Vol. XVIII, No. 442. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



103 



COTTON EXPORTS FROM THE 



WEST INDIES. 



The following figures show the quantity and estimated 

 value of Sea Island cotton exported from the West Indies for 

 the quarter ended December 31 1918:— 



Colony. Quantity Estimated value, 



in Id. 



£. 



Grenada 



St. Vincent 



Barbados 



Montserrat* 



Antigua 



St. Kitts 



Nevis 



Anguilla 



Virgin Islands 



Trinidad 



Total .563,618 lb. £82,.519 



There was also exported frotn Grenada 20,160 R. 

 Marie Galante cotton of an estimated value of £1,100 



of 



♦The cotton exported from Montserrat coiiiprised 1.50,405 ft. 

 of clean lint, valued at .3s. per ft., and 1.3,748 ft. <if iitained lint, 

 valued at Is. 6d. per ft. 



GUINEA CORN AS A FODDER CROP. 



Jamaica has long been preeminent among the British 

 West Indiin islands in the matter of stock raising, the dairy 

 farms of the Liguanea Plains north of Kingston being 

 extensive. Yet even in Jamaica it would appear, from a 

 lecture delivered to the Liguanea Agricultural Society by 

 Mr. L. L. Carrington, printed in the Jamaica Gleaner, Feb- 

 ruary 27, 1919, that little attention has been paid to raising 

 fodder crops, that is to say, crops cultivated for the express 

 purpose of feeding animal stock; with the exception of 

 Guinea grass and Para grass, reliance has been placed 

 almost entirely, as in all the other islands, on pasturage, 

 along with cane tops, and together with some amount of grain 

 grown on the spot perhaps, but more frequently purchased 

 from outside. 



In his lecture Mr. Carrington points out the uneconomic 

 nature of this proceeding, and suggests that more use might 

 be made of permanent fodder crops on stock farms, .\mong 

 these, after referring to sugar-cane as a fodder crop, 

 he unhesitatingly gives the first pl^ce to Guinea corn. 

 Much of his remarks on this crop are reproduced below. 



Guinea corn grows under any circumstances. If care- 

 lessly cultivated it yields accordingly; on the other band, if 

 any particular attention be bestowed upon it, the increased 

 returns are in themselves jvarrant eoough for a continuance of 

 the good practice. 



Its value as a fodder lies not only in its nutritive content, 

 but in its palatability. It is readily consumed by all ani- 

 mals, which in all feeding tests is a requisite. Taken at the 

 right stage it contains quite a degree of sweetness, and may 

 be successfully used as a diluent, when chaffed, to dry or 

 coarse Guinea grass. 



The product from one Guinea curp seed may be 20 or 

 3p stalks, and may be cut back two or three times the first 

 ygar, and possibly twice the next year. Maize never 

 reeovers from a set-back, whilst Guinea corn seems to be able 

 to exist under the most adverse circrnstances, and to recover 

 from a severe check with great rapidity. So long a.s a plant 



attains a height of, say, 1 2 to 1 1 inches, it will resist a three 

 or four months drought, even on the Liguanea Plains, and 

 will readily endeavour to make up leeway if subsequently 

 encouraged by favonrable seasons and cultural effort. 



If well established before the drought becomes serious, 

 it is one of the last plants to quail. 



The time to plant is not a definite one. Any seasonable 

 weather will do. Many say August is the best month, as the 

 plant flowers in November, and yields grain in January oc 

 February. It should be cut before seeding, if fodder is the 

 object. 



It is now suggested that, in order to serve this purpose 

 best, planting be started as early in the year as seasons will 

 permit, say the second week of March, or early in April. 



Early planting in a moderately favourable season would 

 give a small cutting in June or July when the need 

 for succulent feed is pressing. It is possible also to get 

 another cutting in September, and still have sufficient growth 

 before flowering time. 



Remember not to allow the Guinea corn to do more than 

 flower if required for fodder, that is, it must not seed. If cut 

 back before seeding, the plants will spring up and yield again 

 from January onwards. 



The June or August planting is the one to reserve to 

 bear fruit for seed or for use as grain. This should never be 

 cut until the grain has ripened. Should land be available, 

 plant all the year round, as there is no fixed season of maturity. 

 It may be cut as required at any stage of 'growth, or may 

 be kept in reserve. 



It is said that in certain stages of growth it is poisonous 

 to stock. The truth is that the great point in feeding stock is to 

 avoid sudden changes or excesses of any kind. If dry Guinea 

 grass has been the feeding for some time, do not begin to 

 feed Guinea corn by the 100 lb. per head per day, Begin with 

 5 to 10 &., and gradually increase, say in three or four days, 

 to 90 or 100 B). as required. In the States certain sorghums, 

 to which class our Guinea crop belongs, are thought to seciete 

 poisonous properties in some stages of growth; but no experi- 

 ments on poison tests carried out with our native Guinea 

 corn have yielded really positive results. It may therefore be 

 fearlessly fed to your best cows or horses always with due 

 regard to moderation. 



In order to reduce the cost of establishing a field of 

 Guinea corn there is no reason why a crop of eowpeas may 

 not be planted up the middle of the rows. If planted along 

 '^ith the corn, it will establish itself before the corn becomes 

 too tall. 



In feeding, particularly in drought, a chafi' cutter is a 

 necessity. Neither sugar-cane nor Guinea corn may be used 

 to the best advantage without a good cutter. The whole 

 cane including the top should be chaffed along with Guinea 

 grass, however dry, at the rate of about 1 part to 5. 



If Guinea corn is being fed, treat it in the same way, 

 1 part corn to 5 p rts grass. 



Damp the chaffed stuff with water, or molasses and 

 water, and then thoroughly mix with it salt and some meal 

 .stuff. Animals will eat the chaff without meal, but it is 

 more relished if a trifle of meal be added. If a regular 

 ration of grain feed is allowed, distribute it over the chaff 

 feeds. 



Horses, cows, and goats may be fed in this way, and 

 though it will be found to be a little troublesome, means will 

 always suggest themselves of lessening the drudgery. 



A cow in milk would take from 5 to 10 kerosene tin 

 fulls. In order to avoid waste it is suggested giving a 

 little at a time until it is discovered how much each animal 

 will eat. 



