THE CUBA REVIEW 



17 



Spineless Cactus Grown on the Cendoya Farm near Santiago. 



BURBANK'S SPINELESS CACTUS IN SANTIAGO, CUBA 



So much has been written of late of the wonders and varieties of the Burbank Spineless 

 Cactus plant, that it seems an important point has been omitted when one does not specify 

 the "variety." We are told this makes all the difference in the world and this article will deal 

 principally with what is known as the "late variety" grown on the experimental farm of IMr. 

 Julian Cendoya at Santiago. 



]\Iany advantages are claimed for this late variety over the "early variety," and its food 

 value as a nutritious forage, yielding in quantity, easy of culture and cheap to raise and handle, 

 adapted to poor land as well as good, and producing an unfailing crop each year, makes it the 

 most so-called precious forage crop known, and it should appeal to the stock raiser, the 

 sugar planter and the farmer when considering the food supply. 



The Cendoya plantation is located on the Guantanamo & Western Railroad, midway be- 

 tween Santiago and Guantanamo, and consists of 66 acres of this late variety planted only four 

 months ago from a starting of 60,000 plants, and the results so far obtained have been satis- 

 factory' when it is considered that they were laid out during the months of heayv' rains, many 

 difficulties resulting therefrom on account of too much dampness which tends to rot the young 

 plants. 



The experiment has not been carried far enough as yet to justify the making of any pre- 

 dictions as to its success in Cuba, and the important question just now seems to be how and 

 where to get the necessary slabs or leaves for propagation. These, for some years to come, will 

 probably be too valubale for any other purpose than to plant new nurseries and fields. 



For comparison as to the possible returns from Spineless Cactus as a forage food, we are 

 shown that alfalfa in the United States is worth $20 per ton. Melojo, or green corn fodder in 

 Cuba is worth $25 per ton. These will grow only on the best soil. Five tons of alfalfa worth 

 is sometimes cut from an acre of rich land if well irrigated. The minimum, 25 tons of 



