XYir. No. il3. 



THE AGEICULTDTIAL ^TEWS. 



59 



scales, numbered like the scalelesa skiu3. They do not know 

 at present if they can use these, but they desire to try them 

 for some special purpose, and see if they can order a quantity 

 of these also Satisfactory arrangements regarding oayment 

 •will be made, they state after receipt of the sample shipment. 



Now in the sea all round these West Indian islands 

 there are many of the fish whose skins are asked for, 

 and of which at. present no use is made. In the bays 

 and channels of practically all these islands sharks and sting 

 rays are plentiful. At a very short distance out to sea shoals of 

 porpoises are to be met, especially in the deep waters close to 

 the shore of the more mountainous islands. No effort is 

 made to capture these at present, owing to their lack of 

 value as food; but they might be caught doubtless in con 

 aiderable numbers if the capture of them was remunerative. 

 Among the Grenadines there is a whaling business conducted, 

 but as far as the writer knows no use is made of the skins 

 of the whales. It might be worth while for some enterprising 

 persons to attempt a sample shipment of these large 

 fish skins, though of course neither whales nor porpoises are 

 really fish. 



But beside these scaleless skins it seems as if a trial 

 shipment of some scaly skins of the many species of very large 

 fish abounding in West Indian seas might lead to profitable 

 results. The albacore, the bonito, the dolphin (C'ni/jihaeiia), 

 the Jew-tish, the king-fish, and the barracouta all attain 

 to several feet in length. It is true that the flesh of 

 all these is used for food, but one does not see why the 

 flesh should not be sold just as readily after the fish 

 is skinned as with the skin attached. Animals are skinned 

 before the flesh is sold, and why not large thick-skinned fish 

 whose flesh is sold by the pound in cut off portions. There 

 are other thick-skinned scaly fish, though not attaining any 

 very great size, whose skins might be found useful on the 

 market such as the grouper, and the old- wife The skin of 

 the latter is dried in several of these islands and used for 

 scrubbing purposes on account of its loujhnes.s. 



The fishing industry in most, if not all rif these islands, 

 could probably be largely extended, and if as a by-product 

 of the industry, .so to speak, the skins of the larger fish could 

 be profitably sold, this might stimulate the fishermen to 

 improve their methods and increase their catch. In the 

 Virgin Islands, for instance, where a considerable number of 

 the men are fishermen — who market much of their fish in 

 St. Thomas— the profitable disposal of the skins would largely 

 add to their otherwise very limiteil resources. In the Lee- 

 ward and Windward Islands also the fishing industry is 

 practically confined to the supply ■\ the small local markets. 

 In connexion with the small whalint; industry existing in 

 the Grenadines there are doubtless many men who would 

 expand and diversify their work, ii opjiortunit :;s "u.'h as this 

 under discu.-sion can be developed. 



Barbados has much more efiiciently equipped and organ- 

 ized fisheries with larger boats and better appliances, owing 

 to the fact that the flying-fish have to be netted some dis 

 tance out to sea, and with them the dolphins h'^oked. Still 

 much larger quantities of fish might be caujhr. and then pre- 

 served by salting or drying or canning, and thus help to .solve 

 the pressing question of the present— the food supply of the 

 West Indies. 



The following are the directions for the pr piirun; and 

 p&tking of fish skins for market, given by Mess s. H. S. 

 Berner and Co., which they particularly rcquc st should be 

 adhered to in shipments to them: — 



'The skin when removed from the fish should be entirely 

 -free from flesh placed on the floor, backs <l)wri, aii'l 'he eii'.ire 

 surface of the flesh side covered with a thin layer • f sale. The 



utmost care should lie used in spreading the salt, le-ivins» no 

 space untouched, so that the back of the ne.'^t skin spread 

 comes in contact with salt 'inly. 



'The height of the kench or pile should not exceed 3 

 feet for thin skins of delicate fibre, and 4 feet for heavy skins» 



'They should be salted for three to five days (depending 

 on thickness) and would then be ready for shipment. 



'The containers for their transportation must be cases or 

 barrels. A case 30 inches long, 20 inches wide, 18 inches high 

 {in.side measurement) should hold 200 fc. Tlie material 

 could be of the cheapest quality of lumber, ends I inch, 

 sides, top, and bottom ^-inch. The skins could be^jacked irk 

 these cases backs down, or each skin rolled up, but in either 

 case care must be used to give them a sliaht sprinkling of salt 

 on the flesh sides to prevent heating or sliming. 



'Second- hand sugar, flour,' fruit, and fish barrels can be 

 used, but the fishermen or packers must be cautioned to 

 examine these packages carefully for nail points on the inside 

 of the barrels. 



'The skins must be free from fork or ho )k holes.' 



WHITE MAIZE. 



We have been informed that the shipment of maize 

 lately received in Barbados from Venezuela is of a white 

 variety. This i> of interest for more than one reason. There 

 is no doubt that one cause of the disinclination to use maize 

 flour for bread making is its usual yellow colo ir. It is 

 really ouly a matter of prejudice, since, pi oviding that the 

 materinl is perfectly clean, the colour does not have anything 

 to do either with the taste or the value as food of a loaf. 

 We are, however, to a great extent creatures of custom and 

 slaves of prejudice. Therefore the conversion of maize into 

 flour which looks white may conduce to its being used in 

 bread making more widely in these islands. It may be 

 remarked that in some of the forrauhe for making corn hretd 

 given in the A;/riciiJtAu-al Ne'n of -January 26, white cortl 

 flour was especially recommended. 



Another point of interest is the possibility of cult vating 

 white varieties of maize in these islands. As far as 

 the observations of the writer to, all the varieties of maize 

 at present cultivated in the West Indies arc of ttie yellow 

 dent kinds. Perhaps this has also be-n a ina'ter nf custom 

 and prejudice, seeing that the only use hitherto made of 

 corn meal has been the making of cakes and ' :<iuscous' the 

 appearance of both of which is much improved by the yellow 

 colour of the meal. 



Of course, if the white varinties were not no prolific as 

 the yellow kinds, or if they were nut a laoted so w>dl to the 

 climate and soil conditions of tin •<»■ isK •<!-, rtin.p could be no 

 question of cultivating them. Ac.v>r iii.g, however, to Dr. 

 Morgan, in his book 'Field Crops inr ri,e Co Km Belt' the 

 white varieties are quite as proirt asn.e yrllow ones, and 

 white varieties are grown all thro igli ih ■ cornpruducing 

 States, as far south as L'luisiani, quii ■ as •; .m u only, it not 

 more so than yellow kinds. 



Now that the subject of the snitabii'ty of using maize 

 meal for bread making is 'leins^ so mu^^h Vf nti ated, it iniiiht 

 be well if planters and agriiultural de|Mi'm-nis would test 

 the suitability of some of hewbitedenr varieties of maize 

 to the conditions in these i land-'. 



In any such experim i ■ ni nze, it must be 



remembered thi* it inu-* --ii irate from any 



yellow variet)-, and the l t ■ i ■•■ther in the 



field or in the bin. 



