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PANAMA RAIL ROAD COMPANY. 39

and justified the belief that where good seed is obtained the propagation
by sowing is quicker and cheaper than by root planting. Good seed should
produce a good stand of grass in one year; planting cannot produce such a ~
stand in less than two years. ‘l’o use guinea seed the ground is cleared in
the dry season and burned, the seed going on the ground with the early
rains. To plant roots or joits, the ground is underbrushed during the
rainy season and planting is done as soon as the brush dries up. Usually
a subsidiary crop of corn or rice is also seeded at this time. Then the axe |
work is done. As soon as the grass is well rooted (and crop gathered where
planted) cattle are turned in to break down the brush. In the ensuing
dry season the ground is gone over with a machete and burned. If para
has been planted the pasture should be completed. If guinea another
season is required.

For the season of 1917, 43,000 lbs. of guinea seed were procured and
over 40,000 lbs. has been sown, the balance being held as a reserve for use
on areas to be bared by burning in July if possible. ‘The total acreage to
date will not be known until a survey now being made is concluded.

Fences.

By investigation of practice in the United States as influenced by local
- conditions it was decided to use a four strand barb wire fence with growing
or live posts. Concrete or metal posts are too expensive and dead wood -
posts last, unless creosoted, less than two years. At first, posts from woods
which grow when the posts are set in the ground were used where obtain-
able. It was learned by one foreman while on a trip to Colombia that
these posts when set hard and deep scald or burn out, and that to insure
their growing they should be set only 6 inches in the ground. In the mean-
time another foreman had asked for permission to set out a seed bed of
 “Dberigon’’ trees, which was granted... The seedlings from this bed were
set out in October and November, 1916, and their growth has been so
satisfactory as to indicate this as the proper procedure. For the season
of 1917 foremen have been instructed to set out seed beds of fruit and
timber trees, in order that the fences may ultimately pay for themselves.

An experiment of three wire strand fences for interior division lines
was tried, but is condemned as insecure and the economy of wire is prob-
ably more than offset by the subsequent waste of labor in keeping cattle
sorted.

, Dips.

To eliminate the ticks, dips will be constructed in each locality. The
Department of Agriculture’s specifications were used except that the
length of the swim was increased and the side walls at the “take off”
were raised.

Pens and Corrals.

These have been worked out by the general foreman along lines sug- —
gested by the supervisor, so as to provide adequate and rapid means of
sorting, branding, and treating (1st aid) the animals in each area.

General.

In order to care for a number of head of cattle for which there was
_ Scant feed, and in order to experiment with the use of cattle to underbrush
fairly heavy land, 3885 head of young, lean cattle were placed on Bohio