THE CUBA REVIEW. 



21 



CUBAN TRADE IN 1908 AND 1909. 



Foreign Commerce During the Last Two Fiscal Years. 



The following statistics were compiled in the Bureau of Manufactures from 

 officials returns issued by the Cuban government at Habana. 



The imports and exports of Cuba, by countries, during the two fiscal years 

 ending June 30, 1908 and 1909, were as follows: 



Countries. Imports from Exports to 



Merchandise. 1907-8. 1908-9. 1907-8. 1908-9. 



United States $46,450,908 $42,593,894 $81,715,884 $99,973,369 



^^™^"y 7,762,75 1 6,350,534 3,741.795 4,484,290 



SP^'n 8,8i6,8ro 7,377,662 795,687 T 017 599 



fT''''-?''^ T."-"i 5,854,474 4,793,469 1,768,742 1,296,441 



United Kingdom 14,550,912 10,639,462 5,i45,57i 4 950,040 



Other American countries 8,301,268 7,285,289 2,718,605 2 45? ^^6 



Other European countries 3,624,233 3,336,100 868,179 98o;996 



All other countries 1,631,778 1,523,824 692,984 47ii976 



'^°'^3' 96,993,134 $83,900,234 $97,447,447 $115,637,047 



Soecie. 



United States $136,525 $18,348 $12,027,290 $1,483,700 



^P^'" 481,516 13,120 165,171 442,846 



Fr,a"ce 1,217,022 2,782,928 2,480,644 .......T. 



All other countries 724 140 1,915 



Total $1,835,787 $2,814,536 $14,675,020 $1,926,546 



CARAVONICA COTTON IN CUBA. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 

 Bureau of Industry. 

 Washington, D. C, Sept. 17, 1909. 

 Editor of the CUBA REVIEW, 



82 to 92 Beaver Street, 

 New York, N. Y. 



Dear Sir: In the August number of the 

 CUBA REVIEW I note another refer- 

 ence to the Caravonica cotton. So much 

 has been said in praise of this variety and 

 such high hopes have been entertained 

 as to the prospects of a new and paying 

 industry along this line that a statement 

 as to the present condition of the Cara- 

 vonica cotton in Cuba may not be amiss. 



A year ago in August I visited the 

 plantations at Monte Cristo, near Bara- 

 coa, Cuba, where the cotton was grown 

 experimentally. At that time the trees 

 were doing splendidly and had a good 

 bearing of flowers and bolls. The climate 

 and soil were evidently suitable for the 

 plants. I have just returned from an- 

 other trip to Baracoa and, while I did 

 not visit Monte Cristo, I conversed with 

 several of the owners of the cotton at 

 that place. They told me that the pros- 

 pects of a successful cotton crop are ab- 

 solutely hooeless. Some time during this 

 spring all of the bolls and flowers drop- 

 ped from the trees, apparently affected 

 by the boll weevil. This being the condi- 



tion, the owners have practically given 

 up the idea of growing Caravonica cot- 

 ton at Monte Cristo. I have no proof 

 that it was the boll weevil that caused 

 the damage, but the planters were well 

 read on the subject and I think were able 

 to judge correctly for themselves. Mr. 

 W. T. Home, recently of the Estacion 

 Central Agriconomica, also told me that 

 it w^as the boll weevil, and, according 

 to him, it is common throughout Cuba. 



Such being the condition at Monte 

 Cristo, where the cotton was given a 

 trial of about a year and a half, it seems 

 inadvisable to plant Caravonica cotton 

 any more than any other cotton in that 

 district. Although the boll weevil may 

 not be in every locality at present, the 

 probabilities are that soon after a good 

 stand of cotton is secured the weevil 

 will appear in great numbers. 



What Cuba needs is, not so much a va- 

 riety of excellent cotton, as some means 

 of protecting what cotton they have 

 from these insect attacks. Caravonica 

 cotton averages a very good grade of 

 cotton, but, unfortunately, it is not im 

 mune to the attacks of the boll weevil. 

 Yours very truly, 

 JOHN R. JOHNSTON, 

 Assistant Pathologist. 



