318 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



OCTOBJiR 



1905. 



ANTHRAX INOCULATION. 



To the Editor of the AgriruUural Xcu-ti. — • 



Sii-^ — Dining the discussion on anthrax at the Agri- 

 fultural Conference in Trinidad, publi.shed in the last is.sue 

 of tlie IVeKt Indian BuUetIn, reference was made to immuni- 

 zation with Pasteur's vaccines. This process, as was there 

 mentioned, consists in tlie inoculation of an animal with 

 cultures of anthrax bacillus of two degrees of attenuation. 

 It has the disadvantages of often producing severe illness 

 and sometimes death. 



The experiments on the Prussian Pioyal Farms did not 

 t'ive as encouraging results as were reported from France. 

 Notwithstanding, the method has been freely used and with 

 benefit in many places. 



Sclavo, of Siena, has succeeded in obtaining an anti- 

 toxic serum from animals immunized on Pasteur's plan. He 

 now uses an ass which is jieriodically bled to sujiply the 

 serum, and periodically inoculated with anthrax to keep up 

 the imnninity. Sclavo's anti-anthrax serum, where obtainable, 

 has displaced the treatment by excision of malignant pustule 

 in man; and in Italy industrial anthrax has to a great extent 

 lost its terrors. 



Sobernheini ai)plied this principle to the treatment of 

 animals, l>ut with little success, because of the rapid 

 course of the disease. He found, however, that a dose of 

 virulent anthrax injected simultaneously with anti-anthrax 

 serum is innocuous. The animal receives the bacilli in 

 a potent state but is cured by the serum. It obtains in 

 this way a higher and more lasting imnninity than is con- 

 ferred by Pasteur's method, and with less risk. Extensive 

 experiments were carried out in Saxony in 1900-2, during 

 which 2,700 cattle were immunized without a single death 

 or serious illness as the result of inoculation, even in very 

 young animals. This method of immunization consists practi- 

 cally in the sinniltaneous injection into different parts of the 

 animal of Sclavo's serum and Pasteur's vaccine no. 2. After 

 securing the first immune animal it is quite practicalile in 

 a colony like Trinidad to prepare Sclavo's serum, and kce^i 

 anthrax cultures going at very little expense. 



When inoculating animals either by Pasteur's or 

 Sobernheim's methods, it should be borne in mind that they 

 are thereby infected with anthrax ; precautions should, 

 therefore, be taken to quarantine them and to disinfect their 

 dung and litter for some days until they may be supposed to 

 be free of infection. Sobernhcim found bacilli in the Ijlood 

 of immunized sheep twelve days after they had been harm- 

 lessly inoculated with large doses of anthrax. 



With reference to anthrax in St. Vincent, I am pleased 

 to be able to report that some measures are being taken to 

 limit the spread of the disease. Under an old Animals' 

 Disease Ordinance rules have been framed, which prohibit 

 the flaying of animals except such as are regularly slaughtered 

 for food or have died as the result of a manifest accident. 

 The death of every beast from disease is reported to the 

 police who take from the body a drop of blood and make an 

 ordinary blood smear on a glass side. This is forwarded to 

 me by post or special messenger for examination. In this 

 way, since we began, four sparodic cases of anthrax have 

 been diagnosed and appropriate steps taken for di.sinfection. 



With the co-operation of the public, the Government 

 .should be able, now that there is no epidemic, gradually to 

 eliminate the points of infection. 



i'ours, etc., 



(>gd.) C. W. BRANCH. 

 St. Vincent, 



September 21, 1905. 



SISAL HEMP. 



In the following brief note the Trop'nal Agri- 

 ctdftn-lsf gives some of the more important facts in 

 regard to the cultivation of sisal hemp: — 



Native of Yucatan, Mexico, etc. Cultivated in these 

 countries and in the West Indies, Florida, and India for its 

 fibre, which is straight, clean, yellowish, and very good for 

 cordage, approaching ^Manila lienq). It is also easily pre- 

 pared l)y machinery, no retting being needed. 



It will grow in almost any soil or situation, but succeeds 

 best and gives the best yiekl of good fibre when grown on 

 dry, sandy, stony land exposed to the full sun, without any 

 shade wliatever. On richer, wetter land it grows larger, but 

 the filire is not so good. 



It is propagated from suckers or from the bulbils that 

 form on the great flowering stalk. They are first planted in 

 a nursery, and then set out when about 1.5 inches high. 

 Plant in rows about 7 to 1 1 feet apart, and •") to G feet apart 

 in the row. With the larger distances mentioned, 650 plants 

 cover an acre. 



The leaves should be ready for cutting in about four 

 years. They are cut by coolies with lung knives or cutlasses. 

 The plant if left untouched lives about six or seven j"ears, 

 but if the leaves are regularly cut, about fifteen years. The 

 yield in Yucatan is about 1,000 to IjlJOO lb. of fibre per acre; 

 1,000 leaves give from 50 to 70 lb. of fibre. The price of 

 the fibre upon the market is very variable. It was £36 per 

 ton a few years ago, but probably about £26 to £30 repre- 

 sents its value if regulai and moderately large supplies were 

 available. 



SISAL HEMP IN THE CAICOS ISLANDS. 



The Aim mil Btfjiort on the Turks and Caicos 

 Islands has the following reference to the progress of 

 the sisal hemp industry in the dependencj- : — 



The fibre industry at East Caicos, owned by an Ameri- 

 can company, is in a sound condition, and continues to turn 

 out a quality of fibre conmiaiiding a good price in the 

 American market. 



The company commenced work about thirteen j-ears 

 ago. Their shipment of fibre in 1895 was 92,071 11)., valued 

 at£l.:!42. In 1902 their output increased to 189,936 lb., 

 valued at £2,709 ; in 1903 to 296,733 ft., valued at 

 £4,327 ; and last year to -162,-123 Itx, valued at £6,743. 



The fibre industry at West Caicos, which was closed 

 towards the end of 1903, was again taken up towards the 

 end of 1904 by a new company formed in London. With 

 careful management, the industry on this plantation should 

 not be without success. 



The total quantity of fibre exported last year from the 

 Caicos Island.s, which, practically speaking, is the output of 

 the nne plantation at East Caicos, amounted to 463,695 %., 

 valued at £6,886, compared with 454,193 lb., valued at 

 £6,56;\ during the previous year, when the two plantations 

 were at work for the greater part cif the year. 



Goats for Sale at Barbados. As there would 

 appear to be some demand in the West Indies for half-bred 

 Tofl'enberg goats, it may be of interest to mention that 

 ilr. .T. A. Farmer, of Halton estate, I'arbados, will have for 

 sale, shortly, two pairs of the descendants of the Department's 

 goat ' Black Rock.' Inquiries may be addressed direct to 

 !Mr. Farmer as above. 



