THE CUBA REVIEW. 



23 



AGRICULTURAL NOTES. 



Cattle Business Growing. 



Cuban cattlemen are importing fine cat- 

 tle from Jamaica for breeding" purposes. 

 With the scientific methods in which the 

 Cuban cattle business is now conducted, in- 

 dications are that the Republic will soon be 

 in a position to supply all the needs of the 

 home market. 



In the lasi few years the. cattle ranches 

 in Cuba have grown until they are approach- 

 ing the point where they can export cattle, 

 perhaps not to the American market which 

 is already well supplied by its own cattle, 

 but to those of Central and South America. 



Cattle breeders and owners of pasture 

 lands were greatly pleased with the Govern- 

 or's decree increasing the duty on imported 

 beef 2Y\ cents per kilo. 



Governor Magoon only consented to the 

 increase after many consultations wi'.h the 

 political parties and representative men of 

 tne island. All favored the increase which 

 will greatly benefit the cattle industry. 



The following is the important part of the 

 decree : 



"Paragraph 184 — Bovine cattle of any size 

 and from wherever imported, excepting such 

 as are imported for breeding purposes re- 

 ferre to under the corresponding paragraph 

 in the free list of the tariff, G. W., 100 kilos, 

 $2.25. 



"The following provisions in reference to 

 cattle exempt from duty and which formerly 

 appeared as part of paragraph 184, consti- 

 tute a new paragraph added to the free list 

 of the tariff as follows : 



"Paragraph 346 — Bovine cattle under six 

 years of age, imported for breeding pur- 

 poses belongingto the breeds of shorthorn, 

 Durham, Beresford, Aberdeen, Angus, Red- 

 Poiled, Galloway, Devon, Brown Swiss. 

 Holstein, Friesian, Jersey, Guernsey, Ayr- 

 shire, Zebu, Mysore, Brahmin and cattle un- 

 der said age imported for breeding pur- 

 poses from Porto Rico or Argentine Re- 

 public, provided that the importer shall 

 dulj^ prove their origin." 



Castor Oil Plant. 



"Castor oil," says the Barbados Agri- 

 cultural News, "has of late found such 

 numerous applications in the arts and 

 industries, apart from its use in medi- 

 cine and as an illuminating and lubricat- 

 ing agent, th^t the demand for this pro- 

 duct is certain to increase." 



The castor oil plant is hardy, and 

 thrives well in most situations. It pre- 

 fers dry soils, and ploughing is neces- 

 sary, as the plant makes an enormous 

 root growth in a short space of time. 



The seed is sown in rows which are 

 5 or 6 feet apart, the seeds being placed 

 about this same distance apart in the 

 rows. To restrain wood production the 

 main stem of the plant should be 



pinched back so as to increase the bear- 

 ing surface. 



Harvest season arrives about six 

 months after the seeds have been sown. 

 The spikes bearing the capsules are 

 spread in a shed until the capsules have 

 all burst and shed the enclosed beans. 



The yield obtained varies between 20 

 and 30 bushels of seed (900 to 1,350 lbs.) 

 per acre, although it is stated that in 

 Texas and Florida a return of as much as 

 58 bushels per acre is frequently given. 

 As to the amount of oil obtainable, seed 

 often shows an analysis of 50 to 60 per 

 cent., but the mill yield more frequently 

 ranges only from ZZ to 40 per cent, of 

 the weight of the seed. The American 

 standard is 4j^ gallons of oil from 112 

 lbs. of seed. 



For medicinal purposes it would com- 

 mand a much higher price. 



Nest of comajen, or white ants, built on the 

 stub of a broken off limb, twenty feet from the 

 ground. These nests are constructed of earthy 

 and vegetable matter, carried up the tree trunk 

 by the ants. 



What Irrigation Does. 



U. S. Senator Culberson said recently 

 "Great things have already been accom- 

 plished by irrigation, for when lands that 

 have heretofore been almost useless can be 

 brought to a productive capacity of from 

 $100 to $500 an acre each year, one must im- 

 mediately discover the great advance in the 

 value of the land, which in turn contributes 

 not only to the immediate land owner, but 

 to the entire population. 



