30 THE CUBA REVIEW 
A Group of “‘Guajiros’’ Taking Lessons in the Mixing of Chemical Fertilizers Near Consolacion 
The sweet potatoes, malangas, yams, corn and other food crops grown by the native 
Cubans for home consumption, are all grown without fertilizer, notwithstanding the 
fact that experiments have demonstrated that, especially on the root crops, the use of 
fertilizer gives a very great increase in the yield. When this statement is made, of 
course, it is understood that this increase is obtained on those lands which are universally 
recognized as best adapted for the growth of this class of crop, that is, the lighter or 
sandier loams. But the native Cuban who usually has more land than he can possibly 
cultivate to such crops, prefers doubling the area in order to obtain the quantity of these 
roots that he requires either for his own home consumption or for market, as at the 
season when these crops are planted his time is usually valueless, representing nothing 
to him, while the purchase of fertilizer, of course, would involve a cash outlay. There is, 
however, another class of vegetable grower in Cuba whose product, consisting of peppers, 
eggplants, lima beans, summer squash, tomatoes and okra, are intended for exportation 
to the markets of the northern portion of the United States. These plantings, of course, 
Interior View of Factory 
