THE CUBA REVIEW 



27 



CUBAN COMMERCIAL MATTERS 



COTTONSEED OIL 



The following information has been secured 

 from local importers regarding the market 

 for cottonseed oil in the Cienfuegos district : 



Olive oil is preferred to cottonseed oil even 

 at a slight increase of cost. It can hardly be 

 claimed there is a prejudice against the latter, 

 rather a preference for the former, and while 

 it may be fostered by its long and accustomed 

 use, there seems to be a settled belief in its 

 superiority. However, it is an understood 

 fact among the trade that when the price of 

 cottonseed oil is well below that of olive oil 

 the two are mixed and sold as olive. At 

 present prices are about equal, notwith- 

 standing the preferential duty in favor of the 

 United States, and the writer is informed 

 there is little importation of the cottonseed 

 oil for that reason. 



Imports for the calendar year 1915 were: 

 Cottonseed oil, 2,150 cases; olive oil, 8,133 

 cases. — Consul R. M. Bartleman, Cieyijuegos. 



NEW STEAMSHIP SERVICE 



Announcement has been made that the 

 Alaska Steamship Company is to inaugurate 

 a steamship service between Seattle and 

 Philadelphia, the itinerary of which will 

 include calls at Santiago and Havana, 

 Cuba. The first sailing will be the SS. 

 Alaska from Seattle November 15th, and 

 subsequent sailings monthly. 



GROWING USE OF FARM TRACTORS IN CUBA 



There is a growing demand in Cuba for 

 light and heavy farm tractors, and it is be- 

 lieved that many will be sold here this year. 

 Some of the large sugar estates already have 

 tractors in operation. These are heavy 

 machines as a rule, of the higher horsepower, 

 and are used for plowing and preparing the 

 land for the planting of cane and other crops. 

 Only the highest grade machines are suitable 

 for work in Cuba. Gasoline has been used 

 principally as a fuel, although prior to the ad- 



vance in the price of alcohol this was used 

 also to some extent. 



It is believed that the greatest opportunity f or 

 the sale of tractors in Cuba will be with the 

 large sugar estates, although a few of the low- 

 powered machines are in use on the general 

 farms, and it is likely that there will be a de- 

 mand for more as the advantages of tractors 

 are more generally demonstrated. Prices 

 of mules and oxen are at present very high in 

 this country, and the prospects seem to indi- 

 cate a continued advance in the cost of these 

 animals. There is also a growing apprecia- 

 tion among the agriculturists of the necessity 

 for deeper and better plowing of the lands, 

 for all crops. 



Praciical Demonstrations Likely to Have 

 Results. 



It would be well to arrange for practical 

 demonstrations of American tractors in Cuba. 

 Manufacturers might consult the director of 

 the agricultural experiment station at San- 

 tiago de las Vegas in regard to such plans. 

 Mr. H. A. Van Hermann, an American em- 

 ployed by the Department of Agriculture of 

 Cuba as an expert demonstrator, would be in 

 a position to give advice. He may be ad- 

 dressed care of the department, in Habana. 



Tractors for use in agricultural operations 

 are classified imder No. 216 of the Cuban im- 

 port tariff, and with the 20 per cent, reduc- 

 tion allowed to the product of the United 

 States under the reciprocity agreement, are 

 dutiable at the rate of 8 per cent, ad valorem. 

 A certificate must be presented, signed by the- 

 alcalde of the mimicipality where the tractor 

 is used, showing that the machine is employed 

 exclusively in the preparation of the ground 

 or gathering crops, or cleaning and improving 

 them M'ithout essentially changing their na- 

 ture. — Consul H. M. Wolcott, Hahana. 



The Avery Co., Peoria, 111., have issued an 

 attractive illustrated booklet entitled "Tractor 

 Farming" which should be a valuable addition 

 to every plantation owner's library. 



TRACTOR POWER vs. ANIMAL POWER 



The following views show the best solution of the farm and plantation power question in 

 Cuba and elsewhere. This Avery tractor is used extensively in the United States and only 

 recently several were shipped to Cuba for plantation work, and it is claimed to give the owner 



