy rather than in good, hard, efficient thinking and work. A completely new definition of the uses and purposes of an agricultural department is necessary.

Functions of the Department.

Scientific research of any kind is expensive; it is also only indirectly and slowly profitable as a rule; it must grow out of ordinary, everyday, hard work, and can only be used and applied when the ordinary means of investigation have been exhausted. To take one example, research into soils, however clever and careful it may be, is quite useless if one-third of the crop grow on the soil is lost through theft, lack of supervision, and absence of manuring.

The following list gives the duties which can and should be demanded of the agricultural Department before schemes for scientific research are formulated.

Clerical.

Collecting and publishing reliable statistics of crops. Arranging for meetings of the Agricultural Board. Ordinary correspondence.

Educational.

Starting and supervising school-gardens and home-gardens, Courses of training in agriculture for teachers and overseers and instructors.

Organisation of agricultural shown.

Bystematic agricultural instruction for smaller owners. Starting and supervising crop competitions for smaller owners.

Agricultural.

Frequent advisory visits to estates.

Experiments and demonstrations with manures and methods of cultivation on estates.

Agricultural experiments with food department land.

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and fodder-crops on

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