i So 



THE FORESTER. 



August, 



to stay in Cuba. It matters little to a 

 work of this kind whether the island is 

 absolutely independent, under our pro- 

 tection in the form of a protectorate, or 

 annexed to this country. The people of 

 the United States and especially the peo- 

 ple who have charge of affairs, also the 

 better element of Cubans and the other 

 foreigners who have interests in the island 

 have fully determined that henceforth it 

 must be healthful and peaceful. Even if 

 the country becomes absolutely independ- 

 ent, American influence will be paramount 

 and we should always under all circum- 

 stances be willing to lend a helping hand 

 to aid the Cubans to bring their island to 

 the highest pitch of productiveness. In 

 no way could we better foster this work 

 than by aiding in the establishment of 

 an economic Botanical Garden similar 

 to the famous Buitenzorg of Java and the 

 Hope Gardens and Plantations of Jamaica. 

 We could well afford to do this not so 

 much for Cuba as for ourselves. The 

 Tropics are biological headquarters. It is 

 there where growth is most intense and 

 where many physiological problems may 

 be most easily solved. The study of vege- 

 tation for instance in a country where cold 

 does not exist may render clearer the im- 

 portant question of frost. It is often in 

 studying the condition of a country in 

 which an evil does not exist that its cause 

 and cure may be more easily understood. 

 It would be an excellent place for northern 

 botanists to go for a few weeks or months, 

 just as Buitenzorg has been for many years 

 the Mecca of European botanists. So 

 important in fact has a visit to Buitenzorg 

 been regarded that at least two European 

 governments have aided botanists finan- 

 cially in order that they might study there. 

 Its effects may be seen in the writings of 

 Goebel, Schimper, Haberlandtand others. 

 The importance of marine biological lab- 

 oratories such as Naples, has long been 

 recognized and at one time the construc- 

 tion of a similar establishment in Jamaica 

 or the Bahamas was seriously considered. 

 In Cuba there is also an excellent oppor- 

 tunity in the coral islands near Batabano 

 and the Isle of Pines, which is only a short 

 distance from Havana. It might be pos- 



sible to combine these enterprises under 

 the direction of one or several of our uni- 

 versities. Such a cause has the right to 

 expect liberal financial aid from both this 

 and the Cuban governments. 



In the agricultural college in Wagen- 

 ningen in Holland there is a department of 

 forestry. The students there are being 

 trained not so much for work in Holland 

 as in Java, where they are needed in the 

 Teak forests. Much of the wealth of Hol- 

 land was not made from cheese, but from 

 the chocolate, coffee, spices and tobacco 

 of the Indies. The same may be said of the 

 English and the forestry school at Cooper's 

 Hill. One need not visit Java to see 

 work of this kind. It is in progress in 

 1 Jamaica, which, on a clear day, is visible 

 ; from the mountain peaks of Cuba. There 

 i one may see many interesting experiments 

 with trees and plants from all parts of the 

 world. We must not fail to bear in mind 

 that an institution of this kind, even if 

 conducted at great expense, pays for itself 

 many times over if it simply introduces a 

 profitable crop into the country, or even 

 improves the quality of a native crop. 

 The institution which produces a variety 

 of cane for instance which yields a small 

 degree more of sugar adds in the aggre- 

 gate much to the productiveness of a coun- 

 try such as Cuba. The Gardens of Jama- 

 ica not only introduce new species and 

 varieties for experiment but distribute 

 young plants gratis or at cost price through- 

 out the island to enterprising farmers. 

 The plantation of Cinchona and Eucalyp- 

 tus trees in the Blue Mountains are ex- 

 amples of its industry. 



Then again much can be done in ex- 

 perimenting in reference to the growing 

 of the crop. Owing to the inconvenient 

 time element in the production of rubber 

 and camphor, experiments are in progress 

 to determine whether these trees cannot be 

 grown as field crops. The seeds are sown 

 and the young plants harvested, and from 

 these the juices are extracted by special 

 machinery. Perhaps some day our paper 

 pulp may be produced in the same way. 

 In a southern climate a field of Poplars or 

 Willows, two years old would produce a 

 large quantity of pulp. 



