, 1908-12-12

note A few particulars CONCERNING it.
St. Pierre is the principal island, one of
three small islands off the south coast o.
Newfoundland, the other two, which are
said to be connected by q sanity lsthmus,
being Great Miquelon and Little. Miqselon.
The whole form a colony Of France, the
only remnant left to her. of her once vast
possessions on the North American CONT
uent.
The island # St. Pierre is desc lied as
having u rugged surface with some tlatter
parts. With many .ponds and marshes, the
other two islands are said to abound IN
wood. St. Pierre is also the name Of the chief
town. which lies on the S. E.side Of the Island
of the same namo on a fine roadstead. The total
area is only rs square miles, so hat the
whole land Of the colony does not quite equal
in extent that of ST. CroIx.
There is scarcely anything that can be
called agriculture, and the main occupation
OF the people is fishing. The entire popu-
lation does not appear to amount to 5000,
not a third port of oars IN St,CroiX, SO that
any iusurrection among the people cannot be
very Formidable. At the same time they
have often given great trouble to England
bv raising questions as to THEN fishing rights,
questions in which they have been sustain
ed by Franco, bat resisted by the people
OF Newfoundland, so that the British Gov
ernmeut has often found 1t difficult, as IN
the case OF the more recent fishing disputes
between Newfoundland and the United
States, to find a compromise which should
be even partly accep able to both sides. IN
view Of those difficulties, it would perhaps be
a good thing for ali parties concerned if su h
u transfer rs that which seems to be under
discussion could be made.
The retirement OF Sir Daniei Morris from
the post Of Commissioner of the British
Imperial Department of Agriculture for the
West Indies has naturally called forth many
apprecjatiye articles in the columns OF the
English colonial press, and we too IN St
Croix have prUhted Immensely by his labours
in the West indies. Possibly, the cotton
Industry, the introduction Of which has been
a most substantial gain for the islands, would
in any case have sprung up undq.I the pres
sure of tue needs of the English s~pinuera.
but as q matter Of fact ii was Sir Daniel
Morris Investigations that led to its nitro
duction and its establishment on a sound
basis, aud Che industry has since had the ad-
vantage ofhis technical, knowledge oe e hotan-
ist in seed selection and u other ways.
We onght juleol to be grateful to
the retiring Gommissi0ner If Gu tAis ground
alone, bl, his' successtu, organization and
guidance Of the numerous experiments
in raising seeding canes, still in pro
gr,s. il jhe English colonies, is per.
haps q stl greater reason; for the sugar indus
try, in spite OF all threatening Appearances,
is likely to bo the mainstav Of many Of the
islands for a long time to come, and il. is
impossible to say how FIR selection in slis
important direction may yet bring Us. The
progress aud the possibilities in this line
tra Illustrated in the article ou"Soelling canes
in Jamtica" which we reprint this morning,
where, in the fourth paragraph, the Ntiter,
after u favourable .mentioa OF The seeding
cane D %, continues, "Until we received the
new Seeding B. 1929, which has the sweet
est and most concentrated Juice Of any yari-
ely ever tested in Jamaica, D. IS, has Away
headed all others canes il tue Iici0oss 0uj
qanilty OF t. juice" From which We sge
mat the cane hitherto the best in Ja 4'ica
has been beaten by a nav seeding,
which Suggests that no latter may -agiiu lie
beaten in its turn, aud 90 on, until we arrive
AZ variety rich enough 10 place the indus
tJy an II sure too5ng.
Ihere are Other ways il which va are IN
debted 10 the e|xcellert organ zation OF the
" / Department. Of Agriculture, not the
least of which is the issue of The West In3ian
Bu,iutin,aud the numerous pamphlets bearing