yoL. XI. No. 270. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



275 



SUGAR INDUSTRY. 



THE COST OF GROWING SUGAR-CANE 



IN CUBA. 



In response to the numerous enquiries received by the 

 Cuban Department of Agriculture, relative to sugar lands in 

 that i*iland, their production and the cost of planting and 

 cultivation, the Chief of the Bureau of Information of the 

 Department has issued a bulletin which, although it bears 

 date of March 19, has just been given out. 



In this bulletin is a table showing the cost of preparing 

 and cultivating one acre of cane land in Cuba, which is 

 reproduced below: — 



I'REI'AI.'ATION OK LAND. 



$10 50 



13-80 



COST OF CULTIVATION. 



fir.st cultivation 

 Second cultivation 

 Third cultivation 

 Three cleanings 



CUTTING AND HAULINt; TO 



Cutting and loading 

 Hauling 



Total 



153-25 



$84-50 



According to the bulletin, when replanting is necessary, 

 the work can be done at an expense ranging from $15 to 

 #20 per acre. With land producing 60,<i00 arrobas of cane 

 (1 arroba is equivalent to 25 lb.) per calialleria (i oaballeria 

 equals 33^ acres) [about 20 tons per acre], the crop lasting 



six years without replanting, the results would be approxi- 

 mately as follows:^ 



Cost of making and harvesting first crop, per acre 

 Cost of making and harvesting 5 subsequent crops 

 at $40 per acre 



Yield of 6 years to grower, or 2,605-44 fc. at 



$2-80 = $72-95x6 

 Gain in 6 years 



$ 60-00 



$200-00 



$260-00 



$437-70 

 177-70 



Caballerias of good, new land often produce 100,000 

 arrobas of cane, and sometimes will not require replanting 

 for fifteen or twenty years. If irrigation is available, and 

 intensive cultivation is employed, it is possible to raise the 

 production to 160,000 or even to 200,000 arrobas of cane to 

 the caballeria [about 54 to 70 tons per acre]. (The A)neri- 

 ran Sugar Industry, .June 1912.) 



UHARACTERISTIOS OF A HYBRID HEVEA. 



In the Jndm Rubber Worldfor July 1, 1912, the Editor, 

 Mr. H. C. Pearson, gives a description of a visit made by 

 him to the Boston estate, in Trinidad, when the opportunity 

 was taken to make an examination of the two types of Hevea 

 that are growing on that estate; these types are said to 

 occupy the ground on the estate in about equal proportions. 



The hybrid Heveas are stated firstly to be of lusty 

 growth, full-branched and densely leaved, the leaves being 

 much broader towards the apes than those of //. b7-asUniisis; 

 further, the bark is exceedingly thin, having a thickness of 

 only aliout ^-inch, and the latex gives a rubber that is very 

 short and much inferior to fine Para rubber. The flow of this 

 latex is succeeded by the oozing of a very sticky, yellowish- 

 green resin. Dealing again with the bark, the surface shows 

 characteristic differences, that of the hybrid possessing many 

 minute spines, while the bark of //. biusiliensis is almost 

 smooth, with small vertical ridges. The colour of the bark 

 is also a distinguishing feature, being dark-red in the hybrid, 

 as compared with the silvery appearance of the true Para 

 rubber tree. 



Another difference is con.stituted in the fact that the 

 hybrid plants possess a full crown of bright-green leaves at 

 a time when the leaves are falling, or have fallen, from 

 H. brasiliensis. A difference also exists in relation to the 

 seeds, those of the hybrid being the larger, squarer and 

 lighter, though the seeds of both kinds are coloured similarly. 



At the time of the visit, .seedlings were being grown by 

 the Trinidad Department of Agriculture in order to ascertain 

 further points of distinction between the two kinds. So far it 

 has been noted that the first ordinary leaves of the true plant 

 hang vertically, while those of the hybrid take up an almost 

 horizontal position; it is probable, too, that the venation of 

 the leaves shows characteristic differences. 



Investigation has shown that it is likely that the hybrid 

 is the result of crossing between //. brasilien,six and 

 H. confusa, for the tree from which the original seeds were 

 obtained is situated in the Botanic Gardens of Port-of -Spain, 

 at no great distance from a well developed specimen of 

 //. confum. 



It will be remembered that much of the above inform- 

 ation has appeared already in the Agricultural Nefs (see 

 the issue for June 8, p. 184), having been obtained through 

 the courtesy of Mr. H. C. Pearson. 



