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places visited, March 1899
Daily Gleaner, March 7, 1899
Daily Gleaner, March 9, 1899
Mr. Douet's Latest Tour On Tuesday morning Mr. G. A. Douet, Secretary of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, Mr W. Cradwick, and Mr J. Doidge, Apiarian Lecturer, left Kingston for the purpose of holding meetings and forming branch societies in the parish of St. Thomas. The party arrived at Yallahs at 10 o’clock and shortly after the meeting was held in the schoolroom of the Baptist Church there. Rev. J. Johnson presided, and among those present were - Rev T N Brown, Messrs Ridley, Bogle, Mrs Brown and a large attendance of the peasantry. Mr. Johnson introduced the speakers and Mr Douet led off in his usual style with a full description of the work of the Society, and with suggestions of what might be done in the district, and urging the people to greater industry and perseverance in agricultural matters. Mr. Doidge followed with a lecture on the bee industry and Mr. Cradwick on Viticulture. After the meeting Mr Cradwick went into Mr J. G Barrrant’s field and gave demonstrations in pruning thinning etc. After this a branch society was formed under the presidency of the Rev T. N. Brown, with Mr. J. A Ridley as Secretary and Mrs. Johnson as Treasurer. This society was admitted to affiliation with the Society yesterday.
Rev T Newton Brown
From there the party went to Bull Bay and held another meeting in the Court House, Mr. Josiah Smicle presiding. After the lecturers had addressed the meeting, a branch society was formed under the presidency of Mr. J. Smicle with Mr Edmund Walker, Secretary and Mrs Smicle as Treasurer. This was also admitted to affiliation at the Society’s meeting yesterday. The party returned to Kingston on Tuesday evening ANOTHER T0UR On Tuesday the 14th, Messrs Douet, Watts and Doidge will leave for St Thomas to lecture it Trinity Ville, the 15th, Messrs. Douet and Doidge will in the first place proceed to Port Morant to visit Mr John Tenche’s large poultry farm and Apiary at Silverbrook. All persons interested in bee keeping or agriculture are invited to meet the gentlemen at Silverbrook on the 14th. The party will then go back to Morant Bay, returning to Kingston on the 16th inst.
Daily Gleaner, March 20, 1899 Mr. Douet's Latest Tour. In response to the request of the pressman on Friday last for an account of the tour which had been characterized as very successful, Mr, Douet said: I left Kingston along with Messrs. Watts, the Government and Agricultural Chemist and Mr. Doidge of the Mandeville Bee Supply Coy., at 7 a.m. on Tuesday morning last, the 14th inst. We called at *Mr. Smicle's residence at Bull Bay for Mr. Doidge to give the people some advice with reference to bee-culture. We then proceeded to Morant Bay via Yallahs. We also called on Messrs. Hope & Company, and arranged with Mr.Hawkins to hold a meeting at the Morant Bay Court House on Wednesday evening, the 15th inst. We then went with Mr. Phillips to Lyson Sugar Estate, belonging to Mr. C. H. Levy. After visiting the works where sugar operations are now being carried on, we left Mr. Watts with Mr. Phillips to give certain advice on matters that he wished to be informed upon and I and Mr. Doidge proceeded to Port Morant, and on to Silverbrook, the residence of Mr. J. Tench. We visited and inspected his apiary and poultry farm and saw his fine lot of Plymouth Rock fowls and incubators at work. We also saw his Belgian hares which are being sold at 10s per pair, delivered in Kingston. After partaking of Mr Tench's hospitality, we went on to Pear Tree River and lectured on Agriculture and bee-keeping to about 150 persons, leaving there at 7.50 p.m. for Morant Bay. On Wednesday morning with Messrs. Watts and Doidge we visited Belvidere, the property of Captain L. D. Baker, and through the kindness of Messrs. Hopkins and Storer, we made a thorough inspection of the banana fields, and orange and grape fruit groves, and I was particularly pleased to see the fine growth of the Cyprus fruit which I saw there last year. I found here that much precaution were being taken by spraying the young trees with kerosine, to prevent as much as possible the chance of any scale insect or disease etc, attacking the plants. Several large mules were at work on the property and the Blue Bud Moline plough was also being used, which Mr. Storer assured me did better work than any he had used before in Jamaica. We afterwards went on to Trinity Ville, and there met the members of the Branch Society. This society was one of the first to be affiliated to the parent society and it has been doing excellent work for some time past. Commencing with a membership of 36 it has now increased to 110. Dr. C.R. Edwards is the President of the Society, Mr. Harrison of May Hall, Vice President, and Mr. Vernon, Secretary. At the meeting Mr. Harrison occupied the chair in the unavoidable absence of the President, and amongst those present were: Mr. J. McFarlane, Mr. Stelly, Mr. Mordecai, Mr. Webb, and a very large attendance of members and others. I spoke at some length on the marvellous