Vol. XVII. No. 411. 



THE AGEICULTUKAL I?fEWS. 



19 



greatest possible extent in the present crisis. With the excep- 

 tion of corn bread, which is sometimes eaten in preference to 

 the best white wheaten bread by people used to it, probably 

 no other bread than that from wheat tlour will be api)reciated 

 by everybody, so that it is hardly probable that any such 

 bread will becorne universally popular. Nevertheless, every 

 baker should do his best to make as good a special loaf of 

 bread containing the minimum percentage of wheat dour as 

 is possible. All such special bread is not difficult to make 

 in small batches of a few loaves. 



It is characteristic of all flours deficient in gluten that 

 the dough becomes more or less sticky, owing to lack of this 

 substance, to which wheat flour owes the peculiar property 

 of forming a spongy dough. For this reason the making 

 of a satisfactory loaf of bread in larse quantities from other 

 than pure wheat flour is quite a serious problem, which bakers 

 will have to face. 



The review referred to goes on to say that the wheat sup- 

 pl\ of the United States must be utilized not only to satisfy 

 the needs of that country, but also to feed the population of 

 the allied countries in Europe. For this reison it is necessary 

 to make the American wheat supply go as far as possible, by 

 using some substitute for it. These substitutes are, in the 

 order of their nutritive qualities, corn flour and corn meal, 

 rye flour, oat meal, rice flour, and potato flour, and sweet 

 potatoes. In the West Indies we are practically concerned 

 with only the first and last of these. 



Regarding the use of corn flour or cnm meal, it can be 

 said that from 15 to 30 per cent, of this can be advantageously 

 used in combination with wheat flour, if the bread is made 

 either with yeast or with baking powder. According to 

 exoeriments made by Bakers Eft ieir, the formula and 

 method of making are as follows: — 



CORN KUE.VD RAISED WITH YK.\ST. Make a spouge 

 from 1.'. B). of strong wheat flour, 1 oz. of yeast, and three- 

 quarters of a quart of water. When the sponge is ready, 

 add ]-oz. of salt, 1 oz. of sugar, 1 oz. of lard compound, and 

 1 Yb. to 1 j ft), of fine yellow corn meal. The dough must be 

 very soft, becau.se the corn meal while being baked absorbs a 

 ffreac amount of water. Place this mixture immediately in 

 papered pans, and let it stand until fermentation starts again. 

 Then bake in good heat. 



CORN BREAD RAISED WITH BAKINi; POWliER. Bakers 



Jlerieir also experimented with baking powder, and found 

 bread thus prepared preferable to the yeast-raised corn bread. 

 The formula is a very simple one, and usually turns out very 

 good bread, it is reported. Mix together 1^ ft), strong whi-at 

 flour, 1.', ft), flne yellow corn meal, 3 oz. bakmg powder, I oz. 

 salt, 1 to 2 oz. sugar, 1 to '1 oz. lard compound. Place, as 

 in the former recipe, in papered pans, and bake in good heat. 



Another excellent formula for mixed bread is given as 

 follows; 3 ft), sweet potatoes, .'.-ft), corn meal, Apint milk, 

 \-oi. baking powder, A-oz. salt, 1 oz. lard or other short- 

 enina, one egg. Boil the sweet potatoes, peel and wash them, 

 add salt and shortening. Mix in the corn meal, the baking 

 powder and the beaten egg. Pour into a gi-eased pan, and 

 bake in a moderate oven for half-hour. 



The use of cotton-seed flour has been suggested as 

 a substitute for a portion of wheat flour by the Food 

 Administration. Experiments in this dii-ection have also 

 been made in St. Vincent with some success. Cotton-seed 

 flour is exceptionally rich in protein, and is used only in 

 proportion of about 1 to 4 with wheat Hour or corn meal. 

 The cotton-seed flour is made from the cottonseed meal of 

 commerce, by a roasting and bolting process, by which 



process the resins, fibre, and seed-coat particles ar& 

 removed, thus rendering the meal fit for human 

 consumption. 



It would nfit be advisable to use the ordinary cotton- 

 seed meal in bread, without some special preparation suck 

 as is mentioned above. 



MARINE PRODUCTS IN THE BAHAMAS. 



Colonial Reports — Annual, No. 932, contains the Annual 

 Keport for 1916 17 on the Bihami.s, transmitted from the 

 Governor of that Colony to the Secretary of State. An inter- 

 esting portion is the report of the Marine Products Board. 



It appears that the sponge trade has had a large revival, 

 proved by the fact that the sales of sponges for the year 

 reached the sum of £llo,.300, an increase of nearly £l-t,00O 

 over the largest previous record. It is true that the market 

 has been stimulated by war conditions because of the milifcaiy 

 restrictions in the Mediterranean, which have seriously 

 interfered with the sponge industry in thit sea, so that 

 larger orders have been placed in the Bihama market. It 

 is to be regretted that the supply of certain kinds of finer 

 sponge required for the trade is only limited in the Bahamas, 

 owing to the fact that the fine sponge fields in those islands 

 are few,.limited, and over reaped. The Board states that 

 there is no room for doubt that artificial culture of sponges 

 is not only feasible, but profitable, and that the probabilitie.s 

 are that it will soon be cla.ssed among the regular industries 

 of these waters. It therefore should be carried on exten- 

 sively by the Board with the object of replenishing depieted 

 sponging grounds. The Board however, at present is only 

 able to demonstrate in a small way, as at Exuma. that 

 sponges can be artificially grown with success in the Bahamas. 



During the year reported on, the Board has .scattered 

 in the current beds 8-5,000 shells with sponge cutti^igs 

 attached. This quantity is by no means sufficient to restore 

 these beds to their former condition. However, by means of 

 a close season, and the scattering of considerably more shells, 

 the Board expects to see this result achieved. Sponge is the 

 chief source of revenue of the colony, but the Board is doubt- 

 ful if this important industry can be maintained under thp 

 present system of practically indiscriminate picking. 



Another marine product, which the Board considers 

 as worthy of more attention, is beche-de-mer. This consists of 

 dried marine animals related to the sea-eggs, and belonging to 

 the genus Ilnlothuria. These are very commonly known 

 as .sea cucumbers, and occur in considerable numbers 

 throughout the West Indies. Bcche-de mer constitutes an 

 important article of diet amongst the Chinese. In Australia, 

 also, beche-de mer soup is regarded by connoiseurs as the equal 

 of turtle soup, and is to be found in the menus of the 

 leading clubs and hotels. Even in Paris, beche-de-mer is 

 served at many restaurants, but the great market for the 

 product is China. 



The Board recently obtained from Hong Kong a very 

 fine lot of beche-de mer prepared for the Chinese market, as 

 an object-lesson of what marketable beche-de mer should be. 

 .Since then experiments have been made, and a number of 

 beche-de mer have been cured almost in the same m inner 

 as the Chinese samples. 



This lot, which has been despatched to Hong Kong, is as 

 near to the Chinese product as they have got. The Bo^rd 

 anxiously awaits the verdict of the experts to whom they 

 have been submitted. But, as in other matters, it is- 

 inipossible to carry on experiniental work without fcen'itic 

 assistance. 



