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16 THE CUBA REVIELW 
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The Calabash Tree. 
Some Interesting Products of Cuban Soil 
By C. D. Mell 
The Calabash Tree of Cuba 
One of the most interesting of the West Indian trees is the Guira, Guira Cimarrona 
or Higuera of Cuba. The fruit of this tree is called calabash and is what attracts the 
attention of the northern traveler, for the woody rind forms one of the most curious 
vegetable substitutes for glass and earthenware for drinking cups and other domestic 
utensils in tropical America. Cups, mugs, ladles, bowls, basins, and, in fact, almost every 
article of household use, are made from them by the poorer classes in all parts of the trop- 
ics. They are used almost exclusively for drinking cups in Cuba and other parts of trop- 
