28 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL 



CAUTO COTTON FROM CUBA 



According to the Bulletin of Miscellaneous 

 Information, No. 5, of 1914, published by the 

 Royal Botonic Gardens, Kew, a fine series of 

 specimens of Cauto cotton had been re- 

 ceived from Jamaica. It is derived from 

 a tree which is found wild in the Cauto dis- 

 trict of Cuba. Mr. W. Harris, Superinten- 

 dent of the Public Gardens and Plantations, 

 Jamaica, who forwarded the specimens, says 

 that the plant is a perennial, and according 

 to present information, is likely to prove of 

 considerable agricultural value for cultivation 

 in dry districts of the Tropics. The two 

 acres planted at the garden contain plants 

 which are only six months from seed, but are 

 now bushes up to 10 feet high. In Jamaica 

 the areas which are at present under trail 

 with this plant in various parts of the arid 

 southern districts, afford evidence that in 

 spite of the drought that has been experienced, 

 these cotton bushes are likely to produce at 

 least 1,200 pounds of seed cotton per acre, 

 and as this cotton has been sold at prices 

 varying from 18c. to 20c. per pound m the 

 American markets, it will be seen that the 

 Cauto cotton is a plant of much promise 

 for lands that axe now producing nothmg 

 but shrub. 



The specimens sent (to Kew) agree m 

 most of their technical characters with Gos- 

 sypium brasiUense, Macf., from which they 

 differ, however, in the seeds being free 

 from one another. In view of the state- 

 ment that Cauto cotton is wild or semi- 

 wild in southeastern Cuba, it may possibly 

 represent the wild stock of G. brasihense; 

 and having regard to its close agreement 

 with that species, apart from the free seeds, 

 it has been provisionally named Gossypium 

 brasiliense, var. aporpernum Sprague (var. 

 nov.), as it seems desirable to have a definite 

 name for such an important economic plant. 

 At the same time the possibihty of its being 

 a hybrid of G. brasiliense with some other 

 species cannot be entirely excluded. 



The study of its behavior under cultiva- 

 tion may, perhaps, throw some light on this 

 point. — Trade Index, New Orleans, La. 



AUSTRALIAN AND SPANISH ORANGES 



Reports from New South Wales are to 

 the effect that leading experts beheve that 

 Australian oranges, placed in the eastern 

 States of America, could be placed on the 

 New York and Boston markets just in the 

 height of their summer season, when there 

 is a scarcity of American-produced citrus 

 fruits. 



The area devoted to citrus fruit in this 

 section is very large. 



The oranges most favored by settlers seem 

 to be Washington navels and late Valencias. 

 Considerable quantities of other varieties, 



particularly Mediterranean Sweet and Joppa,. 

 also are being planted. 



The Spanish Government has been peti- 

 tioned to finance a commission to go at once 

 to the United States to studj^ general con- 

 ditions and prospects for placing there 

 important quantities of this year's oranges, 

 shipments of which were to begin about 

 November 1. 



Three practical orange growers recently 

 visited New York and Boston to investigate 

 conditions. 



MORE CARE IN SHIPPING 



Kansas City correspondence of the Isle 

 of Pines' Appeal, regarding fruit shipments, 

 sounds a warning regarding the marketing 

 of fruits. It says: 



"We cannot impress upon shippers too 

 strongly that the marketing of their fruit 

 is just as important as the raising of it, and 

 that a httle more care in the way shipments 

 are handled often times means better results. 

 Many times we can sell straight car lots of 

 grapefruit to the north and west of us if 

 we know the sizes, brands, etc., that the 

 cars contain, but without this information 

 we, of course, cannot make sales, as the 

 buyers will not consider purchasing unless 

 they know the exact sizes they are going ta 

 get, regardless of how nice the fruit might 

 be. Each shipper should have an individual 

 brand and st -ive to put up such a pack as 

 will make a fa. are reputation for his brand. 



"Shippers should advise commission houses 

 also in advance of the quality, quantity and 

 sizes of grapefruit shipments, from what 

 port shipped and what raih-oad routed over." 



SULPHUR FOR POTATO SCAB 



On account of the possibihty of infection 

 with powdery scab, the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agi'iculture is now recommending aU 

 potato gi'owers to treat their seed potatoes 

 with sulphur and formaldehyde. 



The scientists recommend a thorough dust- 

 ing with flowers of sulphur after the potatoes 

 have been cut, as a precaution against the 

 disease, but the treatment is by no means 

 intended to take the place of formaldehyde 

 as a general disinfectant which is applied as 

 f oUows : 



" Before cutting, the potatoes should be 

 soaked for two hours in a solution of one pint 

 of formaldehyde to thirty gallons of water. 

 They should then be allowed to dry quickly 

 either in the open or while spread out on a 

 clean floor. This is known to be effective 

 against common scab and black leg, and 

 should therefore be employed in all cases. 

 Whether it is equally effective against pow- 

 dery scab is doubtful, and for this reason the 

 use of sulphur is strongly advised in addition." 



