THE CUB A R B V T E W 23 



and Tangerine is to be recommended. The Tangerine especiallj Is verj productive, 

 and if given good attention and '-arc will prove very profitable, if, however, the 

 trees are neglected, the fniii deteriorates In size and quality. An orange which is 

 very highly recommended In Florida as capable of hanging on the tree from one 

 year to another, bu1 nol tried oul here extensivelj yet, is the Lue Glm Gong, bul If 

 lliis proves an abundant and regular bearer ii should prove a valuable addition to 

 the variel les above mentioned. 



We have already referred to the two differenl methods of cultivation and the 

 permitting of grass to cover the area of the grove, and there remains onlj the aeces- 

 city of indicating the advisability of irrigation. As is well known, Cuba lias its rainy 

 and dry seasons. The former occurs from .May to October with a more or loss 



dry period in late July and August, but usually fr December to March very little 



rain falls. The fruit of our citrus groves comes to maturity dining this period, 

 and, of course, the blossoms Eor the next year's crop are put out and the young fruit 

 sets on the trees during these months. The effect, therefore, of excessive droughl 

 upon the prospects for the coming year may be disastrous. There are only three 

 groves that we know of in Cuba which are being irrigated, and in these three we 

 have never known a case of a crop failure. Instead, bountiful production is the rule 

 each season. Of course, the owners of these groves are intelligent and realize thai 

 heavy fertilization must accompany irrigation, so that each year their trees are bounti- 

 fully supplied with plant food, and the result of this practice and thai of irrigating 

 is that great success has been attained and heavy crops are gathered and sold at 

 excellent prices each year. In two of these groves irrigation water is secured from 

 wells, one of which supplies water from a depth of about 15<) feet. In this grove 

 only very moderate quantities of water are furnished the trees once or twice during 

 the winters of prolonged drought, but the water is always furnished at such a time 

 as to bring out the blossoms, and a second irrigation is given in time to prevent 

 the young fruit from dropping. 



The spraying of citrus trees here is necessary only to keep down those insect 

 enemies which are injurious to the trees themselves. The character of the surface 

 of the oranges eaten in Cuba influences only to a very slight extent their saleability. 

 A great many of the oranges are peeled by street venders, so that the skin of the 

 orange is not seen by the purchaser, but even when purchases are made by parties 

 for home consumption, the fact that the skin is more or less discolored is not taken 

 into consideration. This, of course, is not the case with grapefruit, as has already 

 been indicated. 



Concerning the methods of sale of oranges, little need be said. No difficulty 

 whatever will be experienced in the disposal of his crop by the grower whose fruit 

 matures in the proper period and who is well located, reasonably close to a good 

 road or to railroad transportation. From the grove of moderate area situated close 

 to a large town or city the fruit can be sold directly in box lots to special customers 

 who will place orders for weekly or semi-weekly delivery. A good business of this 

 character has been built up by a few of our growers located near Havana. Once 

 confidence in the character of the grower's product is established, a business is 

 created that will never be lost. 



In conclusion we cannot refrain from again indicating the very favorable prospects 

 which lie before the orange producer who uses proper judgment and the local in- 

 formation obtainable in the selection of the location in which to plant his grove, 

 of the land upon which to plant it, of the varieties which he should set out, and of 

 the proper methods of cultivation, fertilization, and irrigation. I lis success is abso- 

 lutely assured and the writer's knowledge of Cuba causes him to believe that for the 

 man who is agriculturally inclined and who seeks a quiet living in a climate where 

 extremes are rare, where great heat and cold are unknown, where almost every 

 night, in the midst of summer, is cool enough to require some bed covering, the 



