33<; 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



October 2+, 1914. 



Hour is the li^'iist important of the three. Rice, which 

 is a staple article of diet is also imported, but as it 

 now largely comes from British Guiana, it may in 

 a sense may be regarded as locally grown. In the 

 pajx-r under consideration, this point is raised — Is it 

 economically soinid to confine the colonies' energies to 

 the production of a staple like sugar or cacao for 

 export, and to import large proportions of the necess- 

 ary foods out (if the money so obtained;' Assuming 

 that the external supply of food is available at reasonable 

 prices, that the exported produce of the island can be 

 sold at pnifitable rates, and that the whole energies of 

 the people and the whole resources of the island are 

 encfased, it is economically sound. If the.se conditions 

 are not ade([uately fulfilled, it behoves those concerned 

 to consider an increased production of foodstuffs locally. 

 At the pi-esent time the possibility of these contin- 

 gencies having to be seriously considered in certain 

 islands is not to be overlooked. 



It is evident that there are considerable risks 

 underlying the present sources of food supply, and if 

 it were not for the demand for labour by capitalists, 

 .and the desire on the part of the labourer to work fcr 

 money rather than pioduce directly for his own main- 

 tenance, thei'e would be greater attention given to 

 food production. The economics of indirstry in the 

 West Indies are more complicated than is generally 

 lecognized I'V those unac(|uainted with the geneial 

 conditions: the desire for luxuries is strong, and the 

 average West Indian is imbued with exogenous ideas 

 of a so-called civilization, which are in many respects 

 .unsuited to the geography of his surrounding.s. 



The production of locally grown foodstuffs is best 

 brought about by the establi.shment of land settlements, 

 for it ma\- be taken for granted that capitalists will 

 always pmduce staple articles for export. Under a land 

 settlement scheme the co-operative sale of produce can 

 be introduced, and in this way the grower obtains 

 nionev for his work, whilst at the .same time he confers 

 stability on the food supply of his island. An extension 

 of this idea is the growing of foodstuffs for export, after 

 having satisfied the local demand. This may be encour- 

 aged on the ground that the amount of exports will vary 

 accoi'ding to local requirements, which will be met first. 

 Attention has already been given to these matters in 

 the West Intlies. and where the action taken has been 

 well organized, success has generally followed. It has 

 to be borne in mind that the West Indies endeavour 

 lo gi'ow, and i|uite rightly, what cannot be easily culti- 



vated in other parts of the world. Staple foodstuffs 

 can be gi'own anywhere, but not products like Sea 

 Island cotton, limes, cacao, and arrowroot. On the 

 other hand, it should be lemembered that the West 

 Indies can grow foodstuffs during six uKjnths of the 

 year when growth is practically i[uiescent in northern 

 latitudes, and this is well worth consideration as an 

 encouraging point in favour of a larger area under such 

 crops as ci;)rn (maize) and sweet potatoes. 



In the article in the West Indian Bulletin 

 attenticjn is called to tlie possibilities before the manu- 

 facture of meals from the various starch-pnjducing 

 plants. .Sweet potatoes and yams may nMdily be 

 converted into meal just as corn and cassava can. This 

 raises a fundamental point: the keeping qualities of 

 West Indian foodstuffs. As a general rule local food- 

 stuffs do not keep well, and this has undoubtedly been 

 a deterrent factor in theii- cultivation. But efforts 

 have recently been made to store locally grown corn in 

 the West Indies, and with success. The production of 

 meals would also be a way out of the difficulty, though 

 naturally, the wisest course in the care of especially 

 perishable produce would be the exportation of the 

 surplus amount to other islands, ov tii the northern 

 markets during winter. 



Another disadvantage to an entirely local supply 

 of food lies in their chemical composition. As a 

 rule they contain a very low percentage of protein 

 (nitrogenous matter) and fat. Starch and sugar provides 

 energy for work but not the right nutrients for the 

 renewal of muscle. Hence a gi-eat point in favour of 

 the consumption of salted fish is that it supplies large 

 (juantities of nitrogen. The richest vegetable foods the 

 planter grows ai'e beans and peas. These are rich in 

 nitrogen, and considerable quantities are cultivated in 

 the different islands, thoiigh the amount is limited in 

 Some places because of the liabilit}' of these leguminous 

 crops to insect attack; but at the present time the 

 cultivation of these crops is receiving increased and 

 serious consideration. Nitrogen, in the West Indies 

 can be got fiom pork, and pig production is to be 

 encouraged for this reason, and also for the reason that 

 suitable food can be raised locally on which to feed 

 these annuals. Salted pork is imported to a not 

 inconsiderable extent, apparently for the dietetic objecl 

 of providing fat. Of recent years this recjuirement has 

 been greatly supplied by cotton seed oil which is 

 largely used by the peasants in the preparation of 

 food. 



