7os 
Supplement to the '• Tropical Agriculturist." [April I, 1895. 
blest peasant in the Colony. The process is as 
simple as it is available to all, and consists of 
a slit being made in the thick end of the leaf, 
when, it is torn asunder, leaving the inner part 
exposed, and by then soaking it in salt water, 
which is never far to reach, in about a week 
the pulp may be removed by hand and the fibre 
preserved. No waste whatever is found in this 
method ; and it is understood that a man or 
woman, or grown boys or girls, may turn oui 
from 50 to 60 pounds of fibre as the result of 
a day's work. The plan is being adopted 
throughout the Colony, and what was for some 
time deemed a missing link is thus effectively 
supplied. 
TROPICAL FODDER GRASSES. 
(Reprinted from the Kew Bulletin.) 
The selection of suitable grasses for cultivation 
in tropical countries is a matter of considerable 
importance. Few countries have completely solved 
the question. It is evident also that a good deal 
of time and energy is spent in the effort to intro- 
duce foreign grasses, when there are excellent indi- 
genous grasses close at hand. It is proposed to 
draw attention to a few grasses that have attained 
to first rank for fodder purposes in the tropics, 
and to give particulars respecting the conditions 
under which they have been found to thrive. It 
is well known that the same kinds of grasses do 
not succeed equally well in all localities. There 
are certain conditions and peculiarities of climate 
and soil to be considered; but there is no reason to 
doubt that if careful experiment is made suitable 
grasses can be found for cultivation in almost 
every tropical country. In some of our colonies it 
is well known that grass, even for valuable horses, 
is gathered day by day from waste places and 
jungles. Such fodder is not only poor in quality, 
but it is liable to be infected with disease from 
stray animals. Further, during seasons of drought, 
the fodder supply is likely to fail altogether. The 
selection and cultivation of grasses, with particular 
reference to their grazing qualities, or for the pro- 
duction of hay, should receive more attention, and 
it will doubtless become, before long, a regular 
branch of rural industry in the tropics, as it has 
been for so many years in temperate countries. 
Natural Herbage. 
In the tropics the difficulty in establishinggrasses 
is caused by the usually rank growth of weeds and 
bushes. These soon overrun any cleared area, and 
they have to be continually eradicated, or the grass 
would be completely destroyed. The natural her- 
bage in most tropical countries would, of itself, 
form excellent pasture for cattle and horses. 
There is hardly any part of the world entirely de- 
void of good grasses, and these should first of all 
receive attention. Where no suitable fodder grasses 
art available, then, under such exceptional circum- 
stances, it would be well to introduce the useful 
"Guinea grass" and " Para grass" for cultivation 
on land suitable for the purpose. In countries 
like Ceylon and Jamaica, there are vast stretches 
of lands, known as "patanas" and " savannahs," 
where somewhat coarse grasses have established 
themselves almost to the exclusion of everything 
else. Even these grasses, although in a fresh state 
they may be distasteful to cattle, become, after 
being cut and partially dried, very acceptable food 
to tliein. Under cultivation, good pastures can, as 
a rule, be established by clearing the land of weeds 
and bushes, and encouraging the spontaneous 
growth of local grasses from teed carried from 
neighbouring areas. This is regularly done in 
Jamaica in regard to Guinea grass. During the 
first year or two the land requires to be carefully 
weeded, and if the soil is poor it should also re- 
ceive a dressing of munure. After the grass has 
become thoroughly established an annual clearing 
after the rains is all that is required. It should, 
however, be understood that continuous feedir g is 
injurious to the permanency of good pastures. The 
best grasses are thus destroyed, and rank growing 
ones gradually take their place. Close feeding for 
a time is advantageous, but the pasture should 
have time I . recover before the animals are again 
placed upon it. Further, it is better to keep cuttle 
on a portion of the pasture at one time, and not 
allow theiu to wander ut will over a large area. 
Trees in Pastures. 
Thwaites recommended that in Ceylon trees 
should always be planted upon land laid out for 
permanent pasture. The trees would afford grate- 
ful shade to the cattle, and they would prevent the 
grass from being entirely dried up during seasons 
of drought. Trees would also add to the beauty of 
the country. Most extensive pastures dotted over 
with shade trees exist in Jamaica. Many trees, 
such as the Saman (Calliandrn Saman I, not only 
give excellent shade, but the pods are a most 
wholesome food for cattle. The commoner nnd 
more hardy sorts of mango might be planted for 
the same purpose, as also theRamoon {Trophis 
americana), the leaves of which afford a very nutri- 
tious food for cattle in tropical America ; the bread 
nut (Brosimum Alicdstrum) ; the Jack tree {Arto- 
carpus inteyrifolia); and the bastard cedar (Gua- 
zuma lomentosa). The leaves as well as the fruits 
of the last are much liked by cattle. This brief 
list of useful pasture trees might be considerably 
enlarged. It would be noticed that many of the 
trees mentioned belong to the natural order, Vrti- 
cacece. As the plants belonging to this order are so 
widely distributed over tropical regions, each coun- 
try could make its own selection of suitable pas- 
ture trees. The best tree of all is, undoubtedly, 
the Saman. (Kew Reports, 1878, p. 18, et. seq.) 
Grasses for Dry Regions. 
Where the climate is moist and humid the selec- 
tion of suitable grasses presents little difficulty. 
In countries subject to periods of prolonged 
droughts the circumstances are wholly different. 
The great want in such regions is the introduction 
of grasses that will maintain growth and vigour 
during many months when no rain falls. Grasses 
of this kind are to be found in the Bahama grass 
(C'ynodon Dactylon), the Kangaroo grass of Aus- 
tralia (Antkistina australis), and the Mitchell 
grass of Australia (Astrebla tritlcoides). These 
will stand periods of prolonged drought, and, in 
the case of the last, cattle are said to fatten on it, 
even when it is much dried up. In Jamaica, dur- 
ing severe droughts, cattle feed almost entirely on 
the underground stems of 1 he Bahama grass. In 
dry soil impregnated with salt there are several 
grasses known in India affording a considerable 
amount of forage. A variety of Sporobolus ara- 
bicus, Boiss. (S. pallidus, Duth.) known as Kalusra, 
is mentioned by Dutbie as constituting the greater 
