THE TROPICAL AuKlCl'LTUKlST 
the (lay it is quite clear that there is a ditficuUy 
in ertectual working. The milk yields as mncji 
butter as the English average, the colour, Havonr, 
grain and consistency is good and an excellent 
article has been i)ro<luced with tiie excepiion of 
the amount of moisture. However, Professor 
Carmody, the Government Analyst, has kindly 
given nie his assistance and no doubt success 
will follow. A Dairy has been lifted u|) with Sepa- 
ivitor, Churn, Delaiteuse, Thermometers, itc, all 
that is necessary to cany out experiments in a 
(toinplete manner. 
The benefit conlencd not only on Trinidad, 
but on llie West Indies geii<'rall\. by tliis 
Farm exix-rinient. is clrarly seen in oiu' 
next extract : 
At the annual Decemlicr sale- .")>< tiead of -.(iwk 
were odered. The prici-s obraiiicd uen- in advance 
of the last sale and geiierall\ \\'.-n' sat isfactdry. 
The aninials \\ ere all in excellent order and well 
shown. The pen and boxes were littered do\v a 
and the place on the sale day looked in business- 
like order. The attendance was g(ir)d and I lie l)id- 
ding fairly brisk. .lamaica were l)uycrs of the pure 
bred bulls. 1 am informed that the stock bred fi'oin 
these l)ulls in that ('olony are KKJ per cent in ad- 
vance in price upon the ordinary Creole slock. 
Two new features of thes;de were t hecross bred red 
Poll stock, and |iuro bred poult ly. The bulls of 
the above cross realizeil £12 per head, a reason- 
ably good ])rice for a (irst attempt and for little 
more than yearlings. The two heifers went for £3 
r)s each. The poultry- While -Minorcas and silver 
AVyandottes sold lor tK per hea<l and the regret was 
that there was not. more <>{ I hem. Demerara for 
the first t ime were purchasers of stock and as they 
got some excellent cross bred bulls, it is to be 
hoped that they will prove satisfactory and induce 
the purchasers and others to visit us again. The 
following were oJlercd and the prices realized 
were : - • 
Per 
Head. 
6 Milch Cows and 2 in-calf Heifers .<i;170 Ott 22 37 
19 i bred Zebu Heifers 1-2 years old 273 50-=^ 11 40 
2 Cross bred red Poll heifers ,. 30(K> I.tOO 
1 Pure bred Zebu Heifer ., 36 00=- :W 00 
4 „ „ Bulls .. .)(i9(Kl^-142 25 
7 i and 2 bred Zebu .. .. 217 (Ml- 30 10 
3 Cross bred red Poll Bulls ,. 171 IKI - 58 00 
14 I bred Zebu Oxen 3 1 years old 964 00-- 09 00 
1 Trio >^ hite Minorca Po\\"ls 
6 Silver M'vandotte 
*2.4-l2 .50 42 11 
-Vverage. 
5 75 5 75 
12 35 2 00 
As regards "breeding," we have informa- 
tion which ouglit to be of valne not only 
to local officials concerned, but to many of 
our planters who go in freely for stock, both 
in the hill and lowcountry. Mr. Meaden 
reports : — 
It may safely be asserted that the animal most 
suited to the 'climate of Trinidad is the Zebu 
(E. I. Cattle). Tiiej"^ have great size and are very 
healthy, produce tine stock and without detri- 
ment to the milking qualities unless bred too 
close. They are ii-ritable and difficult to handle 
and move "from the place they are accustomed 
to : this is the chief objection to them. The red 
Poll was introduced to bi-eed a more docile class 
and one that would in a greater measure than 
the Zebu become beef beasts. The result of 
ci-ossing the red Poll with our mixed breed of 
cows has given satisfactory results sofa*. Alto- 
gether 32 calves were born to him, 13 bull and 
19 heifer calves, with only the loss of one. Fo\ir 
hull calves were sold as unthrifty to the butcher. 
Five head were sold at the annual sale leaving 
six bulls and 16 heifers for augmenting the herd 
■or future sale. Those reserved have shown ex- 
cellent erowth under ordinary treat nieul. They 
arc hardy and healthy and have given no trouhle. 
