26 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



be trusted. These men know just how to get the vehicles placed on the market to best 

 advantage and can effect sales where you cannot. I mention this because while I 

 was in Cuba I met a number of vehicle salesmen in the hotels in Havana who were 

 waiting for the next boat home, claiming that they could do practicj^lly no business 

 in Cuba. They tried to work independently of the local dealers and accomplished 

 nothing. The individual buyers of carriages in Havana have to be taken in a certain 

 way in order to close a bargain even if the buyer really wants a conveyance. He has 

 to be coaxed into making the tinal deal. The local dealers know this, and have 

 canes to present, and various methods adopted to get the buyer in the right mind to 

 seal the bargain. 



CUBAN IMPORT OF MULES 



rproni Consul General James 1,. Uodgers, Habana] 



The importation of mules into Cuba 

 from the United States — the country which 

 for many years has enjoyed a monopoly 

 in the trade — has long been an established 

 and profitable business, since of all draft 

 animals, except oxen, the mule is probably 

 adapted after acclimatization, for work in 

 this country. It has been found that 

 American-bred mules quickly become ac- 

 customed to Cuban climatic conditions and 

 will get along upon the native food supply, 

 although they are maintained in better con- 

 dition upon American forage and grain. 

 The animals, moreover, seem to enjoy com- 

 parative immunity from diseases and to re- 

 tain all their natural vigor if given good 

 treatment, which is usually the case, since 

 they are regarded as an expensive animal. 



In Cuban cities heavy hauling is done 

 almost exclusively by mules, and while the 

 undersized animal predominates, many are 

 fine examples of the best types. In the 

 country, except on certain American sugar 

 and tobacco plantations, few mules are in 

 use, due to their cost, which is beyond the 

 means of the ordinary farmer, and to the 

 national custom of using oxen. However, 

 mules are steadily supplanting oxen in farm 

 work, and those who can afford to purchase 

 them do so, realizing that a team of mules 

 means economy in time and great efficiency 

 in work in comparison to the service of 

 oxen. 



In Havana, naturally the main port of 

 entry for this American importation, ac- 

 climated mules command from $150 each 

 for the smaller sizes to $300 for the large, 

 and it is not uncommon to see an extra fine 

 pair bring $800. 



The duty on mules of over 150 centi- 

 meters (nearly 5 feet) in height is, from 

 the United States, $10 each, and from other 

 countries, $12.50 each. On sizes less than 

 that given the duty is respectively $5 and 

 $6.25 each. In 1909 the importation of 

 large mules was 349 ; in 1910, 34G ; of the 

 smaller the importations in the years given 

 were respectively 1,057 and 1,454. These 

 figures appear to represent about the aver- 

 age annual importation and the classes. 

 The larger mules are from 1,000 to 1,200 

 pounds in weight and the smaller from 600 

 to 1,000 pounds. 



There has not been much effort in breed- 

 ing mules in Cuba, although at the Central 

 -Agricultural Station, at Santiago de las 

 Vegas, in Havana Province, a stud is 

 maintained, and there are one or two other 

 places where the services of jacks can be 

 obtained. It has been stated, however, that 

 several American plantation and ranch in- 

 terests are contemplating establishing 

 breeding farms on a large scale and with 

 good stock. As far as known there has 

 been no materialization of this announced 

 intention. 



CUBAN CONSUL S PLANS 



Crescendo de Varona, the new Cuban 

 consul at Chicago, recently visited the 

 commission houses in that city and priced 

 vegetables and fruits. 



"It shall be the purpose of my office here 

 in Chicago," he explained later to a Chi- 

 cago Record-Herald representative, "to 

 open a market for Cuban produce. We are 

 raising vegetables in abundance and can 

 deliver them to you in Chicago within three 

 days on shipment from Havana. We can 

 way undersell the high prices you are 

 quoting. 



"I held a conference with merchants in 

 Havana just before I departed, and they 

 urged me to see what chance there may 

 be to place their food products in Chicago." 



The Havana Chamber of Commerce is 

 opposed to the granting by the Cuban gov- 

 ernment of any conclusive right to manu- 

 facture cotton goods in Havana for a 

 given number of years. The chamber 

 recommends that the government amend 

 the tariff to admit at a larger duty the 

 raw material used in the manufacture of 

 cotton goods. 



GILTNER BROS., Eminence, Ky.,U.S. A. 



Dealers and breeders of 

 Kentucky Stallions, Mares 

 and Jacks. 



Hereford, Shorthorn, Hol- 



tein and Jer.'-.ey bulls. Well 



iiroken mules in car let" for 



sugar planters. 



Export Trade a Specially. 



Prices named on animals 



.^1. delivered anywhere in the 



' ' world. Write its your wants. 



