THE CUBA REVIEW And Bulletin. 



JIdricultural and American Colony notes 



THE CARAVONICA COTTON TREE. 



In the July issue The CUBA REVIEW printed a paragraph regarding 

 the growth of this tree in Cuba. An interesting letter from Mr. W. H. 

 Bemis, of Baracoa, referred to in the reports of the U. S. Department of 

 Commerce and Labor, has since been received by the REVIEW, and is 

 herewith given. Also some further comment from the U. S. Department 

 of Agriculture on the same subject. 



dressed to the Department of Agriculture, 

 with reference to Caravonica cotton tree, 

 was duly received and has been referred 

 to this office. 



We have referred the matter to the 

 cotton expert of the Department, and we 

 quote from 'his letter in reply as follows : 



This Department has conducted some experi- 

 ments \yith Caravonica cotton, but thus far with- 

 out any isatisfactory results. Seeds planted in 

 Texas failed to produce any fruits during the 

 first season. The Caravonica cotton, like most of 

 the perennial cottons, dees not fruit within ten 

 months, and can not be grown successfully in 

 regions where the temperature falls to the freezing 

 point. It would therefore be impossible to grow 

 this cotton anywhere in the United States except, 

 possibly, in very restricted localities in southern 

 California and southern Florida. Many of the 

 numerous newspaper accounts of this cotton are 

 very plainly written from the standpoint of the 

 advertiser or promoter. From our present actual 

 knowledge of this cotton I would not recommend 

 experiments on a larger scale. 



Trusting that this information will be 

 satisfactory, I remain, 



Very truly yours, 



David Fairchild^ 

 Agricultural Explorer in Charge of Foreign 

 Explorations. 



A DESCRIPTION OF THE TREE BY AN ENGLISH 

 COTTON EXPERT. 



The Caravonica cotton plant, planted in 

 hot countries, yields much more than the 

 varieties planted in Mexico, the United 

 States, etc. After a careful study of this 

 tree, Mr. John Bottombay, a cotton expert 

 of the Association of British Cotton 

 Brokers, 'has decided that "Caravonica cot- 

 ton is the first cotton of the world." 



There are two kinds of Caravonica for 

 tropical regions — Caravonica No. i wool, 

 and Caravonica No. 2 silk. 



They have the following advantages over 

 all other varieties : 



The plants are thrifty. The greater part 

 of the first planting of Caravonica gives a 

 crop during twelve years, and may continue 

 up to twenty years. 



The plants are arborescent, from three 

 to six metres high, with comparatively few 

 leaves. They are planted at a distance of 

 two and a half metres from one another, 

 and corn or other vegetable products can 

 be planted between the rows. 



The two varieties of Caravonica produce 

 the bolls, that is to say, the cotton, in 

 six months, and, like oranges, lemons, etc., 

 flowers, green frtiit and ripe Afruit are 

 found on the same tree. 



The yield of the Caravonica tree No', i 

 is surprising. A tree of 12 months and of 

 a height of 3 metres, yields five kilos_^ of 

 cotton in the boll. The second crop gives 

 from seven to eight kilos, or from three 

 to four kilos of ginned cotton. 



The Caravonica No. 2, at the end of two 

 years, yields from 12 to 15 pounds, or 50% 

 cotton and 50% cottonseed. 



To plant one hectare of land* with No. i 

 or No. 2, one kilo of seed is required. 



One hectare contains 800 trees, that in 

 the first two and a half years have pro- 

 duced 3,000 kilos of cotton and 3,000 of 

 seed. — -"El Hacendado Mexicano," Mexico 

 City, August I, 1907. 



RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS BY THE U. S. DE- 

 PARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 

 Bureau of Plant Industry. 

 Washington, D. C, July 19, I907- 

 Editor Cuba Review and Bulletin : 

 New York. 

 Dear Sir: — Your letter of July 2, ad- 



* A hectare is 2.471 acres. 



THE TREE GROWS THRIFTILY IN CUBA. 



A further letter from the same Depart- 

 ment : 



Washington, D. C, 



July 26, 1907. 

 Editor The Cuba Review and Bulletin, 

 New York. 

 Dear Sir: — Your letter of the 23d to 

 Mr. Fairchild, regarding the Caravonica 

 cotton tree in Cuba, has been referred to 

 me for reply, and I beg to state that we 

 have been informed by our cotton expert 

 that the plant grows very thriftily and 

 satisfactorily in Cuba. 



R. A. Young, 

 Scientific Assistant. 



ACTUAL RESULTS IN CUBA. 



Experiments at Baracoa and the results 

 obtained by an American colonist : 

 Baracoa, Cuba, 

 July 4, 1907- 

 Editor The Cuba Review and Bulletin, 

 New York. 

 Dear Sir: — Your favor of June 21 to 

 ihand regarding Caravonica cotton. _ My 

 knowledge is limited, but such as it is you 

 are welcome to it. In June, 1906, I re- 

 ceived a few seeds from the Jamaica Agri- 

 cultural Society, but having disposed of 



