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T?IE CUBA RE\'IE\V And Bulletin. 



recommended from the British West Indies, and is also being tried in India and Ceylon. 



At this writing (August, 1907), it is still too early to give the results of his 

 work, but he is already much encouraged as to the possibility of saving the trees 

 which arc still in the early stages of the rot, and of demonstrating that the disease 

 can be kept under control' though it will probably be impossible to completely ex- 

 terminate it. , ,f J 1 1 I V 



In March. 1907. Mr. Home found the grt)ves in Baracoa half destroyed, although 

 the trouble had not yet extended into plantings a few miles toward the interior. 

 After studying the conditions, arrangements were made for experimenting in two 

 cocales near the town aqueduct in Baracoa. 



Nearly half the trees in these two groves were either sick or dead from the 

 disease. Both groves were cleared by felling and burning all hopelessly aflfected trees, 

 while all other trees showing signs of the disease were disinfected by burning out 

 the dry sheathing materials at the top of the tree. If the youngest tender leaves 

 were beginning to decay the trees were pronounced hopeless and felled, but if these 

 leaves were still healthy the tree was merely disinfected. In all the trees felled in 

 the two groves the mistake of felling a tree with a healthy bud was not once made. 



Mr. Home left E^aracoa on March 28, and did not return until the middle of 

 June. In the intervening months new cases had developed. Some of the treated 

 trees had died, but others showed signs of recovery. It must be remembered, how- 

 ever, that no matter how encouraging the outcome of these experiments may be, the 

 cocoanut industry will remain in imminent danger until the government establishes 

 some general and thorough system of sanitation. 



To understand the full importance of this eflfort to save the cocoanut industry of 

 Cuba, one must realize that while the demand for cocoanuts and cocoanut oil is con- 

 stantly increasing the area for the commercial production of cocoanuts is confined 

 to a rather narrow strip of land bordering the tropical seacoasts. The control of the 

 bud rot will greatly increase the industry, for not nearly all the suitable land has 

 yet been planted and the production and handling of the nuts is still carried on 

 in the crudest way. There are still no roads and the cocoanuts are carried to Baracoa 

 from the surrounding country on horseback or by the waterways. In bad weather 

 it is often impossible to bring in the nuts at all, but the building of a certain amount 

 of road has now been undertaken by the government and will lead to the planting of 

 many tracts now virtually inaccessible. 



The nut production of the region may also be greatly increased by better cultural 

 methods and more attention to seed selection and the planting of choice varieties. At 

 present in Baracoa a tree is considered to have given an average yield if it produces 

 fifty nuts per year. In India, two hundred nuts a year per tree is not exceptional, 

 and in the Philippines the instructions are that nuts shall not be saved for seed from 

 any tree yielding less than one hundred and fifty nuts per annum. 



If the bud rot could be controlled, cocoanut growing might be counted as one of 

 the most promising minor industries of Cuba. At the best, however, it will be a 

 very difficult and expensive task, and it yet remains to be seen whether or not the 

 government will feel justified in undertaking the task.* 



Landing pier under eonstrtiction in the bay of Cojlmar. The bridge will be made entirely of steel 

 and concrete, extending over 50 meters In length. As soon as the pier is constructed a line of steamers 

 connecting the town of Cojlmar with Havana will be ina\igurated. The pier is being constructed by 

 private parties interested in the development of Cojlmar. 



* A report on the final outcime of Mr. Home's experiments will be made In a later number of 

 THE CUBA REVIEW and Bulletin. 



