, 1891-06-17

should not be shown tEefe-and tney nave
been shown there in a very admlra-
BILE manner indeed. (Cheers). | am indebted
to-day, I believe, for the honour Of addressing
YOU, to the Agricultural and Horticultural So
cieties in Barbados. The Agricultural Socle-
ty in Barbados has been in existence for may
wears. It has done excellent work in the
colony, and I believe it is capable of doing a
great deal more Hear The journal which
thew publish every month, and which
is distributed to the various parts OF
the world, shows what they have been
doing from time to time; and l think
that the Society, in so far as it supports
matters connected with the progress and I'M
provement ofthe sugar industry, deserves every
sympathy and support. | can hardly lmagl~e
anyone interested in the sugar industry IN TINS
island who would not become a member OF the
Agricultural Society. (Cheers.) 1t is most
important that the Society should be represen-
tative of the main industry of the island, andlf
it is given greater support and larger influence,
it will increase its usefulness for good.
Renewed Cheers.) The other Society to
which I an indebted for the invitation to adj
dress you to-day is the Horticultural Society.
That has naturally, as it ought to take, a much
lower position as regards It's usefulness IN the
colony; but | must say this that the beautl-
full plants cultivated in the nelghbourhood OF
Bridgetown and elsewhere in the island, are
no doubt owing a good deal to the influence
and work of that Society and while 1t has
devoted itself to the cultivation of roses and
crotons and ornamental plants OF various kinds,
/ hope ! am not going too far when l suggest
that it should do as much as it possibly can IN the
way Of encouraging the cultivation of vegeta-
bles and fruit. True enough that, in Barbados
=, b. ,II,oo+;o iy,HuoDon. and tho Fact that
the land is so fully occupied with other Guilt
walton, you are not able to grow fruit and vege-
tables like the other islands but still a great
deal might be done in that direction, and l
hope that the Horticultural Society which has
been in existence a good many years has done
good work do not know-nO one has told me
but | think that the Society Just at present
is not so active as it has been in the past. Pos
sibly may be wrong, and if / am wrong please
pardon me. But l would only ask the mem
bers of the Society to do what they can to-
wards not merely the decorative part Of gar
dening, but also towards the useful part, be-
cause there is no doubt whatever that IN these
DAYS. nothing is too small, nothing too insight
fcant, that it can be despised. Cheers In
fact the history of minor industries in various
parts of the world leads one to suppose that it
is only necessary to take up a small industry
suited to the circumstances of the country, to
make that industry the main stay of the coun-
try, and bring in prosperity and wealth to the
country. AS an instance of that | need only
remind you that a few years ago the cultlva'
ton of bananas in Jamaica was entirely neg
lected. The only people who grew them
were the negroes, and perhaps a few Europe
ans around their houses. Now you know that
owing to the cultivation of bananas alone, the
colony of Jamaica at the present moment is in
a most prosperous condition, in fact they are
exporting bananas from there to the value of
over half a million sterling and that has been
done entirely because roads have been opened
up, railways have been extended, shipping ia
c~ilities have been afforded, Geographic COM
munication has been established, &c. All
these things have contributed to make an in
significant industry like the growing of bana-
mas, q source of immense wealth and prosperi-
ty to the community. In fact, it might be said
that it is the banana which has prompted and
brought about that magnificent Exhibition in
Jamaica. and it is the banana which will pay
fori it. (Cheers.) Now in a place like Barba-
dos, l suppose there a very few things indeed
that are open to you to take up. | may men
ton, however, that the other day when I was
in one'of the Northern Islands, l found that a
man there was growing potatoes and tomatoes
for export to the American market. He planted
them in the autumn, reaped them about the
middle of December and was shipping them from
his smear estate-for he owned an estate-to the