THE CUBA REVIEW. 



19 



orchard of rust mites for the season, but 

 if heavy rains occur the spraying will need 

 to be repeated, and a constant watch should 

 be kept for signs of the mites upon the 

 leaves or for discoloration of the fruit. 



Foot Rot. — This is a disease affecting 

 citrus trees at the junction of the trunk 

 and roots. It usually occurs in wet, heavy 

 lands. Cultivation and drainage help to 

 remedy it and the use of sour orange or 

 trifoliate stock will largely prevent its ap- 

 pearance. 



Twig Gummosis or Die-Back Gummosis. 

 — Wihere the soil is in a bad condition, dry 

 and lacking in humus, the twigs and young 

 branches of citrus trees will often die 

 back. This is not the Florida die-back, 

 but is a physiological disease and may be 

 remedied by correcting the condition of the 

 soil. The restoration of humus and the 

 use of potash and phosphoric acid fertil- 

 izers are recommended. 



Scab.- — Warts on lemons and other cit- 

 rus fruits are due to a fungous diease 

 known as scab and may be prevented by 

 spraying with Bordeaux mixture or ammoni- 

 acal copper carbonate while the fruit is 

 small. 



Blight. — This is little known in Cuba, but 

 a few cases have been observed which were 

 probably identical with the Florida blight 

 which has been so destructive. A part or 

 the whole of a tree dies back suddenly 

 without shedding its leaves. The cause of 

 the trouble is not understood, but where it 

 occurs the recommendations made in Flor- 

 ida should be followed, i. e., THE TREE 

 SHOULD BE DUG UP AND BURNED. 

 A bulletin which is soon to be issued in 

 English and Spanish by the Estacion Cen- 

 tral Agronomica will treat, of all these 

 citrus troubles in detail, giving descriptions 

 of the insects and fungi causing them as 

 well as carefully prepared directions and 

 formulas for their treatment. This bul- 

 letin, like all the publications of the Esta- 

 cion, will be sent free to any resident of 

 Cuba who applies for it. As far as the 

 supply permits, the publications of the sta- 

 tion will also be furnished to people out- 

 side of Cuba who are interested in the 

 problems treated. 



Costs and Profits of Growing Bananas. 



The cost of cultivating a caballeria of land 

 (33 1/3 acres), as given by the Cuban Agri- 

 cultural Department, for five years is $4,894. 

 The land shouM produce 37-000 bunches of 

 bananas, worth on an average 31 cents per 

 bunch, delivered at the steamer, which 

 would make the gross sales amount to $11,- 

 470.^Report of U. S. Consular Agent 

 George Bayliss, Antilla, Cuba. 



Porto Rican's Crop. 



The estamited crops will reach for the 

 season of 1908-09, 156,700 boxes of citrus 

 fruit and 169,985 crates of pineapples, and 

 for 1909-10, 278,550 boxes of citrus fruit 

 and 469,225 crates of pineapples. These 

 figures refer to cultivated lands only. 



CACAO-POSTURAS SEEDLINGS IN WOODEN POTS 

 FOR TRANSPLANTING. 

 Showing an excellent method of planting out seeds 

 of fruit and forest trees. When ready to set out 

 the boxes and all are placed in the" earth; the 

 rootlets are not disturbed. The -nood soon rots and 

 growth of plant is continuous. 



Exporting Avocados, 



The Hawaii Agricultural Experiment 

 Station Bulletin No. 14 gives valuable ad- 

 vice regarding picking, packing and ship- 

 ping aguacates or alligator pears. 



Packing directions insist upon gathering 

 the fruit by hand, the cutting of the stem 

 withshears and close inspection for bruises. 

 Picking, if possible, should be done not 

 earlier than the evening before the day of 

 the steamer's sailing. Careful grading is 

 important, as it helps to secure the best 

 prices. Goo'd fruit neatly packed even of 

 second grade usually finds a ready market. 



The pears should not be packed in boxes 

 of too large a size, and those holding one 

 dozen are recommended. Each fruit should 

 be wrapped in paper, just large enough for 

 a_ single cover. 160 pears thus wrapped ar- 

 rived at Portland, Oregon, from Hawaii, 

 with a loss of only 2.9 per cent. Fruit more 

 elaborately packed and protected arrived in 

 no better condition. Ventilation is secured 

 by suitable openings in the sides of the 

 boxes and cover. A uniform temperature 

 during transit, not below 40°, is advised, 

 although the most suitable temperature is 

 not yet definitely decided. Prolonged stor- 

 age _ in the refrigerator compartment result- 

 ed in the blackening of the inside of the 

 pear. The shipments described were on a 

 vessel seven days, this being followed by 

 a two days' railway journey in hot weather. 

 Under these circumstances, the results were 

 encouraging. 



