16 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



AGRICULTURAL MATTERS 



DIVERSIFIED FARMING 



President Menocal is (luotcd in the Havana 

 Post as saying that he is convinced that Cuba 

 would he greatly benefited if the Island were 

 not de])endent u])on two croj)s only, sugar 

 and tobac'co. The President is quoted as 

 saying: 



If it should be necessary to set the example I will 

 seize the plow and plow the first furrow. We have 

 great riehes in Cuba, but it is necessary to take them 

 from tlic soil and know how to use them. To do this 

 it is necessary to apply labor and constancy. My 

 government will sacrifice itself if necessary to uncover 

 these agricultural riches and demonstrate to the world 

 afterwards what we can do with them. The rest is 

 in the hands of the people. 



CATTLE AND HOG QUARANTINE 



The Cuban Government has modified the 

 quarantine against the importation of cattle, 

 hogs and goats from the United States, and 

 they may now be imported ])rovided a quar- 

 antine period of forty days is allowed to elapse 

 dating from the time the animals are placed 

 on board ship. On landing, the animals 

 must be treated by disinfectants. 



TURKEY BUZZARDS 



There are many turkej^ buzzards in Cuba 

 and they have been especially well protected 

 hitherto, there being a fine of $50 for killing 

 one of them, the reason being that these birds 

 were considered excellent as scavengers, but 

 the Commission of Infectious Animal Dis- 

 eases has advanced the theory that turkey 

 buzzards instead of being a preventative to 

 the spreading of disease have been the means 

 of spreading the hog cholera and the foot and 

 mouth disease. If a good case is made out 

 against the turkey ])uzzards, then- exter- 

 mination will result. 



APRICOTS 



A box of apricot seeds has been received 

 from Spain at the Agriculture Experiment 

 Station at San Antonio de las Vegas. Ex- 

 periments will be made with these seeds in 

 the hope that they may prove adaptable to 

 being cultivated in Cuba. Hitherto neither 

 peaches nor apricots have been successfully 

 cultivated in Cuba. 



It is estimated that the Cuban farmers 

 have planted more than five times the acreage 

 for various vegetables that they planted in 

 any i)revious years. 



LARGE POULTRY PURCHASE 



The Cuban Government has placed an order 

 with a large Penn.sylvania jjoultry farm for 

 500 Ilhode Island Reds and White Leghorns. 

 It is understood that these are very high 

 grade stock and cost about $4,000. The 

 l)oultry will be shipped to the Government 

 Agricultin-al Experiment Station at Havana. 



COFFEE PLANTERS 



At a recent meeting of the League of Coffee 

 Planters at Santiago de Cuba it was stated 

 that the cultivation of coffee is not remuner- 

 ative at present, and it was proposed to 

 send a commission to the Secretary of Agri- 

 culture with the hope of getting assistance 

 froin the State. 



TOBACCO SEEDS 



The Cuban Consul at Tampa, Florida, 

 is reported of being as the opinion that the 

 importation of Cuban tobacco seeds should be 

 absolutely prohibited because of the tempta- 

 tion for unscrupulous manufacturers to sell 

 as Cuban tobacco tobacco that has been 

 cultivated elsewhere but of Cuban tobacco 

 seed. 



GRAPEFRUIT 



There has been some agitation among horti- 

 culturists in the United States to change the 

 name of grapefruit with the idea of having it 

 called in the future the "pomelo." It is 

 clahned that the word grapefruit is a mis- 

 nomer. It is understood that the United 

 States Department of Agriculture has sought 

 to encourage the change. 



PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED 



" El Pasador del Tabaco " by Celesfino 

 Bencomo. This monograph was published 

 at Port-au-Prince, Haiti, July 31, 1915, and 

 is dedicated to President Menocal of Cuba. 

 It treats of the insect that attacks tobacco 

 leaves and is known in Cuba as El Pasador. 

 It has various other local appelations. The 

 treatise is a study of the habits of this insect, 

 and gives what is claimed to be a sure method 

 of its extirpation. 



