Vot. XVIII. No. 458. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



361 



taken up, and all such land just now is abnormally 

 high in price. There is land to be bought cheap; 

 but 'any sound and honest adviser who understands 

 condition.= is bound to adopt a cautious attitude in 

 advising Europeans to settle in the hinterland of 

 British Guiana, or in the interinr of Dominica. For 

 this reason, the lecturer referred principally to matters 

 of production in the ditft-rent colonies, indicating in 

 what direction most progress i.s being or should be 

 made. 



There is no reason, however, why a more vigorous 

 policy should not be pursued in order to improve the 

 internal communications of the large and relatively 

 undeveloped colonies. As soon as this is done, and as 

 soon as a scheme is discovered whereby the labour- 

 supply can be augmented— then will be the time to 

 encour ige, as a general policy, fresh Europeans to take 

 up agricultural land in the West Indies. 



Skunks and Toads -A Warning. 



In the Insect Notes in the present i^ssue ot this 

 Journal, reference is maHe to the introduction of the 

 toad and the skunk into Porto Rico, for the purpose 

 of controlling white grubs, larvae of the several 

 species of brown hardback beetles, that are causing 

 such serious injury to sugar-cane in that island. 



The reference to the toad of the American con- 

 tinent in comparison with the tree frogs of Porto Rico, 

 would indicate that the toad (Bafo marinus or 

 B. o'jua) does not occur in that island. In the Leeward 

 and Windward Islands, in Barbados, and in Trinidad, 

 it is established, and is fairly common. 



The North American skunk ( Mephitis mephitica) 

 is a terrestrial, fossorial, carnivorous animal, nocturnal 

 in habits, and feeding principally on insects, small 

 mammals and reptiles. There would seem to be no 

 doubt that if skunks were established in these islands, 

 they would do a great deal of good in killing many 

 -injurious insects, and rats and mice: they might even 

 kill the mongoose. 



From what is known of the habits of skunks in 

 their natural environment, there is no indication that 

 these animals would become serious pests in the way 

 the mongoose has. It is generally believetl that the 

 West Indies have suffered from the ill-advised introduc- 

 tion of the mongoose, and it is only fair to sound a note 

 of warning in this connexion. 



It is known, however, that the skunk sometimes 

 becomes a nuisance to the poultry keeper by eating 

 eggs, killing young chicks and even fowls; but this 

 does' not happen to such an extent as to cause serious 

 losses. 



The introduction of any carnivorous mammal 

 Into the restricted area of any of the small islands 

 of the West Indies may have a more far-reach- 

 ing effect than can be foretold. If the skunk 

 should be established in one of these islands and then 

 a shortage of its natural food should be experi.-nced, 

 there is no knowing just how it would adapt it.'^etf to 

 its changed environment. 



A Forthcoming Local Exhibition in Barbados 



The particulars of a local agricultural exhibition 

 to be held at Blowers Plantation, .St. .James, on Decem- 

 ber .3, 1919, have recently, been issued. This exhibition 

 should not be confused ^ith the general agricultural 

 exhibition to be held at a later date in the same month 

 in Bridgetown. 



The prize li-^f. isais extensive one, and is designed 

 for peasant proprietors and school children. Prizes are 

 offered for the best exhibits of ail classes of live stock, 

 and of vegetables and fruit. 



The most interesting and unique feature, however, 

 is involved in Class VIII, Class IX, andClass X. In these, 

 prizes are offered for the best exhibition of manual work 

 performed by school children; for example, digging cane 

 holes, making sweet potato beds, draining land, and the 

 like. As well as to the children, prizes are offered to the 

 Head Teachers of the Elementary Schools fur the best 

 kept school garden, for theb°st collection of plants, for 

 the largest number of boys from one school entered in 

 Class VIII. This latter innovation is a shrewd method 

 of stimulating the interest o' the teachers, with the 

 indirect result of increasing the number of children's 

 entries and, as well, the quality of the exhibits 



Making Farmyard Manure without Animals. 



An important <liscovery which may find applica- 

 tion under tropical conditions is referred to by 

 Dr. E. J. Rusiell, F.R S., in his report on the Rotham- 

 sted Experimental .Station, 19141 9, published in the 

 English Jourval of the Board of Agri'idtiire for 

 August 1919. He says :— 



' Two years ago there seemed in England a 

 prospect of a considerable surplus of straw, and 

 methods of utilization were examined: in pirticular, 

 the possibility of converting it into a useful manure 

 was studied at Rothamsced. The prolonged drought) 

 of the present 1919 season has dispelled any prospect 

 of excessive straw, but the value of the work remains. 



'The investigation is being carried out by Dr. 

 Hutchinson, and i.s the logical continuation of 

 work that he has had in hand for some time. Labora- 

 tory work has shown that the breaking down of the 

 material of straw, the so-called cellulose, is effected 

 by a remarkable organism which had eluded all 

 previous investigators, but which Dr. Hutchinson 

 succeeded in obtaining in pure culture so th'tt he cou'd 

 study its properties. In order that it may bring .ibout 

 the decomposition of straw, it required two comlitiohs: 

 air, and soluble nitrogen compound, as food. If either 

 of these is missing it ceases to act. Moreover, it will 

 Only attack cellulose : it is unable to feed oh sugar, 

 starch, alcohol or any organic acid yet tried. 



'Given, however, the necessapy nitrogen compounds 

 and a sufficiency of air, fehe or^nisni ipiickly decom- 

 poses straw, breaking it down to form a black, stidiy 

 material, looking very much like fanny.ard manure. A 

 ton of this material is now being preparefl for the 

 purpose of fertilizer teats.' 



