20 



T H E CUBA 11 E V I E \\- 



fibre. Two principal iypos of the manga 

 race are distinn;uisho(l aiul those arc called, 

 from the color of the flcsli of the fruit, the 

 VHiiKja amarialla (yellow) and the manga 

 hlauca (white). There are also other races 

 and t>-pcs of mangos, the Filipino, with very 

 little fibre and of excellent flavor: the 

 China and wiango mamey of Cienfu^os and 

 the Biscoshneio of Santiago de Cuba; the 

 three last are very limited in distribution, but 

 very su])erior in ciuality. The most inii)()rtant 

 work in mango improvement yet done in 

 Cuba consists in the selection and pr()})aga- 

 tion of some of these superior t_\-j)es. The 

 mango seed reproduces the type perfectly. 



In order to improve the avocado {Pcrsea 

 gratissima), budded stocks of selected varieties 

 have been imported to Cuba from Florida. 

 In Cuba, a few selections have been made, 

 but the work is only just beginning. The 

 most imiiortant point in the selection of 

 varieties is lateness of ripening; and through- 

 out the island are found occasional seedling 

 trees which hold their fruit all the -winter. 



For the improvement of the andn {Anona 

 squamosa) the writers advise crossing Anona 

 Chmmoila with A. squamosa and A. muricala. 



In Cuba, citrous fruits were formerly 

 grown almost exclusively from seed. The 

 Government E.\]:)eriment Station at Santiago 

 de las \'egas began the work of searching out 

 and pro])agating desirable seedlings which are 

 found growing half wild in neglected gardens 

 and hedgerows. 



Many of the most important tropical 

 vegetables grown in Cuba (Dioscorea Batatas, 

 D. saliva, D. acnleata, Colocasia, and Manihol 

 ulilissima) are propagated asexually; the 

 opportunity for selection is not lacking, how- 

 ever, since bud variation is much more com- 

 mon in the tro])ics than in temperate regions. 

 Dr. Juan T. Roig has collected over SO varie- 

 ties of sweet potatoes from different parts of 

 the island, and is now determining the com- 

 parative value of each. 



During the early years of the Agricultural 

 Staticn at Santiago de las Vegas, a great 

 number of varieties cf maize from all parts 

 of the United States and Mexico were tested, 

 but none prc/Ved to be well adapted to Cuban 

 conditions. The common variety cultivated 

 in the island was originally cf a j'ellow flint 

 t^iae; the ears are imusually heavilj' protected 

 with husks that completely close at the tip, 

 and the hiLsks, leaves and stalks are tomen- 

 tose; this seems to protect the young leaves 



from the attacks of numerous small insects 

 which are always seen working about them. 

 The heavy husks i)rotect the ears from the 

 attacks of the corn weevil until the next 

 planting season. The absence of glabrous 

 varieties is apparently due to the work of 

 small insects. Some of the dent maize im- 

 ported into Cuba has occjisionally been 

 planted and has fertilized plants of the native 

 variety, giving rise to acclimatised hybrids. 

 At the Santiago Experiment Station, they 

 have begun to select the best of these, in the 

 hope of fixing a type with long ears endowed 

 in heavy husks. 



PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED 



Sxdphitation in While Sugar Manufacture, by Francis Mathews, 

 published by Norman Rodger, London, England, price $2.00 

 post free. 



The pu!)lisher states that Dr. Ma.xwell's 

 manuscript was comjilcted in 1914 and was 

 being revised with a view to publication in 

 September, 1914, when the war broke out. 

 Dr. MaxAvell at that time was in Germany, 

 where he is still interned as a civilian prisoner 

 of war. 



This book first treats of sulphur, its origin, 

 preparation and projicrties, and then it goes 

 into a full description of the various processes 

 used in ol)taining sulphiirous acid, which is 

 the medium used in the manufacture of 

 plantation white sugar. The action of sul- 

 phurous acid on juices is e.xhaustively treated, 

 and the book gives a full descriptive explana- 

 tion of the sulphitation process in practice, 

 with special reference to the countries which 

 make a specialty of plantation white sugar. 

 These countries are Java, Mauritius and iNatal. 



This publication is especially interesting 

 at this time, Avhen the process of plantation 

 white sugar manufacture is being seriously 

 considered by Cuba and Hawaii, who have 

 never hitherto attempted its manufacture. 



Link-Bell Silent Chain Transmitting Power, Bulletin 



No. 282. 

 Handling Coal and Ashes in the Power House of 



William H. Grundy Co., Book No. 288. 

 Handling Coal in the Victor Power Plant, Book No. 296. 



These publications are issued by the Link- 

 Belt Company and describe fully the varioas 

 processes involved, with excellent illastra^ 

 tions. Copies of these bocklets maj' be 

 obtained on application to the Link-Eelt 

 Company, Philadelphia, Chicago, Indiana- 

 polis. 



