UATE ACW axl Seed VATE 13 
The Cattle Industry of Cuba 
By H. O. Neville 
“Well, Frank, what part of you is dry now?” The question was asked about ten 
o'clock of a morning in July, 1900, as the writer and his companion stopped for a brief 
rest beside a small stream in Oriente Province. We had been walking since early dawn 
along narrow trails bordered on each side by Guinea grass, towering in places three or 
four feet above our heads and wet with the night dew, so that wherever it touched us we 
had become wet to the skin. Frank’s answer was: ‘That part which is pointing the 
way we came from.”’ 
This gives some idea of the conditions prevailing in the pasturage areas of Camagtiey 
and Oriente Provinces at that time. The writer and his friend, not having anything 
better to do and considering that the trip would be somewhat of a lark and a giver of 
good experience besides furnishing an excellent opportunity for seeing Cuba at first hand, 
decided during the latter part of June to make a trip on foot from the north coast of 
Camagiiey Province to Santiago de Cuba and return, varying the route by way of Holguin 
and Jibara. Our readers will remember that at this time the first faint evidences of re- 
covery from the destruction of the War of Independence, in which through the aid of 
the United States Cuba’s shackles had been cast off, were observed, and it was yet too 
early for that confidence to have returned and the resources to have been obtained with 
which to replace the herds of cattle that had entirely disappeared during the preceding 
years of strife. In a country of a wonderfully fertile soil immediately following the heavy 
rains of the month of May and June, it was no wonder, therefore, that after passing the 
Cubitas Mountains and especially after leaving Camagitiey to the west, we should find 
vast areas covered with the high rank growth of Guinea grass which had been undis- 
turbed by stock for a number of years, and, therefore, was in its native original condition. 
In other places along the route, especially on the low lying moist lands, great areas of 
tangled vine-like Para grass were seen, likewise untouched by the hoof of a grazing 
animal. After reaching Bayamo, instead of keeping to the flat country of the interior 
plain, we chose rather to ascend the foothills of the Sierra Maestra, passing through 
Guisa, Baire Arriba and other small towns on the outlying spurs of this range, and from 
many points a view could be had extending for many miles both directly across and toward 
the east and west over the vast interior plain of Oriente, this view showing league after 
league of tall waving grasses of the finest quality for the fattening of cattle, interspersed 
here and there with tree-marked water courses and fine groves of royal palms. The 
writer at that time knew comparatively nothing of Cuba, but could not help but remark 
what a wonderful opportunity for going into the cattle industry. 
We thus observe that Cuba has at least one of the requisites for success in cattle 
growing. As we have already mentioned, two grasses, Guinea and Para, neither native 
to Cuba, but introduced from other lands, grow luxuriantly and furnish the very best 
of pasturages, especially for fattening purposes. The Guinea grass is a lover of the higher, 
well drained but fertile soils of the Island, in which it stools out in great bunches, throw- 
ing out long, slender, succulent blades, to be followed, where undisturbed, by a seed stem 
which under suitable conditions often attains a height of seven to eight feet though 
under ordinary conditions an average of about five feet. In the lower, moister lands, 
even when subject to overflow and where water stands during the rainy season, the Para 
grass is at home. This is more of a creeper than is the Guinea grass, the long vine-like 
stems taking root at each joint and throwing out therefrom other stems of the same 
character, until after the grass has been in possession of the land for a year or two, a 
dense tangled growth results. This grass is of such a succulent, juicy nature, that it is a 
ereat favorite with cattle, which in dry times, when the grasses on the higher lands have 
practically given out, will eat the Para grass down to its roots, not refusing what appear 
to be hard, dry stems containing no nourishment whatever. These are the two grasses 
found in our pastures on which our cattle are fattened. Excessively close grazing of these 
