•210 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Jl'LY 1, 1916. 



raising would necessitate grazing land, and the produc- 

 tion of special crops for feeding purposes. This 

 system is quite common in the Southern States where 

 sweet potatoes — the best field crop for pigs — ground 

 nuts and cowpeas, and even grass are grown especially 

 for the maintenance of these animals. There is no doubt 

 that with present prices the production of pigs on this 

 scale would pay. As regards the provision of more con- 

 centrated feeding stuffs, it should be remembered that 

 on sugar estates there is generally an abundant supply 

 -of molasses, and large quantities of filter-press cake 

 — valuable for pig feeding on account of the calcium 

 phosphate it contains — that can be obtained at very 

 small cost. On lime-growing estates there is refuse 

 in the form of skins and seeds; on arrowroot estates, 

 the refuse of the works; while on coco-nut estates, as 

 a contemporary puts it, 'there is plenty of room for the 

 pigs to roam about in, and an unlimited supply of oil- 

 cake to feed them on.' 



The pig is the most efficient meat-producing 

 machine there is. At the same time, under tropical 

 c<mditions, some kinds of pigs do better than others. 

 Further, the kind of pig to breed depends upon what 

 product it is one's intention to produce, and also with 

 what food aiid under what conditions it is to be fed. 

 A Jamaica contemporary says that for some condi- 

 tions, the old-fashioned small black pig called China — 

 distinct from the Poland-China — is the best. It is 

 essentially a grazing pig able to utilize grass and 

 weeds; it matures quickly but never grows to a large 

 size. It is distinctly a lard pig, having a large pro- 

 portion of lilt to lean. It is no good for curing as ham 

 or bacon. An opposite type is Xiie Large Black, which 

 is essentially a pork pig and requires rich food. The 

 Berkshire or the Poland-China— the 'latter an American 

 'breed — are perhaps the best general breeds for the 

 West Indies. Above all, these breeds are the best for 

 the production of hams. 



( )n se\ oral occasions intormation has been pub- 

 lished in this Journal as to the method of curing hams 



■ and bacon.* It is an imlustry which might be devel- 

 oped even on a small scale by individuals in several 



•of the West Indian islands. Recently a trial was made 

 by the ( loxcrninent Veterinary officer in ,St. Vincent 

 with i-egard to the salting of pork. A pig weighing 

 lis lb. was killed and salted. This animal, a locally 

 \n-v.(\ barrow of the razor-back type, gave S7 h ft. 



♦See A<jiiiiU>'.fal Xen-s, Vol. XV, pji. ."Jti, 111, and 159. 



of pork. The mixture used for salting was .S ft. 

 of common salt, 3 ft. of white sugar, and 2 oz. 

 ■ saltpetre. The finished product sold readily. Appar- 

 ently the only difference between this and the 

 imported article was the thickness of the fat and the 

 difference in the colour. The fat was not as plentiful, 

 and the lean was redder than in the case of the 

 imported pork. Thi% e.xperiment has been referred to 

 in some detail in the hope that it may encourage 

 similar enterprise elsewhere. Attempts at ham pro- 

 duction are especially to be encouraged, and it is 

 hoped that those who can, will experiment in this 

 direction and make known their n-sults. 



DEPARTMENT NEWS. 



The Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture left 

 Barbados by the C.R.M..S. 'Caraquet' on June 29, for 

 the purpo.se of paying an official visit to St. Lucia. Dr. 

 Watts is expected to return by the C R.M.S. 'Chignecto', 

 on or about July 1 2. 



HURRICANE "WARNINGS. 



The approach of the h'lrricane sea.son inake.s it desirable 

 to publish the foll'iwing information concerning the nature, 

 and the signs which indicate the approach, of these storms in 

 the West Indies. 



It is urged that instruction in connexion with this 

 subject .should be given in all .secondary schools in the Wind- 

 ward and Leeward Islands, and possibly in the primary .schools 

 as well. One or two lessons given in each year immediately 

 before the hurricane season should prove of real service. 



It is first desirable to point out the nature of a hurricane 

 and its path <it transition. With this object the diagrams 

 below have been rejU'oduced, having previously appeared in 

 this .Journal in connexion with an editorial on hurricanes 

 (see Aijricidlural .\'eirs, Vol. VIII, p. 209). 



The lowest figure represents the storm during its pa.ssage 

 through the West Indian islands, before it takes a sweep 

 round to the nordi or west of Cuba, into the Xorth Atlantic 

 (top figure). 



The motion of rotation and the motion of translation 

 may be well understood by spinning a top and giving it a 

 counter-clock rotation. It will be seen that while the rotation 

 may be very rapid round the centre, thi- top itself may remain 

 in one spot. This rotation corresponds with the violent wind 

 of the hurricane. Hy noting the direction in which any pirt 

 of the edge of the spinning top is moving in relation 

 to the centre, it will be obvious that the position of 

 tlie centre is at riaht angles to this line of movement. 

 Consecpiently in a hnrrieane, if the observer stands facing 

 the wind, the centre of the storm is on his right hand. He 

 can trace the movement of the centre by noting the change 

 in the direction from which the wind blows. 