strides the branch had made since its formation, and commended the Secretary for his active work, and generally I spoke on all agricultural matters. Mr. Watts followed with a valuable and practical lecture on the soil, dealing with the use of manures, etc, Mr. Doidge spoke on beeculture and coffee-growing. Afterwards Mr. Mordecai and others addressed the meeting and several questions were asked and answered. At 4 p,m., along with Messrs. Mordecai and Tilly, we proceeded to Serge Island, the property of Mr. Mordecai, and thoroughly inspected the large field of tobacco under the charge of a Cuban, Mr. Insullar. who not only selected the site, but has been in charge ever since. The soil appear [sic] to be well adapted for the purpose, and the tobacco are growing most luxuriantly and seems of excellent quality. A very large portion of the crop has been cut and is now being cured in a large and substantial building that has been erected for the purpose. It is to be hoped that this important industry which Mr. Mordecai has entered into will prove a financial success. The sugar works where the famous “vacuum pan” is being made was next inspected as also the very fine garden. We then proceeded to Morant Bay Court House, where we arrived somewhat, late, but found a full house waiting us. Mr. W. A. Henderson presided and amongst those present were Messrs. Phillips, Hill, Hawkins, Watson, Marshalleck, Hopkins, Storer, Cox, and Dias. I spoke first and introduced Mr. Doidge who went fully into the bee-keeping question. Mr. Watts followed on scale insect pest, and as there was a strong desire form a branch society at Morant Bay, I gave the necessary information and it was decided, the time being 10.30 p.m. to convene a special meeting at an early date to inaugurate the Branch, Early on Thursday morning the return journey to Kingston was begun, we taking the interior road via Cedar Valley. We visited the coffee plantation of Mr. John Peters. The apiary was thoroughly inspected by Mr. Doidge who found everything in excellent order. Then we proceeded to May Hall coffee plantation where Captain Taylor kindly took us over his excellent (thief proof) coffee works. Here we found fine and large barbecues and all the most improved machinery for preparing these Blue Mountain coffee for the English market. We also saw the engines, hullers, sugar sorting tables, etc., all carefully under lock and key, and last but not least the electric plant. So that at the touch of a button, so to speak the barbecues and works can be lit up. For up on the hill top a mile away is to be seen the station house and wire ropes stretched from it to the works. Within five minutes after the works are put in operation down comes a load of several bags of pulped and washed coffee beans, all ready to be placed on the barbecues. Three miles further from the station house are the coffee works where pulping, washing cisterns are situated, and the coffee fields supplying the English market with some o£ the finest coffee that is produced in the world. Several hundred acres are planted out by Captain Taylor since he purchased the property. We next went to Richmond and inspected the coffee works of Mr. Blake, a pleasant proprietor. We found everything in excellent condition, a large quantity of coffee being hand-picked for the Kingston market. We called at Windsor Forest the property of Mr. Watson and walked over the tobacco field which is in charge of a Cuban, and found them to be thriving well. The leaves are really fine and I trust Mr. Watson’s effort will be crowned with success. We came on to Kingston at about 9 o'clock on Thursday night In conclusion, Mr Douet said: And I must now record the pleasure it has given me to make this very interesting tour and see all that we have seen. From the llth mile on the road from Kingston the scenery begins to change and on nearly every bend of the road some different view breaks in. Cedar Valley Court House is 26 miles from Kingston and 17 miles further on to Morant Bay where a most comfortable lodgment is kept by Miss Bennett, I was very glad to have the company of Mr. Watts, as it enabled him to get some idea of the lay of the land, and the condition of the country at those places, so that at any time when his services might be required he will be familiar with the places.
*note on Josiah Smicle: Josiah Smicle was a prominent Black politician of the day. He was a devout Anglican, who was both a teacher and catechist at churches in eastern Jamaica. He was a member of both the St Andrew and St Thomas Parochial Boards, and served as chairman of the St Thomas Board. In 1900, the year after these tours by Douet and Doidge, Josiah Smicle was elected to the Legislative Council, in a by-election caused by the death of Samuel Constantine Burke, the greatly respected Coloured lawyer, politician and public servant. Smicle was the second Black man (Alexander Dixon was the first) elected to the Leg Co, which had been reconstituted as a semi-representative body in 1884. Sadly Smicle never took his seat as he died, of a stroke, in September 1900.
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