42iS Journal op the Department of Agriculture. 



suckered, similar to the American method. Harvesting begins about 

 45 days after the date of transplanting, and about 15 to 20 days are 

 required to complete the harvest. Their curing sheds are board or 

 plank walls with high heavy thatched roofs. After the tobncco is 

 cured, it goes to the packing house, where it is fermented at 45 to 50° 

 ceutrigrade, sorted, graded, and baled; then it goes into the hands of 

 the jobbers, and from them it is distributed amongst the 

 manufacturei-s. 



I visited some of the packing houses in Havana and saw the 

 tobacco being prepared for distribution amongst the manufacturers. 

 The Cubans cover their bales with heavy palm leaves or bark which 

 serves the double purpose of keeping the tobacco from damaging and 

 retaining the moisture in the leaf. The bales are made up of 4 

 hands to the carrot, 80 carrots to the bale, and the bale weighs 80 to 

 100 lb. 



The finest grade of cigar wrapper sells for about £800.00 per bale 

 or 110.00 per pound. 



The district Santiago de Las Yegas stands first in the production 

 of cigar wrapper. The district Vuelta Abago leads in the produc- 

 tion of fine filler. 



Railage of Sheep to Fresh Pasturage. 



In Bulletin No. 6 of the General Manager of Railways and 

 Harbours it is stated that 413,267 sheep were carried by rail to fresh 

 pasturage during the year 1919 and the three months ended 31st> 

 March, 1920 — a further illustration of the serious effects of the 

 drought and the tax it imposed upon the Administration's resources 

 in trucks and haulage. This is apart from ordinary live stock 

 transport and takes no account of the large number of large stock 

 removed to fresh pasturage. If all the sheep railed to fresh pasturage 

 were returned they would total 826,534. The actual railage charges, 

 at full ordinary tariffs for the forward journey, were £31,010. The 

 animals are returned to original forwarding stations free of charge. 

 On their return one-half the forward journey railage is rebated, so 

 that if all the animals were returned, the Administration would only 

 receive £15,505 compared with £62,020, had ordinary rates been 

 applied. The reduced rates work out less than 1.28d. per truck per 

 mile. 



The Union's Summer Crops, 1919-20. 



The attention of readers is directed to the Department's Crop 

 Report for June, 1920, published in this issue, which gives the final 

 returns for this season's crops of maize, kaffir corn, and tobacco, show- 

 ing the estimated total yield of each of these crops. 



The Journal is the Department's medium of making known its 

 activities. It contains information of value to every farmer in the 

 Union Keep it for reference. 



