, 1893-04-19
The D0mintcGn.l

Through the courtesy OF che publishers
(Messrs Macmillan & Co we have been IA
voured with a copy of "A Text Book Of Trop!.
cal Agriculture written by our senior Medical
Officer, II. A. Afford Nichols NJ. D.. +. LIS.
C.M.Z.S. We have already made aIinsion +e
this valuable work and to the favourable
notices we read of it i'll the Jamaica and
Trinidad papers. In fact the work
which is destined to be Of III calculahle be-
neft to all tropical agricul u rists-owes its
origin to a large p :emium offered by the Gov
eminent of Jamaica for the best Test Book
Of Tropical Agriculture, in the competition
for which, the award was made to the m lnu-
script of Doctor Nichols.
In 40 far as Dominica is concerned, the
work is OF special local interest, for the rsa
son that the accomplished author has acquired
in this island most of the information
which he has so clearly impaired therein,
from his own observation AMI experience for
the last twelve years in these tropical is-
gions of the globe,
According to leaaling Europesn Journal,
we may also say that Doctor Nichols has
had the right training to qualify him for the
task he has so satisfactorily perform ID oming,
to the West Indies in all the freshness and
with the receptive faculties ofyouth, Decor
NlCuOkle Was 1OTbuldG@ ia ndNltS q hAS
mentor in economic botany, the late Doctor
Imray-who united the duties of bis profes-
sion with the study of the vegetable king
dom around him. Dominica and other West
Indian islands are to % great degree in
debted to the late Doctor Imray for the
introduction in q practical form Of the lime
juice industry, which has beenhighly beneficial
to the islands iato which thai industry has
baen introduced. But;it was left for the au-
thor of the Text book of Tropical Agricul-
ture, on whom the mantle of him who CLASH
fed and described our fora has fallen, 10
give valuable instruction to nat i've planters
and intending settlers in the cultivation of
plants Of commercial value.
The author has judiciously j. clnded in his
work an elaborate account of soils and thei
relation to all the varieties Of plant life.
In every case useful hints are. given which
may proftably be adopted in the cultivation
of all plants of commercial value that
may be grown in tropical regions.
A valuable feature Of the work is it's re-
markable freedom from any technical termino-
logy, which is a rare thing in works of this Ma
turs. This, apart from its intrinsic merit, entities
the book to a wide circulation in all tropical
countries, as its teachings are thxs adapted
to the comprehension of the humblest tiller
of uhe soil for whose special benefit it was evil
IDENTIFY written.
Now that the work has been generally
approved and adopted BY the Government Of
Jamaica and also by the Government Of
other colonies as Q Text Book. it il rsAsona-
BILE to hope that the Government of this CO.
lony will on its part give similar evidence of
appreciation Of it's value, to the extent OF fur
nishing every schsol ia the colony with
oonies theraof inaamueh n the materials
frsm which the book has been written were
furnished to. it's accomplished author from
actual experience in one tho islands Of the
colony, whose great fertility and variety Of.
soils gave him ample scope for agricultural
Iva S~~&s~st1or