372 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



November 18, 1916. 



WEST INDIAN FOOD SUPPLY. 



THE PRICE OF FLOUR. 



In connexion with the continued rise in the price of 

 flour* letters were addressed by this Department to different 

 West Indian (Governments calling attention to the need for 

 encouraging the cultivation of substitutes for wheat. Com- 

 munications have now been received in answer to these letters, 

 stating what action is being taken to safeguard the commu- 

 nity in certain colonies. In St. Vincent the Government has 

 caused the available storage room to be tilled with kiln-dried 

 corn, and it is .stated that bin space can be provided at 

 small cost, for 2.50 to .300 bags of corn, should this be 

 necessary. The communication from St. Vincent adds that 

 a good deal of locally grown corn is being sent to Barbados, 

 which is regarded as being unwise in view of the present 

 situation. The attention of planters is being directed to 

 the matter in the press, and already two or three large 

 growers of corn have erected bins to hold their produce. 



In Monfserrat the Government has dra.vn up 

 a Circular letter, which has been printed and circulated to 

 both large and small planters, informing them as to wh-it 

 are the circumstances of the situation. In addition it is 

 intended to distribute posters calling attention to the high 

 price of flour and to the importance, particularly as regards 

 the peasant'-- of growing local substitutes. In Antigua it is 

 understood tiicit the Government has referred the matter to 

 the Agricultural and Commercial Societ}- which is taking the 

 necessary action. 



In answer to the letter addressed to the Government of 

 Grenada, this Department has been informed that the 

 Government of that Colony has taken action by getting into 

 touch with the Agricultural and Commercial Society and the 

 District Boards, with the view to getting the labouring 

 classes wan.^i,' and advised to plant ground provisions and as 

 much corn as possible, so as to be prepared to meet the 

 situation in the event of their finding it impossible to 

 purchase flour. At the .same time the clergy have been 

 requested to urge upon the people the importance of planting 



provisions. 



:Idsd to this the Atrricultuial Instructors have 



been directed to make the situation known as widely as 

 possible, and ;o give practical encouragement to the planting 

 of foodcrops by the distribution of seedlings and plants 

 where necess.:iy. 



While tli'2 situation in regard to the price of wheat tlour 

 is not at prc'^fnt definitely alarming, it does call for a certain 

 amount of preparedness, and from the above information it 

 will be .seen that the various Governments are quite alive to 

 this fact. It is obviously important to take a matter of this 

 kind well ii' i.md at the earliest opportunity, belated action, 

 however vig'urous, being entirely without effect. 



In connexion with tTie above article it may be 

 noted that public attention has been called to the matter 

 in St. Lucia and St. Vincent by the local press. The Voice 

 of St. Luc-i" reproduces the substance of the editorial on 

 West Indian Substitutes for Flour {Agricultural News, for 

 October .31 ), while the St Vincent Sentry after calling 

 attention to the general features of the present situation 

 reproduces, »*. the recjuest of the GoTcrnmcnt, the Circular 

 letter addressed to the Governments of the Windward and 

 Leeward Islands, as mentioned above. 



*Soe editorial dh "West Indian Substitutes for Flour' in 

 Agi'icultnml Is'tivs, for Octolier 21; also article on 'Guinea 

 Corn a.s Iluniiiii Food', in tlie no.\t coliniin. 



GUINEA CORN AS HUMAN FOOD. 



As e.xplained editoria'ly in this .lournal for October 21, 

 the attention of various West Indian colonies has been called 

 by the Imperial Department of Agriculture to the tendency 

 towards further ri.se in the price of wheat tlour. It was 

 suggested that efforts .should be made locally to extend the 

 area under such crops as will serve at least partially as 

 substitutes for flour, and in this connexion specific reference 

 was made to Guinea corn {Sorghum vulyare). 



Enquiries have since been received concerning the 

 methods of cultivating this crop and the methods of prepar- 

 ing the grain as human food An attempt is made to supply 

 the information in the present article. 



In the first place it may be pointed out that the three 

 great advantages that Guinea corn posse.sses as a food crop 

 are: (1) that it is very drought-resistant, and is therefore 

 a more dependable' crop than Indian corn (maize); (2) that 

 it possesses a high percentage of albuminoids, being higher 

 than Indian corn, ftnd equal to wheat flour in this respect: 

 and ('3) containing a low percentage of oil and moisture, it 

 keeps well. 



These are obviously very important characteristics. 



blFl'EEENT V.^RIETIES. 



There appear to be three principal varieties under culti- 

 vation in the West luuiea: the oiuiua>ry native type; the red 

 Guinea corn or Dhurra; and the Mazzagna Guinea corn. In 

 .lamaiea the red Guinea corn has been found more drought- 

 resistant than the native type; wliilein St. Kitts, Mazzagua 

 has been found to produce longer ears and larger grain. 



A careful comparative study of the different type.s is 

 needed. 



CULTIVATION. 



In Barbados, Guinea corn is planted in a similar way 

 to Indian corn, four seeds being placed in each hole. 



Nicholls in his 'Tropical Agriculture' says the seed is 

 sown in furrows, or drilled in 3t to -i feet apart. The 

 seedlings should be thinned .so that they may be less than 

 1 2 inches apart in the rows. This probably refers to the 

 method of cultivation in Africa. 



In St. Kitts, Mazzagua is planted about July or August 

 on 3-feet banks, each seed 1 foot apart in the row. 



PESTS AND DISEASES. 



The principal objection to the cultivation of Guinea 

 corn is the loss of grain occasioned by birds. It has been 

 pointed out in .T-iniiic.T, that if Guinea '-nrn were more gener- 

 ally cultivated, the loss would be distriouted, and therefore 

 felt less by the individual. Birds can be kept off" to some 

 extent by an image of cloth and paper, that is by the 

 so-called 'scare-crow', according to experience in Jamaica. 

 Guinea corn is also attacked by the corn ear worm {Laphijijma 

 irugiperda). The .^mall grey moths infest the ripening 

 heads of grain, sometimes completely spoiling them. This 

 form of injury has been reported from Nevis in an experi- 

 ment plot containing a very close-headed variety of Guinea 

 corn. The only method of prevention in such a case as this 

 is the cultivation of a kind with a very open head. 



HAKVEsriNG. 



When the corn has arrived at maturity, which Uikes 

 four to five months (Nicholls), or a little over three months 



