THE CUBA REVIEW. 



29 



Fertilizer Values. 



Few farmers know what the various 

 fertilizer formulas mean, not being aware 

 that the three figures for a complete 

 fertilizer (e. g., 4-8-10) always refer in 

 the same order to nitrogen, available 

 phosphoric acid and potash, respectively; 

 and that these figures (percentages) 

 multiplied by 20 will give the number of 

 pounds of each kind of plant food con- 

 tained in a ton of the mixture. Thus, in 

 a 4-8-10 fertilizer there are 4 X 20 or 80 

 pounds of nitrogen, 8 X 20 or 160 pounds 

 of phosphoric acid, and 10 X 20 or 200 

 pounds of potash. 



The worth of a fertlizer to the farmer 

 depends on the greatest yield that can 

 be obtained at a reasonable cost as a 

 result of its use. Thus, supposing a 

 farmer buys at $55 a ton (a fair price) 

 a quantity of nitrate of soda and applies 

 it to a soil and crop which greatly need 

 potash, he not only loses money on the 

 nitrate of soda, but also on the crop, 

 which may be almost a complete failure, 

 and, furthermore, his soil may be in- 

 jured. In short, a fertilizer is valueless 

 to the farmer unless properly used. Be- 

 sides these considerations, calculations 

 must always be made for transportation 

 charges, cost of application and, in some 

 cases, for cost of mixing. — Country Gentle- 

 man. 



News From Bayate. 



Palmarito de Cauto, Oriente, Cuba. 

 To the Editor of the CUBA REVIEW: 



Dear Sir: As it is quite a lime since 

 your readers had any information from 

 the thrifty settlement at Bayate and 

 Palmarito, it might be of interest to say 

 that the Bayate colony has had a healthy 

 growth and has now included also the 

 next station to the south, Palmarito. 

 During the last nine months over a thou- 

 sand acres of the virgin forests have 

 been changed into cornfields, and a sugar 

 mill is under construction a little north 

 of Palmarito. 



The Bayate colonists are practising 

 diversified farming, growing corn, coffee, 

 cacao, cassava and sweet potatoes. 

 Mules, cattle, chickens and pigs are 

 raised. People accustomed to city life 

 do not thrive well in the country and 

 with the bad roads and many weeds in- 

 separable from rich soil in any country, 

 many lose heart when they find that 

 after the hard work of clearing away 

 the heavy timber that of fighting the 

 weeds begins. 



The Bayate colony has a unique sys- 

 tem of road making by a special tax of 

 twenty-five cents per acre incorporated 

 in the contracts and deeds of the colon- 



ists, and this is probably the only road 

 tax paid in Cuba and is sufficient to 

 make good roads in time. For the last 

 two months there has been very much 

 rain, and in fact too much for a good 

 many purposes, uut cane is thriving well. 



The Cuban government is generously 

 supplying us with an English and one 

 Spanish school teacher in Bayate and 

 a Spanish in Palmarito. 



At present about 200 Cubans are liv- 

 ing there. There is an American post- 

 master at Bayate and another one is 

 appointed at Palmarito by the petition 

 of the Cubans there. A RESIDENT. 



Peanut Oil and By-Prodacts. 



Peanut meal, made from finely ground 

 blanched peanuts, is used in confections, 

 such as almond macaroons and small 

 cakes, to which it imparts the desired 

 almond flavor. Peanut oil is used in the 

 same manner as olive oil; also for mix' 

 ing with cotton-seed oil in order to im- 

 prove the quality of the seed oil for salad 

 purposes. 



Peanut oil is lower in value than first- 

 class olive oil, but higher than cotton- 

 seed oil. 



By-products of the peanut are used 

 in the manufacture of feeds for farm 

 stock and dairy cows, and the plant is 

 being largely utilized as forage and as 

 a soil renovator. In large cleaning fac- 

 tories the shells are generally used for 

 fuel, and the ash resulting therefrom 

 is valuable as a fertilizer. The th'in 

 brown covering of the peas or nuts has 

 a feeding value almost equal to that of 

 wheat bran, and is especially desirable 

 for mixing with the smaller particles of 

 broken peas for stock feeding. — Popular 

 Mechanics Magazine. 



Cocoanut and Pineapple Prices. 



In the week ending Dec. 4 cocoanut 

 stocks were larger, with market not so 

 active and prices favoring the buyer, says 

 the Fru'itman's Gm'de. 



Freer arrivals of Cuban pineapples caused 

 a lower level of prices, some 42s sold as 

 low as 75c. per crate. In the best stock 

 $1.00 was received. 36s sold at $1.25, 30s 

 from $1.25 to $1.50, 24s at $1.35 to $1.75; 

 the last for the occasional lots of the best 

 stock. The demand was strongest for well 

 colored fruit, green stock not being wanted. 

 Arrivals from Cuba thus far have been 

 double those of last season for the same 

 period, but a large portion should never 

 have been forced on the market. The 

 Florida shipper has been sending better fruit 

 and in consequence getting better prices. 



