354 



THE --iGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



NoVEMBEU 15, 1919. 



part of the West Indian fish irade should not be 

 •stipplied iVoin local sources. 



Concerniug ih'^ liist pv)int, we ku'jw that tish 

 keeps a very shors time in a warm climate. For fish 

 to be kept in cold storage or cured successfully, it must 

 he fresh. Therefon^ some quicker method of transit 

 than the ordinarj- sail-boat, and some quicker method 

 of land transit than carrying by hand is obviously 

 required. Fishing inotor-b6ats would probably be 

 found to answer well, or even properly constructed 

 sftii-boats with fast lines and deep keels to enable 

 plenty of sail to be carried. The employment of these 

 would greatly expedite matters. Then as regards land 

 transit, the use of motor-vans for collecting the catches 

 brought in at regular times, according to an organized 

 plan, would obviously be an immense advantage. 



Curing is a big subject which still requires much 

 investigation under tropical conditions. Work is 

 being done in Jamaica in the matter of curing fish at 

 sea, but so far, has not given satisfactory results. Salt 

 curing on land is the better practice. There is also to be 

 considered the best fish to cure. Popular prejudices 

 havi- to be considered, also popular taste. It is quite 

 likely that the taste of cured West Indian fish might 

 take some little acquiring at first. But these matters 

 could well be dealt with by a Fisheries Board. Such a 

 Board could be nominated by the local Government, 

 and one of its members should, if such a person exist, 

 be a merchant who is as much interested in the wel- 

 fare of his island as in the importation of cured fish 

 from Canada. This Board could collect the names 

 <jf local fishermen, information as to the extent of 

 their interests, and their willingness to eo-operate. 

 ♦Questions as to present supplies, the regularity, 

 «listribution, and possibilities of increase, could be 

 entered into; (;xpt;riments in curing could be started: 

 the lundimental problems of quicker transit referred 

 to above could be considered, and the necessary action 

 to be taken, might be indicated. 



An regards more technical investigations, such as 

 the study of the methods of fishing, the habits of 

 diffnent fish, especially breeding and shoaling — for 

 these investigations an expeit would be required. At 

 j.we9ent the principal methods of fishing are four : the 

 driving method of ditching flying-fish at Barbados, 

 snappering by mt ans of lines of about 100 yards ; the 

 fish-poi or trap fishing; and the Seine not method, 

 These might be imjM-oved upon. In Jamaica, a method 

 known as stake-net fishing, which is really an extension 

 ol' tlie fish-pot method, has proved successful. On the 

 other hand, most of the northern methods such 



as trawling and line rishing with, one- or two- 

 mile lines with a thousand hooks have not given 

 satisfaction. Trawling is interfered with by thi; 

 existence of coral reefs: deop-stvi i'lshing with 

 long lines by piedaceous fish like Harracoutas, which 

 attack and eat the fish caught on the hooks. These 

 considerations shoiv that careful experimental work, 

 as well as enterprise are uet-ded if ic is hoped to 

 improve present method? of securing fish. 



There is proljabl} a good opening for a 'fish- 

 canning business, C'anned lobster is an important 

 industry in the Bahamas and Turks IsJands. Turtles, 

 sea-eggs, and the mangrove oysters all give rise to 

 minor industries in certain places, and they all call 

 for critical investigation. One difficulty at present is 

 that most of the detail knowledge concerning the fishing 

 industry in general is possessed by the fishermen them- 

 selves. These men, though by no means unintelligent, 

 are frequently illitei'ate and uneducated, and being also 

 of independent character, are not easy to deal with. 

 Educated people of good standing, who are familiar 

 with the fisherman class, and who have their confi- 

 dence, could do their isl.md and the fishing industry 

 a good service, by taking an active interest in the 

 development of fishing, and by bringing their influence 

 to bear in the right quarters to ensure an early and 

 practical inquiry into a matt'in' of \ory gre.it economic 

 importance. 



SUGAR INDUSTRY AND RESEARCH. 



IMPRESSIONS OF AN AMERICAN SUGAR 

 CHEMIST IN THE WEST INDIES, 



Not very long ago .some of the lirilish colonies in the 

 West Indies were favoured by a visit from Dr. C. A. Browne, 

 Cht'inist of thft New York Sugar Trade Laboratory, Inc., 

 who caine with the object of making a general survey of the 

 sugar-cane work and scientific investigations carried oq 

 in the different colonies. 



Recently there has appeared in the Journal of Indus- 

 Irial and En^-i.ucnng C/icniis/rv, a paper entitled ' The 

 Industrial and Agricultural Uhemistry in liricisli Guiana 

 with a Kcview of the Work of Professor J I!. Harrison.' 

 This piper, whicli is by Dr. Urowne. is based upon 

 information obtained by hiiu while in llial colony It is 

 reproduced in the Lcuisiauii /V(j>//ir for .September "JO, 1919. 

 It oonstitiites a comprehensive .locoiint of ]'rofesB)r 

 Harrison's .scientific and economic work, and indicates how 

 highly it is appreciated by the writer of the paper. 



In the paper under review a general account is given 

 first of the colony's sugar industry, it is pointed out thvt 

 the greater pirt of the sugar output of IJritisb Guiana 

 consists of grey or dark crystals wfiicli are exjiorted to 

 Canada and the I'nited States for refining, and the well- 



