Vol. I. No. 7. 



THE AGRICULTUKAL NEWS. 



105 



SOUR-GRASS AND TICKS. 



The grasses helonging to the genus Aiul nipoijon 

 are i-einarkable tor their aromatic constituents, and 

 for this reason have but little value as fodder, being 

 unpalatable to stock. One species, however, the Bar- 

 l)adiis sour-grass 

 ( Aiiil rdjKxjdH I'l'i'- 

 tiisiis) constitutes 

 an inipdrtant fodder 

 in Barbados, Bar- 

 buda 

 other 

 dian 

 well 

 parts 



and some 

 West Tn- 

 islands, as 

 as in manv 

 of the Old 

 World. (See West 

 1 II dill. II Bullei i n, 

 Vol. II, p. 238.) 



Like its con- 

 geners sour- grass 

 contanis a notable 

 quantity of aromatic 

 substances. The 

 H.m'ble F. Watts 

 suggests that possi- 

 l)ly, these aromatic 

 piinciples may be 

 <if value in ward- 

 ing off the attacks 

 of ticks, a nd o f 

 parasitic worms in 

 the lungs and 

 intestine.s, so com- 

 monly found in- 

 festing cattle in the 

 AVest Indies. 



Aromatic sub- 

 stances are rapidly 

 <iit}'used through 

 the animal systeiu 

 and are excreti'd 

 by the lungs, tile 

 skin and the kiil- 

 neys. Arguing from 

 the value as \ermi- 

 fuges (if similar 

 aromatic substances, 

 a s f o r e X am pi e, 

 turpentine, it is 

 reasonable to con- 

 jecture that the 

 aromatic substances 

 ]iresent in sour-grass 

 may be useful in 

 the manner heie 

 suggested. 1. 



1 1 w o u Id be 

 interesting if stock- 

 keepers would make observations to ascertain whether 

 animals fed u])on sour-grass are or are not ecpially 

 liable to infection by licks or worms, 



Whole ylant (i-eiluoed). 2 IiiH 

 Fertilo hi id .sterile tldwers. 



fed upon non-aromatic fodder. 



Jamaica offers a fine field for experiment in 

 this direction : it woidd be comparatively easy to 

 introduce Barbados sour-grass to the stock estates, 



and after feeding 

 animals upon it for 

 a season, to com- 

 pare their con- 

 dition with the 

 animals fed upon 

 the o r d i n a r y 



Owing to its 

 aromatic character 

 difficulty is some- 

 times experienced 

 in getting animals 

 to eat this gra.ss, 

 but the haliit is 

 acquired in time 

 if other fodde r is 

 withheld. Young 

 animals will perhaps 

 be more readily 

 induced to eat it 

 than older ones. 

 T h e p o in t n o w 

 raised is not the 

 value of the grass 

 as fodder, for that 

 has long been 

 determined by its 

 extensive use in 

 Barbados and else- 

 where, but its value 

 in preventing attacks 

 of parasites of 

 various kinds. That 

 it has a value 

 in this respect 

 a p pears to be 

 boi-ne out by the 

 following note by 

 Mr. Oliver Nugent, 

 Acting- m a n a g e r 

 Barbuda : — 



In B a lb ad OS 

 the cattle and 

 horses that feed 

 continually on 

 sour-grass keep 

 in excellent condi- 

 t i o n and t h e i r 

 skins are )ierfect- 

 ly clean and free 

 of ticks, while 

 and fed othei-wise get 

 md cleaned 



Fly. 10. JjAllUAUOS HoUlMiUASS. 



{Andropogon 2Jertitsux, Wild.) 



(jroui) cf Sjiikelets. 



rescence. 



with animals 



the hcirses kejjt on the estates 



covered with ticks and have to be caught 



continuiilly. 



