Vol. XV. No. 369. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



205 



WEST INDIAN FISHERIES. 



POISONOUS SPECIES. 

 The British Museum (Natural History) has recently 

 conducted, at the instance of the (^(jvernors of Jamaica and 

 the Leeward Islands, an inquiry into the poisonous nature of 

 fishes in the West Indies. The report on this work, by Mr. 

 C. Tate Regan, has just been published in the Barbados 

 Offioaf Gazette (.June 1, 1916), from which the following 

 information has been abstracted. 



The first fish referred to is the well-known barracouta, 

 which name is a generic term for fishes oj the genus Sphyraena, 

 of which there are three species in West Indian waters. The 

 largest of these species is a valuable food fish, but it has long 

 been known that individual specimens may be poisonous, 

 causing severe illness and even death. There is evidently 

 something more in this than ptomaine poisoning; it seems 

 more likely that barracouta are poisonous when suffering 

 from an infectious disease. It is stated that some observers 

 say, if the fish is poisonous, white Huid runs out of the tle.sh 

 when it is cut. 



The next fish referred to is Cavallie, a large fish of the 

 mackerel family (Scrombridea) The flesh of fishes of this 

 family decomposes very rapidly in the^ tropics and cases of 

 poisoning by this species are probably due to this cause. 

 The name Cavallie is also used to refer to fishes of the tenus 

 Caranx, some of which may be seriously poisonous at times. 

 The flesh of these fish decompose very rapidly, but it is 

 thought that cases are due to a poisonous secretion formed 

 during the breeding season by the glands. 



The 'Jacks', which belongs to this group are said to 

 have been referred to by Sehombergk as being poisonous in 

 some seasons of the year. When they -are suspected of being 

 UBwholesome,the reason for the suspicion being small red lumps 

 in their gills, an experiment is tried 'upon a duck, by giving 

 her one of them to swallow; if at that season it is poisonous, 

 the duck dies in about two hours. 



Lastly the Yellow bill Snapper, the Goat fish (of the 

 red mullet family) and the Grouper of the Sea perch family 

 (Salanidae) are all referred to as being poisonous at times, 

 probably during the breeding season. 



At the end of the report recommendations are made. 

 In the first place it is recommended that the subject should be 

 scientifically investigated, observations so far being more or 

 less casual and not altogether reliable. The need for investiga- 

 tion is' especially important in view of the fact that many of 

 the suspected species are stated to be sometimes edible and 

 sometimes poisonous. The making and preservation of 

 a collection and the proper determination of the species is 

 one of the fir.st steps to be taken; the habits, food, time and 

 place of breeding, of each .species should be investigated so 

 that their relation, if any, to the poisonous character of the 

 fish may be established Should collections be made, the 

 BritisJi Natural H istory Mu.seum would be ready to do the 

 naming. 



Pending the completion of such investigations, should 

 they be undertaken, one can only recommend inspection of 

 the fi.sh offered for sale; that fishes belonging to any species 

 suspected of being poisonous at times should be fresh; tliat 

 they should be eviscerated, i.e., gut, roe, etc., thoroughly 

 removed as soon as possible after capture, and that they 

 should be especially suspected if they are in full roe, or in 

 any way abnormal in colouration or condition. 



The Cultivation of Sponges.— Some interest 



has been aroused in certain quarters regarding the possibility 

 of introducing the cultivation of sponges into the West 

 Indian i-slands. Tropical Life ini January 1916 refers to 

 an article published by thB Imperial Department of Agricul- 

 ture on the subject as being opportune, the present output 

 of sponges leaving something to be desired, while a further 

 depletion in supply must be looked for. Referring to the 

 .same article, Xatvre for April 20, 1916, gives an 

 account of ihe method of cultivation, and of the high 

 returns to be expected under the favourable conditions 

 pertaining in islands like the Caicos. It is observed that it 

 will be surprising if this industry, apriarently so profitable, 

 needs much official encouragement. The subject has also 

 been dealt with in the Colonial Journal, and it is understood 

 that the matter has attracted attention in the Bahamas, as 

 well as arousing some personal interest among residents in 

 Piarbados and elsewhere. Steps are being taken with a view 

 to making an experimental trial of this cultivation. 



INDIAN SUGAR INDUSTRY. 

 The following are the general conclusions in ,ui 

 article on the Indian Sugar Industry in the A;/fi,i;al- 

 tural Journal of India, Vol. XI, Part 1: — 



It will be seen on a comparison of the figures of the 

 last five years with those of the precedinir quinqiienniuLi 

 that subst'ntial increase has taken place in the acreage under 

 this crop in Northern India. In Bihar and pirts of the 

 United Provinces new factories on up-to-date lines are spring- 

 ing up and making the business pay. The Government 

 Sugar Engineer Expert, Mr. Hulme, is able to guide the 

 owners of prospective factories in the selection and installation 

 of the most efficient kind of machinery. It should not, 

 however, be supposed that results can be obtained in a short 

 time, but now- that the problem is being attacked systemati- 

 cally from several aspects, substantial improvement in the 

 Indian sugar industry will result in course of time. It is likely 

 that capitalists will see their way to erectina new factories in 

 Bihar and eastern parts of the Ignited Provinces, as the 

 supply of cane is reasonably assured at a price which, while 

 remunerative to the cultivators, will also enable the factories 

 to work at a profit. As a matter of face there are factories 

 in Bihar which procure good cane by purchasing in advance 

 from cultivators, and obtain excellent results. The cultivators 

 in the neighbourhood of such factories are saved the trouble 

 of crushing their cane and converting it into gur. The 

 strain on their bullocks is thereby lessened, and they are 

 enabled to attend to other agricultural operations. In these 

 days of specialization the cultivator should not undertake the 

 role of manufacturer, as he is sure to do it badly. The 

 factory owner should try to have at least some few acres under 

 his own plantation, and then try to increase the outturn by 

 better cultivation, more liberal use of manure.s, introduction 

 of better varieties, etc. . The cultivators, when they see such 

 results, will in course of time adopt the improvements, and 

 this will be to the material benefit; of both. 



Nowadays competition is so keen and prices are so cut 

 that every possible aspect has to be considered, and in many 

 cases it is only by the fortunate discovery of a by-product 

 that an industry is enabled to carry on. Java has everything 

 in its favour and will certainly not lose the Indian market 

 without a struggle, and it is therefore up to India to face the 

 problem — either to run the industry as a business —to make 

 a profit irrespective of everything else, or to continue as now 

 a state of things which cannot lead to success when put in 

 the field against such powerful and well organized riva's. 



