Plant Sanitation, 



[January, 1910. 



of infection is usually an easy matter, 

 once it has been discovered, but its dis- 

 covery often entails elaborate and care- 

 fully planned investigation. 



It may be noted that none of the dis- 

 coloured biscuits referred to here were 

 in any degree " tacky." 



In issuing circulars on plant diseases, 

 the avoidance of lengthy correspondence 

 is one of the objects sought to be attain- 

 ed. It sets free more time for investiga- 

 tion when the Mycologist can reply : 

 " This is a case of pink disease ; see 

 Circular 21." Such a reply may appear 

 discourteously abrupt, but the know- 

 ledge that it enables more research to be 

 undertaken should ensure its ready 

 acceptance. But it is rather surprising 

 to receive, in reply, payment, for the 

 Circular named, with the information 

 that the applicant does not subscribe to 

 them. It is surely not too much to ex- 

 pect that all estates should file these 

 Circulars for future reference. It would 

 be more satisfactory if the subscription 

 were paid by the estate, as that would 

 ensure a complete file in the estate office, 



independent of any change of superin- 

 tendents. It is hoped to reduce the 

 clerical work by the publication of brief 

 leaflets which can be given away in 

 answer to correspondents, but it is the 

 common experience that such leaflets are 

 soon lost. 



Yet another growl. All letters relat- 

 ing to the diseases on any estate should 

 be filed for the information of future 

 superintendents. A folded sheet of 

 brown paper, labelled "Diseases," is all 

 that is required. In the majority of 

 cases, at present, the new comer knows 

 nothing of the past history of the estate 

 in the matter of disease. One such in- 

 stance may be given here, that of an 

 estate which has changed its superin- 

 tendent fairly frequently during the last 

 four years. In 1906 Fomes semitostus was 

 reported from this estate; it was visited, 

 and all the affected areas were defined. 

 Yet each succeeding superintendent has 

 sent in examples of Fomes semitostus as 

 a new disease. When this is possible, 

 there is a sctew loose somewhere in the 

 method of dealing with the estate corre- 

 spondence. 



LIVE STOCK. 



SELECTION IN THE BREEDING OF 

 ESTATE ANIMALS. 



(Prom the Agricultural News, Vol. VIII., 

 No. 194, October 2, 1909.) 

 At the present time much is being 

 written about the beneficial results of 

 careful selection in the production of 

 better strains of plants, such as corn, 

 cotton, fruits and sugar-cane. The 

 general principles of selection are funda- 

 mental, and may [be applied with 

 success to the breeding of animals, such 

 as cattle for beef, for milk production 

 and for draught, horses for draught or 

 for speed. Donkeys, mules, sheep, goats, 

 rabbits and poultry may all be improved 

 by careful selection of the parents, by 

 the use of good judgment in fixing 

 upon the desirable characters, and in 

 rejecting, as far as possible, all others. 

 Selection as a process for the improve- 

 ment of plants is beginning to be under- 

 stood in a general way in the West 

 Indies, and it might be well if certain 

 points were brought forward for con- 

 sideration in connection with the im- 

 provement of estate animals by this 

 means. 



On most estates in the smaller islands 

 cattle are maintained only for purpose 

 of draught, and the milk and butter 



needed are obtained from such cows as 

 happen to be in milk. The animals used 

 for beef are generally imported, or are 

 estate animals which have not been 

 raised as beef animals. On other estates, 

 a point is made of the production 

 of milk for sale. For each of these 

 lines of work, different points would 

 have to be selected, and it would 

 be necessary, before starting out, to fix 

 a definite system, and always to select 

 with a view to the continuation of the 

 same desirable points from generation 

 to generation. 



In the first place, whatever line is 

 decided upon, the parents must be good 

 animals of their kind. It hardly needs 

 to be stated that poor, scrubby, under- 

 sized, weak animals are not suitable 

 for breeding {mrposes. On many West 

 Indian estates it would be possible 

 to maintain cows for breeding only. 

 They should be well led, and kept 

 in good condition. Estates which 

 buy, on the average, ten working cattle 

 every year might well keep ten or 

 twelve selected cows as breeders. Most 

 estates would keep a bull for breeding 

 only. If these cows and the bull pos- 

 sessed the qualities which were most to 

 be desired in the offspring, it will easily 

 be seen that the estate would produce 



