THE CUBA RE VI E W 



29 



An American home at La Atalaya, Nuevitas Harbor, Cuba. 



Vista de una morada americana en La Atalaya, dando {rente a la habia de Nuevitas, en Cuba. 

 Esta colonia se ha establecido en lo que era antes de la guerra un gran ingenio de azucar. El 

 nombre La Atalaya significa torre del vijia, y cerca de esta casa se hallaron los cimientos del 

 edificio primitive, desde el cual se espiaba la proximidad de los piratas. 



increased. Large quantities of stable ma- 

 nure are also used. 



"The trees are pruned in such a man- 

 ner that a short, bushy growh is formed. 

 The bottom branches are kept clear of 

 the ground, as this prevents infection 

 from the deadly 'brown rot' fungus, 

 which is further prevented by the use 

 of a cover crop, sown between the trees, 

 since the fungus grows in the soil. It 

 is further guarded against by using cop- 

 per sulphate or potassium permanga- 

 nate in the water in which the fruit is 

 washed. 



"In picking the fruit a ring 2 5-16 in- 

 ches is used. All fruit which will pass 

 through the ring is cut from the tree 

 with shears and put into a canvas bag 

 with which each picker is suppled. 

 Smaller fruit which has ripened is also 

 picked, together with the larger _ fruits 

 which will not pass through the ring. 



"The fruit is then cleaned from dust 

 and 'black mold' by passing it between 

 two cylindrical brushes in a tank full 

 of water. It then comes on to a canvas 

 or moving belt table, where it is sorted 



by hand into three grades, dark-green 

 or unripe, silver, green or partially ma- 

 ture, and yellow or tree-ripened. Great 

 care is exercised in handling the fruit. 

 Tree-ripened lemons are shipped at once 

 but the others are packed carefully in 

 standard boxes and stored in special cur- 

 ing houses. Here the degree of mois- 

 ture and temperature is most carefully 

 regulated by covering the boxes with 

 tents that can be lowered or raised in 

 such a way that there is as little change 

 as possible. Great care and judgment are 

 necessary here to prevent the fruit from 

 withering, and to enable it to ripen well. 

 "In conclusion the following figures 

 of expenditures and returns may be 

 quoted. They are taken from a grove 

 where very special care is exercised. The 

 grove contains 20 acres and the total 

 working expenses amounted to $7,417.47, 

 or $370.87 per acre. The average returns 

 for the last four years have been $900 

 per car load, and this estate gave about 

 21 car loads. That is, the return was 

 about $18,900, or a net profit of $11,- 

 482.53. 