In tlie event of the heifers being brouuhl into 
the herd they will l»e sent to u pu it? Zebu liull ; 
this cross it is anticipated will give stock suit- 
able for work or the butcher, and will l»e 
superior milkers, docile and with i-educed bonis. 
The red Poll bull cost £65. of hih stock i54« 
worth was sold during the year, aud stock to 
the Milue of £113 based on the prices ivaliaed 
remains on hand. This wiibin two year^ may 
be considered satisfactory. Outside of ihe iuiiiie- 
diate profit, the result "of imjiortiug this bull 
will be the foundation of a type new to the 
Colony which will ha\e many iidvaiitage-. one 
of \vliich is that they will Ik; pruetieally liorn- 
les>. a great point wliere a numl>er of aiiim.'iU 
aie herded together. 
The (Jueriisej bull im|>orle<l as a calf has grow it 
^\elland given no trouble and is now quite iu-< li- 
matised. and his case piwes that it Is gocxi |K»licy 
to import from temuerate climates ull animals an 
young as jjossible, though the delay may be tedi- 
ous. This bull w ill be put to i and bred Zebu 
Jieifei s fix»m the best milch cow s. This crosi> though 
smaller perhajis than the alxive will.it is a!itici- 
pated. l-t.'sult in deeji rich milkers. It is early to 
speak of this beciiiM- another >ear must elfipse 
before service can commence. Ifowever, the above 
is the line it is pr< J»,l^ed to go u|K*n in imjirove- 
ment. 
We ne.xt eonie to •• I'oiiltry '" ii depMi t iiieni 
of almost iini\«'rsal interest to Ceylon i-<-^i- 
dents both Native and Kii;-oiK»aii, if they 
would only take the t rouble t<j learn liow to 
improve their "jjoiiltrv -keeping." >!r. Meaden 
tells lis that, - 
Three varieties of )>oultry were iiupi>rle<l fiom 
England in June. The breeds w ere : No. 1- Wliite 
Minorcas. No. 2 -.Silver Wvaiidottes. No. 3 — 
Creve (Jours. They came to fiaiid in bad order in- 
fested with vermin, ancl four hens of No. 3 w ere in 
the last stage of disease and these succumi*ed in 
a very short time. A good deal of this mischief was 
due to faulty in packing. They were nlaced upon 
peat litter "which speedily became filtliy ; it would 
liave been better to have left this out and 
turned the hose ujion them each day if tliedeckh 
were washed. The diirerent breds are enclosed in 
separate runs, well shaded. They each in turn 
have a run about the stables and guinea grasK 
plots during the day, and in this way gain iiiosl 
of their living. Nos. 1 and 2 have kept in excel- 
lent health, but have lost some of the leading char- 
acteristics of their breeds. The Minorcas, >ix hens, 
laid nine dozen eggs from .June to November, then 
moulted. They have now recommenced laying. The 
AVyandottes, six hens, laid 14 dozen eggs', but did 
not become broody, and only lightly moulted. 
Speaking from a fairly extensive knowledge of dif- 
ferent breeds of poultry here, 1 think that the 
Wyandottes are one of "the best and most useful 
breeds ever introduced, and no better fowl could be 
desired. The two Creve Com- hens laid two dozen 
eggs, all unfertile. Now these fowls have become 
accustomed to the climate, better result will be 
recorded. A few pullets have been addefl to Nos. 
land 2, and willbe further increased so as to reduce 
the price of the eggs and distribute tlu-ra clieaply 
amongst the peasantry. Minorca cockrells bred 
here, at six months old, weigh 4rJlt)S., pullets 31bs., 
their eggs six to the pound, Wyandotte cockrells 
at the same age weigh olbs., pullets 4 Ifcs.. and 
their eggs nine to the pound. 
As regards " pastm-es." it is evident that 
special attention is given and there ought to 
be valuable lessons to stock- ownei's in a land 
with so poor a natural pasture as C'eylon 
has. For instance, we are told : — 
To make up for the loss of pasture lianded over 
to the Botanic Department, the land between tlie 
