FRUIT CULTURE — THE ORCHARD HOUSE. 



The tree most planted for shade in and around Havana, resembles a poplar in 

 appearance and leaf; on investigation, it turned out to be the Ficus religiosa 

 (the poplar-leaved Fig), and a most excellent shade-tree it is, bearing no fruit. 



A species of cochineal is found, in a wild state, in various places; no culti- 

 vation of the true insect is attempted, thougli it might undoubtedly be successful. 



Asparagus grows rampantly, but there is little or no attention paid to this and 

 many other important vegetables. The inhabitants say there is little encourage- 

 ment for this and the best productions of the gardens, as the mode in which their 

 tables are supplied prevents their ever getting a taste of the best articles. A 

 cook is hired to supply a table of a given number of persons, at so much a month. 

 He or she is to give daily so many dishes of meat, so many of vegetables, and 

 such a variety of fruit. This official goes to market as economically as possible, 

 purchases the stale articles, and pockets the profit therefrom. It was just so at 

 our hotel, where the peas were always yellow, though an abundance of better 

 were to be had in market, as we verified by actual inspection. The arts of living, 

 which here could be turned to so much account, appear to be all thrown away. 

 As for butter, the article is rarely made by the Cubans, and as much as is needed 

 to ornament the tables frequented by Americans, is imported ; what it becomes 

 by the time it is offered to customers, may be judged by a sample that accom- 

 panied us in the Isabel. It was contained in the half of an empty flour barrel, 

 which was in proximity with the heat of the steam-engine during the voyage ; tied 

 over with a piece of brown paper, it descended with the baggage of our party 

 into the shore boat, when a passenger, a little late in his arrangements for depar- 

 ture, in a hurried moment, thinking it was a trunk, stepped into it, wathdrawing 

 his boot well buttered. We had to presume that what the boot did not require 

 to cover it, was served at our table thrice a day. Such is retailed for fifty cents 

 the pound. 



Vegetables, strange as it may appear, are a very dear product. Peas (such as 

 would scarcely sell at all among us) were worth five dollars the bushel ; beets, ten 

 cents each; eggs commanded forty cents the dozen; milk, ten cents the quart, 

 and poor enough ; beef (very inferior) commands fifteen to twenty-five cents the 

 poimd, mutton twenty, and pork uniformly twenty-five. The above prices are 

 certainly very remunerative; the temptation of the high wages of labor for the sugar 

 estates, however, is constantly operating to draft the workmen from the gardens, 

 and cigar making, in the shade, is preferred by all who can, by skill, get into 

 that employment. Some Americans, when they hear of these prices, are tempted 

 to procure land, and raise vegetables for the Havanese;. we have yet heard of 

 no great success in this line. We left an active young man, from the State of 

 New York, who was negotiating for one hundred acres near the Bishop's garden, 

 for the purpose, and who felt sure of realizing a fortune in such a climate, where 

 the truck seemed to grow spontaneously, or with only moderate care. 



Tliese notes are extending beyond the original design, but as they appear to be 

 acceptable to our readers, they will be continued. 



FRUIT CULTURE. — THE ORCHARD HOUSE. 



BY WILLIAM SHIPLEY. 



In all establishments of any pretension, we have numerous structures for the 

 cultivation of fruits, but, amongst modern inventions, there are none so useful to 

 the amateur as the orchard house, which was brought into existence by that excel 

 "ruit cultivator, Mr. Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, Herts., to whom we ar 



