THE CUBA REV IE W 



25 



THE VALUE OF THE ALGARROBA 



A MOST USEFUL TREE — THE PODS ARE AN IMPORTANT GRAIN FEED — 



TWO CROPS ANNUALLY 



The algarroba tree flourishes in the West 

 Indies. It thrives best in dry localities 

 and is somewhat sensitive to salt air. 

 Nevertheless at Lanai, Hawaiian Islands, 

 there are fine trees within a few hundred 

 feet of the sea-shore. While it also thrives 

 best at low altitudes, it is everywhere ex- 

 tending to higher levels, in some localities 

 as high as 2,000 feet. 



There are few trees so distinctly useful 

 for many purposes. Its flowers furnish 

 an important source of pure honey, as 

 there are two crops of blossoms annually. 



As a forage crop the algarroba is of far 

 greater financial value. The pods, of which 

 there are two crops annually, are recognized 

 as one of the most important grain feeds 

 and are relished by all kinds of live stock, 

 including chickens. 



It has been estimated that approximately 

 500,000 bags of the beans are annually 

 picked up and stored, particularly for 

 feeding horses and cattle. 



As a feeding material there seems to be 

 only one objection to them, and that is, 

 a slight flavor is given to milk when the 

 beans are fed in excess to the dairy cows. 

 This objection, however, could be overcome 

 by feeding the beans after milking, rather 



than before milking. The whole pods of 

 the algarroba show the following percent- 

 age composition : Water 15.26, protein 8.S9, 

 fat .58, nitrogen free extract 47.27, crude 

 fibre 24.75, ash 3.25. The seeds alone, how- 

 ever, have the following percentage compo- 

 sition : Water 14.38, protein 33.62, fat 3.94, 

 nitrogen free extract 36.78, crude fibre 6.84, 

 ash 4.44. 



There is a hard case surrounding each 

 seed, making it necessary to crush them in 

 order to make them digestible. The or- 

 dinary grinding mills will not do, owing to 

 the large amount of sugar in the pods clog- 

 ging the machiner}', and yet cracking the 

 seeds is necessary, tests at the agricultural 

 station at Hawaii showing that seeds thus 

 cracked were completely digested by horses, 

 cattle and mules. 



When it is considered that women and 

 children in Hawaii pick up the beans and 

 sell them for from $7.50 to $10 a ton, it 

 is apparent that this feed has a much higher 

 feeding value than its actual market price, 

 particularly when compared with the high 

 price which must be paid for imported 

 feeds. The dairymen and ranchmen recog- 

 nize the importance of feeding large quan- 

 tities of the beans picked up for storage. 



Un grande crbol dc la algarroba. Sns ramas ciibren itna extension de 150 pies, es un drbol 



sxtmamente valioso y crece rdpidamente. La corteza contiene tanino y su jugo gomoso es a 



proposito para hacer barnis. Las ramas peqtieiias proporcionan miiy btien carbon vegetal. 



A large algarroba in Cuba. It spreads ISO^eet and produces immense crops of pods. Note 

 that there is no interference with vegetation underneath. 



