i6 



THE CUBA REVIEW. 



AGRICULTURAL. 



Various Notes. 



The following extracts from the reports of 

 the United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture, Bureau of Plant Industry, will be found 

 interesting reading by fruit-growers in 

 Cuba. 



Cocoanut Bud-Rot. 

 Investigations in the West Indies have 

 revealed the identity of fhe cocoanut bud- 

 rot in Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad and British 

 Guiana. 



Inoculations were made with organisms 

 derived from the rotting tissues, and it is 

 planned to carry out in the near future 

 some experiments looking toward the pre- 

 vention of the disease, which now threatens 

 the entire destruction of the cocoanut in- 

 dustry in eastern Cuba. 



Value of Wind-Breaks. 

 One fact that has been demonstrated in 

 the culture of citrus fruits is the importance 

 of wind-breaks, and during the past year 

 there have been trials of different plants for 

 this object. The presence of wind-breaks 

 has made quite a difiference in the condition 

 of some plantations and they are now con- 

 sidered indispensable. The plants that have 

 been tried for wind-breaks are gandules 

 (pigeon peas), sugar cane, and bananas. 

 For permanent wind-breaks the station rec- 

 ommends the planting of leguminous trees, 

 or where trees of economic value are want- 

 ed the planting of mangoes is advised. 

 Pineapples for Market. 

 Among pineapples the Cabezona and the 

 Red Spanish are the only ones that the sta- 

 tion feels warranted in recommending for 

 commercial plantings. The Red Spanish 

 variety seems best adapted to sandy soils, 

 while the Cabezona thrives on heavier lands. 

 Red Sorrel or Roselle. 

 This plant belongs to the same order as 

 the cotton plant, and is grown in India for 

 its fibre, which is used in the manufacture 

 of cordage and coarser textile products. In 

 the West Indies and in many parts of Cuba 

 the plant is cultivated for the sake of the 

 fleshy, red calyces, which are made into 

 jam-, and from which the well-known "sor- 

 rel drink" is manufactured. The roselle is 

 very similar in composition and taste to the 

 cranberry. 



Grape-Fruit in London. 

 A consignment of Jamaica grape-fruit was 

 recently sent to London. Seventeen shillings 

 and six pence was the price s6s brought at 

 auction, and this, it is understood, is a 

 record price. 



Grafting the Cherimoyer. 

 Success has been obtained in grafting and 

 budding the cherimoyer (anona cherimolia) 



upon the pond apple (anona glabra), a stock 

 suited to low, moist localities, and also upon 

 the custard apple (anona reticulata). The 

 latter possesses a very vigorous root sys- 

 tem, and is suited for growth on uplands. 



Ripening Bananas in India. 



In a ditch of one cubic meter, the sides 

 of which have been covered with dry ba-- 

 nana or ocker leaves, the bunches of bananas 

 are carefully piled up, and the ditch cov- 

 ered. 



The natives then take an earthen jar in 

 which is placed a handful of straw; light- 

 ing the straw, the jar is 'ilaced mouth down 

 in an opening in the covering, and the smoke 

 driven into the ditch by blowing through a 

 small hole in the upper part of the jar un- 

 til all the straw has finished burning ; after 

 which the jar is taken away and the orifice 

 in the cover hermetically sealed. 



The bananas are then taken out of the 

 ditch and hung in the open air, which 

 makes them turn yellow in three or four 

 'days. This process succeeds even with the 

 smallest fruit. 



It is employed to my knowledge in an 

 educational institution, where the consump- 

 tion is 12,000 bananas per month. 



The Indians also hasten the ripening of 

 the bunches on the plant by piercing the 

 stalk from one side to the other, so as to 

 let the sap run out. — Paul des Grottes in 

 the Journal d'Agriculture Tropicale, Paris. 



The Mango. 



"The mango is destined to become one of 

 the important tropical fruits of the Ameri- 

 can markets. That it can be shipped in 

 cold storage has already been demonstrated 

 and the West Indies will probably supply 

 the Eastern markets in the near future." — 

 J. E. Higgins, Horticulturist, Hawaii Agri- 

 cultural Experimental Station. 



Potentialities of Native Plants. 



Great numbers of the plants native _ to 

 Cuba have important uses. Some yield 

 fruits and nuts of decided edibility, others 

 yield medicines, fibres, gums, etc. _ All of 

 these will be susceptible of vast improve- 

 ment under cultivation, and will unques- 

 tionably prove of great value. 



Investigations in connection with the na- 

 tive legumes has furnished some most in- 

 teresting facts. It seems likely that native 

 legumes can be found which will prove of 

 even greater value for the renovation of 

 soils and the supply of nitroeen than are 

 cow peas and velvet beans, and besides will 

 possess the additional advantage of being 

 thoroughly acclimated. Some of these may 

 also prove to be important forage plants. 



