THE CUBA REVIEW 



27 



son the ground remained mellow, while 

 uncovered land was baked almost as 

 hard as brick. 



I claim that this method of handling a 

 young grove is far better than clean 

 culture, and the cost is less than one- 

 third. The grove should be gone over 

 every week or so to pull down the vines 

 that are taking hold of the trees. This 

 is an easy job and quickly done — noth- 

 ing like fighting weeds and grass when 

 the ground is so wet you can neither 

 plow nor hoe. I think that the most of 

 the people who have attempted clean 

 culture in the groves in Cuba are pretty 

 sick of the job and would like to find 

 a cheaper, easier and a better way. I 

 would recommend planting the grove 

 with cowpeas and lablab beans at the 

 beginning of the rainy season, planting 

 alternate rows of peas and beans, with 

 rows about two feet apart and three or 

 four seeds in each hill, eighteen inches 

 apart. This should give a good stand 

 and the pea vines will soon cover the 

 ground. The ground should be well 

 plowed and pulverized before planting, 

 and the young crop be kept clean until 

 the vines cover the ground. I think best 

 to plant peas in the rows next to the 

 trees, as they will be out of the way in a 

 few months and leave the permanent 

 cover crop of lablab close enough. When 

 the vines get too thick near the trees 

 I cut a few of them and throw them 

 around the trees. I don't know how long 

 the lablab beans will last, but they look 

 now as if they might go on forever. 

 D. H. HOWELL. 



Fruit Shipping Pointers. 



The Chicago Daily Trade Bulletin says : 



It is advantageous always to' pack goods 

 with care, and that the quality runs uni- 

 form throughout, also mark contents neatly 

 on the package. 



Fancy goods always have a sale ; common 

 goods never sell well, and in times of 

 abundant supply are hardly salable. 



The mark on packages is not always a 

 criterion of the contents, and buyers always 

 examine the inside. 



It is no use to write the commission man 

 that goods were fancy when they were not ; 

 the commission man knows. 



The best goods sell to the best trade and 

 other goods to the cheap trade, and each 

 has its level of prices. 



If perishable goods comes on the market 

 late in the day, they never sell so well or 

 for so much as when in early. 



The stock of cocoanuts at New York 

 week of July 16 was liberal, and prices 

 weakened. Baracoa nuts brought $21.00 to 

 $22.00 per thousand. Demand was dull 



Lablab Bean, fourteen months after planting. 



New York Prices for Cuba Fruit. 



New York, July 23. 



Bananas — Cuban 9s sold at 75 to 875^c. 

 per bunch. The 8s ranged at from 45 to 

 50c. per bunch. No. 7s sold at from 32^ 

 to 40c. per bunch. 



Cocoanuts — There is a continued com- 

 plaint in most circles among importing in- 

 terests on the score of the dull demand 

 for cocoanuts, and in a good many cases 

 the tone of the market is reported easy. 

 Baracoa cocoanuts are in good local de- 

 mand for the small lots, but there seems 

 to be no important movement to report 

 here. The range here is given as from 

 $21.50 to $22 per 1,000, but it is possible on 

 firm offer to shade the inside figure here 

 and there. Buyers are seemingly cautious 

 about taking stock. In some cases it is 

 said that the fruit is not keeping as well as 

 usual, and a report is current that a good 

 many lots have been rejected by buyers on 

 poor selection on this market. 



Pineapples — There was a firmer and 

 stronger market here on the pineapples of 

 all descriptions, and the tendency was 

 toward a higher level on the large sizes in 

 both Havana and Florida stock. 



The market closed strong and active on 

 the best stock in the Havana pineapples. 

 Sales for the week covered a total of about 

 4,500 crates all told. The closing sales 

 showed a fairly firm tone, though the re- 

 sults are a good deal less than the goods 

 are selling at from the stores. The range 

 was as follows on the several sizes : 18s, 

 $2.40 to $2.45; 24s, $2 to $2.15; 30s, $1.60 

 to $1.80; 36s, $1.35 to $1.65, and 42s, $1.40 

 per crate. 



