168 



THE AGKICULTUKAL NEWS. 



Junk 1, 191». 



EDITORIAL 



Skao Office 



NOTICES. 



— Barbados. 



Letters and matter for publication, as well as all 

 .specimens ior naming, should be addressed to the 

 Co^riiiiissioner, Imperial Department of Agriculture, 

 Barbados. 



All .ipplications for copies of the 'Agricultural 

 Uews' and other Departmental publications, should be 

 •addressed to the Agenis, and not to the Department. 



The complete list of Agents will be found on 

 ^mge 4 of the cover. 



irnpirial Commissioner of Sir Francis Watts, K.C.M.G., 



^ grUntUure for the West /«« ies D. Sc. , F. I. C. , F. C. S. 



SCIENTIFIC STAFF. 



■Scieritifie Assistant and 

 Assistant Editor 



/W. R. Dunlop.* 



(Rev. C. H. Branch, B.A. 



( H. A. Ballou, M.Sct 



\J. C. Hutson, B.A., Ph.D. 



W Nowell. D.I C. 



S. C. Hail.md, B.Sc.+t 



Sitcomnlogists 



Mycologist 



Assiflaiit for Oitton Research 



CLERICAL STAFF. 

 ■OiUf CUrk A. G. Howell. 



fL. A. Corbin. 

 ■ Clerical Assistants \ P. Taylor. ♦ 



Ik. R. C. Foster. 

 Typist Miss B. Robinson. 



Asvcstont Typist Miss W. Ellis. 



A.iaistont for Publications A. B. Price, Fell. Journ. Inst. 



*Secoiidni for Militiirii iSV? vice. 

 +k"i'e('u»irferf for Di'ly iii Egypt, 



If Provided by tlic lii^ptrnd Deparlmeiit of Srindi/i': and 

 Industrial Research. 



-^griculturat lleiufi 



Vol. XVII. SATURDAY, JUNE I, 191«. No. 42(). 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



Contents oi Present Issue. 



The editorial discusses some aspects of importance 

 in organization applied to .some West Itidi in agricul- 

 tural industries. 



'I'he subject of the value of zoology lo human 

 welfare is continued under Insect Notes, on page 170. 



The important subject of plant sanitation, exempli- 

 fied in thi' organizatioii of i,he Commission of I'latit 

 Sanitation in Cuba is dealt with on page 174. 



The characteristics of the prominent breeds of 

 •dairy cattle form the subject of an article to be found 

 on page lfJ4. 



The Jamaica Imperial Association. 



This association, recently formed ui Jamaica, seems 

 to be likely to accomplish \ery good work. It is an 

 importivnt association of large landownei-s, who are 

 anxious to form sound public opinion, to work together 

 in their industries, to keep such records and accounts 

 on a common basis as will serve for the economic study 

 of their work with a view to development, and to help 

 in the proper development and government of the colony. 

 It is probable that there will be internal groups deal- 

 ing with the principal industries, such as sugar, bananas, 

 stock raising and dairying, cacao, etc. These groups 

 will bo able to gather valuable information as to the 

 condition and needs of ihi' .several industries. 



The Tanning of Fish Skins. 



An article in the Agricultural Neivs, February 

 23, 1918, noticed the demand for certain large fish 

 skins for tanning purposes, to which Messrs. H. S. 

 Bernard iSj Co., of New York, had drawn the attention 

 of this Department. 



The same firm has recently written, stating that 

 in preparing fish skins for the market the fish 

 should be cut open along the back, and not along the 

 belly so as to preserve the full skin. They also 

 mention that the fish in which they are especially 

 interested, and the skins of which they could use in 

 any amount, are the so-called spike sharks, for which 

 they would pay at the rate of 10c. per tb. 



Johnson and Sudan Grasses in Barbados. 



A note received from Mr. 11. Foster Parkinson, of 

 Barbados, gives some useful information on his experi- 

 ence in the cultivation of these grasses. Although 

 somewhat alike in appearance, these two fodder grasses 

 differ umch iu habit of growth. .lohn.son grass develops 

 long creeping rhizomes from which it sends out fresh 

 shoots in the same manner as devil's grass. This 

 makes it very difficult to get rid of when once estab- 

 lished. Mr. Parkinson says, in fact, that the more you 

 dig it up the better it grows, although when left 

 entirely alone;, and allowed to be grazed by goats, he 

 noticed that it was killed out in a few months. All 

 stock are e.\cee<lingly fond of this grass, but if not cul- 

 tivated twice a year little yield is obtained from it. 

 Ml-. Parkinson has been growing it for about five years. 



The Sudan seed was imported last year, and 

 .Mr. I'aikinson reports most favourably on the results 

 obtained up to the present Tiiis gra.ss has a great powc 

 of withstanding drought, but it will re(iuire good culti- 

 vation, and should be replanted after several cuttings. 

 It IS planted, likeOuinea grass, by dividing the clumps; 

 one plant will grow into a huge clump, a foot in 

 diameter at the roots, and as high as 7\ feet. Even in 

 dry weather the grass can be; cut .-dioiit every six 

 weeks, although, of courae, it does not grow as tall as 

 in rainy weather. 



With reference to the above, it is to be noted 

 that Johnson grass is a serious weed of arable land 

 in some parts of America, and on account of its spread- 

 ing rhizomes has proved a very great nuisance and 



