Vol. XII. No. 285. 



THE AGHICULTUKAL NEWS. 



99 



acquired experience in their application. 'I'he same 

 ideas may be employed in i-egard to many other indus- 

 tries than cotton: cacao, rubber, oils, fruits, spices, and 

 many others present their special unsolved problems 

 ^^hich await the students and invi sti^ators who, it is 

 reasonable to conceive, would soon group themselves 

 around a Tropical University. 



Tn the near future the West Indies instead of consti- 

 tuting, as one writer has remarked, a rid de sac on the 

 world's trade routes will lie across the main stream 

 and will come more and more under public notice, 

 so that in a short time these resources which lie 

 undeveloped may be expected to attract the attention 

 of those prepared to exploit them. This develoji- 

 ment will not only be greatly hastened by the exist- 

 ence of an institution such as the one under discussion 

 but the development itself may be expected to derive 

 much assistance, and gain so largely in precision, that 

 a direct and markedly beneficial etifect in the West 

 Indies may be expected to accrue from the fulfilment 

 of the idea. 



Having regard to all the circumstances, it would 

 appear well, in formulating proposals, to make plans for 

 an institution endowed by funds provided by those 

 interested in the development of various tropical agri- 

 cultural industries and education, rather than to ask 

 that the institution should be provided by the govern- 

 ment, whether of the Colonies or of the Mother Country; 

 though it is fair to suppose that a movement having a 

 full measure of public support would receive material 

 assistance from the government. It is to be hoped, 

 therefore, that the movement, so forcibly introduced to 

 public notice through the advocacy of The Tirues, may 

 claim a large measure ot public attention, and that it 

 may be possible in a very short time for some concrete 

 proposals to be formulated with a view to providing 

 funds whereby this work may be set going. 



PRIZE PASTURE COMPETITION AT 



ANTIGUA. 



The following Report by the Judges on the results 

 of this competition has been received recently from 

 Mr. II. A. Tompany, B.Sc. It draws attention to the 

 great importance of pastures in connexion with the 

 maintenance and improvement of live stock — a matter 

 that will receive more detailed consideration in a future 

 issue of this journal: — 



The .Judges appointed by the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture and the Agricultural and Commercial Society in 

 connexion with the scheme for the improvement of pasture 

 lauds in Antigua by the awarding of prizes, l)eg to submit 



the following statement of their awards together with a short 

 report on the scheme. 



1st Prize £21 (given by Colonel the Honourable I!. S. 



Cotton) won by Cambles estate. 

 2nd Prize £10 10.s. (given by Messrs. Henkell du Buis- 



sen) won by Delaps estate 

 3rd Prize £1 10s. (derived from entrance fees) won by 



Collins estate. 



Honourable Mention: Fitches Creek estate. 



In all, six pastures were entered for the competition, and 

 each of the pastures has been visited and inspected by the 

 judges at intervals. In making an award many points have 

 had to be taken into consideration, and the forming of 

 a judgment has been a matter of considerable ditticulty. 



In arriving at a decision, the judges have been guided 

 by the principle laid down in the memorandum accom- 

 panying the original scheme, in which it is stated that 'at 

 the present time there are many waste and neglected lands 

 in the i.>^land which by care and attention might be turned 

 into valuable pastures, and also much excellent pasture land 

 which by careful treatment could be greatly enhanced in 

 value: it is to endeavour to accomplish something in the 

 direction of pasture improvement that this scheme has been 

 formulated.' 



The Judges desire to place on record that all of the 

 pastures which they have been called on to examine evinced 

 con.siderable merit, and that there is evidence in every case 

 that care and attention have been bestowed on them; this 

 has resulted in the marked improvement of pasture lands 

 which in the aggregate amount to close on 300 acres; in 

 assisting to bring about this, the scheme must be held to 

 have been of considerable value to the island. 



In Antigua the question of the provision of fodder 

 during drought must always be regarded as likely to assume 

 important dimensions at any time; and in endeavouring to 

 cope with this difficulty, the careful study of methods of 

 pasture improvement should play an important part; in this 

 connexion attention may be directed to the need for careful 

 study of the various pasture grasses available for choice. 

 A further important point associated with this subject is the 

 question of tick eradication, for with this the propei- care of 

 pastures is intimately bound up. 



The -Judges express the hope that the work now 

 reported on may be the forerunner of continued effort in the 

 same direction, which will eventually lead to a widespread 

 appreciation of the need for pasture improvement and the 

 benefit to the island likely to be derived therefrom. 



The Report is signed by the following gentlemen, 

 who were good enough to act as judges: Messrs. J. D. 

 Harper, R. Warneford, < )liver Nugent, and H. A. Tem- 

 pany (Superintendent of Agriculture for the Leeward 

 Islands). 



The Director of Agriculture of Xyasaland has for \v,ir.led 

 to the Imperial Commissioner of Ajjriculture a publication 

 concerning efforts that are being made to improve ploughing 

 and general soil cultivation in that Protectorate. Keference 

 is made to the introduction of steam and motor ploughs since 

 in some districts difficulty is experienced in the employment 

 of cattle owing to the presence of the tsetse Hy. Attention 

 is drawn to the importance of the proper feeding of working 

 cattle in places where they can be employed. Figures are 

 given showing the cost of ploughing and stumping, which, 

 for one acre of land, amounts to approximatdy 10.1;. 



