THE CUBA REVIEW 



27 



AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL 



CUBA COFFEE GROWERS FACE A HARD 

 PROBLEM 



The coffee grov.-ers of Cuba, who have their 

 plantations largely in Oriente Province, are 

 suffering like other industries from the inter- 

 ference with business conditions caused by the 

 war in Europe. 



It is said that two-thirds of the owners of 

 the 2,950 plantations will abandon the culti- 

 vation of coffee. 



Money is scarce with them, and the banks 

 wiU not lend except at the rate of 1 to 5 per 

 cent, monthly, and even at that interest they 

 cannot get enough funds. They suggest the 

 establishing of farmers' banks where loans 

 can be negotiated on an 8 per cent per annum 

 basis. They feel that these loans can be paid 

 inside of three years. 



Last year's crop amounted to 3,00,6000 

 pounds, of which 2,182 pounds were exported, 

 the balance being required for home consump- 

 tion. 



The coffee imports of the republic for the 

 fiscal year 1912-13 were as follows: 



Pounds 



United States 2,947,208 



Puerto Rico 19,479,020 



Brazil and Mexico 38,227 



Venezuela 107,505 



— Isle of Pines News. 



22,571,960 



CUBAS ORANGES BEAT CALIFORNIA 



W. D. Spencer, the expert preparing and 

 processing fruits, flowers and plants for exhi- 

 bition purposes, called to Cuba by the com- 

 mission of the Expoitino of Panama and San 

 Francisco, together with Sr. Miguel Jorrin, 

 secretary of the commission, and Sr. Teodosio 

 Coegigal, in charge of the fruit department of 

 the commissions' work, visited last week the 

 orange grove of W. P. Ladd, president of the 

 Cuba Growers and Shippers Association, near 

 Santiago de las Vegas, to inspect the fruit with 

 a view toward obtaining exhibits for the ex- 

 position. 



These gentlemen were all very agreeably 

 surprised at the excellence of the oranges 

 found in Mr. Ladd's grove, and Mr. Spencer 

 said they were so far superior to any tliat he 

 had already obtained that he intended to 

 throw the latter away and confine the orange 

 exhibits entirely to those from Mr. Ladd's 

 grove. 



In comi^aring the quality of fruit and gener- 

 al character of the tree to those of California 

 he said that in juiciness and sweetness, the 

 Cuban oranges were far and away better than 

 those of California, and that the trees com- 

 pared very favorably with those of the same 

 age in that state. — Interview in Havana Post. 



FODDER CROPS LOST 



The mayor of Baracoa reports to the secre- 

 tary of government that the fodder crops, con- 

 sisting principally of guinea grass, which is 

 largely cultivated in that district, have been 

 nearly ruined by the heavy rains followed by 

 strong winds. The mayor says that he is 

 making a careful investigation to discover the 

 extent of the loss, which is certain to be large. 



NEW PLANT DISEASE 



It has been reported to the Secretary of 

 Agriculture that a new f ormof disease is afflict- 

 ing plant life in the Songo district of Oriente 

 province and that they want help in combat- 

 ting it. In answer to this appeal General 

 Nunez has promised to send an exjjert to ex- 

 amine the disease and prescribe a cure for it 

 if that is possible. 



CUBA TEST FOR SAN ANGELO SEED 



Mr. Hubert Smith, a missionary in Cuba, 

 has requested friends at San Angelo, Texas, 

 to send him Feterita and Soudan seeds, which 

 are to he submitted to tests under Cuban con- 

 ditions. 



CHEESE AND BUTTER MAKING IN CUBA 



The Secretary of Agriculture is endeavoring 

 to interest the Cuban farmers in the manufac- 

 ture of cheese and butter. At the present 

 time Culia imports large quantities of butter 

 put up in tins from Denmark and other coun- 

 tries, while butter could easily be made in 

 Cuba, if proper attention were given to the 

 matter. The same is true of cheese, and it has 

 already been demonstrated that a good qual- 

 ity of cheese could be made in Cuba. 



OUTBREAK OF HOG CHOLERA EXPERTS SENT 

 WITH SERUM 



News has been received at the Department 

 of Agriculture that a severe outbreak of hog 

 cholera has occurred in Santo Domingo, and 

 that over 400 animals have died within the 

 last two weeks. General Nunez has lost no 

 time in taking steps to combat the disease and 

 has sent Drs. Bolton, Castro and Crespo, with 

 a large supply of serum to the scene of the out- 

 break. Before leaving the city Dr. Crespo 

 stated that the work of manufactiu'ing serum 

 was being carried on night and day at the ex- 

 perimental station at Santiago de las Vegas, 

 and that by the end of this month a good sup- 

 ply would be on hand. 



HORTICULTURISTS TO MEET ON ISLE 

 OF PINES 



The annual meeting of the Cuban Horticul- 

 tural Society will be held this year on the Isle 

 of Pines and at the annual fair of that place. 



