194 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Junk ?8, 1919. 



The strata of sedimentary rock lonnatioue 

 genefiilly run in waves. Tae crest of the n^ck \s\»ve is 

 tec t'!j) of <»n 'anticline'. It is along this anticline 

 that oil wells are generally sunk. Hence land situated 

 along the anticlines gent-rally possesses a higher valne 

 from the point of view of dil production than does land 

 situated on either side. From this it can be seen that 

 a barren tract of land, if it forms the 'saddle' of an 

 anr.iclioe, may be of greater value than very fertile 

 laiid in a less favourable geological position. 



The principal consideration in regard to the 

 effects of oil production on agriculture is the ijues- 

 tion of surface damage. If the operating com- 

 pany buys the land it intends to bore, the 

 question of surface damage affects the company 

 only. But if the land is leased on a subsoil basis, then 

 the company ha.s to pay to the owners surface dam- 

 ages as well as royalties. The surface damage will 

 vary according to the nature of the wells produced and 

 the va''i>^ '>f the stanling crops. If a well turns out 

 to be a 'gusher' there may be some preliminary 

 leakage and consequent damage to crops. But the 

 most likely .source of surface damage is in connexion 

 with pipe lines. These pipe line.-i have frequently to 

 be carried over considerable distances, and being laid 

 under ground, there is a certain amount of .surface 

 damage inflicted all along the line. N.it unfroqueutly. 

 leakages occur. The escaping oil has a vi ry deleterious 

 effect upon the soil, and has been known to have a 

 serious effect upon such crops as cacao that m.ay be 

 growing up above. However, provision is, or should 

 be made to ensure adequate comptensation. 



The local production of oil in the West Indian 

 islands must have a considerable influence upon 

 powtr production. It cheapens traction power for 

 instance. We may e-xpect to see mule and cattle 

 haulage replaced considerably by motor traction. Even 

 on the fields, it will tend to popularize' motor tiivctors 

 which have done very suceesshil work in parts of 

 ^reat Brit;iin during the last few yrars. 



In th<- sugar factories petroleum will probably replace 

 rneg'ss for fuel purposes. It has hii-n suggested t.hat 

 this megass can be more profitably employed for paper 

 manufacture. Dr. Baunard, writing in a sugar journal 

 recent ly, says that it is not difficult to construct a com- 

 bined sugar and paper mill. At any rate a paper mill in 

 the neighbourhood of sevi^ral large sugar factorioH seems 

 a rea>'onable and practical proposition, if plenty of cheap 

 petroleum is available for fuel purposes 



Great as the economic valne ofoil production ie to any 

 community, we mast not losesighfc of the fact ihat agri- 



culture in thisf- i^ia'ida wiii always be ♦I'f'sfH pie industry 



of 'he pr-i'plp. ^' '"• <>»>•.. rhr. ♦■- ---' •■- .. .^v|,,, benefit 



directly fn'in 'lil prnduciini. 0.1 is not a commodity 

 for constructive industries as iron, wood and cotton are. 

 Its production and transportation once started, are con- 

 ducted with the smallest pofsible eniplo^'ment of labour. 

 Agricultural industries provide, and will continue to 

 provide a great deal more permanent employment than 

 oil production. Therefore it is important to realize that 

 efforts bo improve agriculture must not be relaxed 

 because of a new and (juickl) developing source of 

 wealth. If anything, public expenditure on agricultural 

 improvements like road making should be increased. 

 This increase should be met by ( jovernmcnt royalties on 

 local oil. In doing this we can put back into thi- 

 surface of the colony part of its natural wealth which 

 has been obtained from below. 



THE CULTIVATION OF SPONGES. 



While in Kngland recently, the Scien'ific .Xssislaut on the 

 statf of the Imperial Department of Agriculture for the W,st 

 Indies mide various enquiries in buth scientific and commer- 

 cial quarters with s view t" oltaining information and 

 arousing interest in the auhject of the cultivation of sponges. 

 On the basis of ;h's enijiury a letter was written to and was 

 published in N'i///n of May 8, 1919, which indicated the 

 present pot-ition ot the nubject in regard t> the West Indies 



In this letter reference was made to the article by the 

 same author on spnnjie cul' ....■ which was pub i^hed in the 

 tyesi /•j.f/..;^ EuHti.i tov.'ard.. iho end of l91-">, aud 

 summarized in j\u,.(<<; oi iv^:\\ 2''i, ii<lo. JJ\.i article 

 iocludei an account of the AniT'ctm rvork on sponae culture 

 in Florida and of the more recent commercial uudtr aking ai 

 the 'I'm k.s: Islands, in which marketabi"* .sponges hid been 

 reared from cuttings on cement discs in comparMtively shallow 

 sea-water. Mention was made in the letter to the etforts of 

 the Imperial Department of Agriculture to start csperiments 

 at islands like Antigua and Harbado.s where, even though 

 the locally occurring sponges are of inferior quality, suitable 

 conditions might be found for growing introduced types ot 

 belltr quality by the culture method. 



In the letter referred to the writer unsX pointed out that 

 the uncertainty of our knowledge concerning the behaviour 

 of sponges amid ditferenl environments, and the paucity of 

 our knowledge of West Indian sponges and their distribution, 

 made a proper scientific enquiry into sponge culture very 

 desirable. Moreover, the prevai ing .scepticism in certain 

 (piarters regarding the prolitable character of spooge culture 

 called for a technical report on the economic side. 



Opportunity was taken of bringing the matter tjetore 

 Dr. Harmer at the l?ritish Mu.seum (Natural History) and 

 Professor Dendy at Kings College. These authorities, th« 

 letter points out, consider the subject as one of great scientific 

 interest anil well worthy c)f encjuiry oven from the purely 

 scientific aspect alone. It is clear that the study of sponges 

 along the West Indian chain and in'jlnding environmt^nt.al 

 eitperiaients with diff';renl types would be very valuable. 



This question of sponge culture in its economic aspect I 

 UaH been receiving a good deal of att'-i'don in the Bahamas, ^ 

 between which Colony and t'e Colonitl OIHco a considerable | 

 anaoatkt of correspsndenc*- bac laken place. The general !j 



