THE CUBA R E \' I E W 



AGRICULTURAL NOTES 



BURN YOUR OWN LIME 



Even if ground limestone is available at 

 prices ranging from $1 to $1.75 (per ton) 

 it would probably be more economical in 

 manj^ cases for farmers to burn their own 

 lime, if good limestone is on or near the 

 farm. Many farmers in Virginia are now 

 burning their own lime, and producing it at 

 a cost of 7 to 9 cents a bushel. Cheap 

 coal or wood as well as good limestone are 

 essential to the success of home burning. 

 The rock should "quarry out" easily; that 

 is, it should come out in strata or layers. 

 It should analyze at least 90 per cent of 

 carbonate of lime. 



CORK FOR INSULATION 



It is urged that corkboard be used for 

 insulating private residences in the tropics, 

 in order to keep out the heat, the same as 

 the weather boarding so extensively used 

 in Germany, America and elsewhere to keep 

 out the cold. 



The corkboards should be nailed to the 

 studding, and the surface of the cork cov- 

 ered over with cement. The boards can be 

 moulded to any shape, so that all nooks, 

 angles and corners will be rounded off ; 

 the walls, ceiHng and floorings will thus be 

 of one and the same material, viz., com- 

 pressed granulated cork covered over with 

 an unbroken surface of cement. The ad- 

 vantages in the way of coolness would be 

 immense, whilst the danger from fire would 

 be reduced. 



Even in a building of galvanized iron a 

 lining of compressed cork would prevent 

 the extremes of heat and cold, peculiar to 

 structures of this kind. — Tropical Life 

 (London). 



EVENNESS OF DISTRIBUTION DESIRED 



The following refers to California fruit, 

 but the advice given is just as applicable 

 to conditions in Cuba : 



There can be no doubt that evenness of 

 distribution by which all lesser markets 

 would be provided with their due share, 

 would result in vastly increased consump- 

 tion. Our fruit would then be within reach 

 and means of many more consumers than 

 at present. The great bulk of our 

 oranges must be consumed by the common 

 people. Their capacity for consumption is 

 immense. We should see that capacity is 

 kept at its maximum proportions by plac- 

 ing our product in their hands at a reason- 

 able price. 



At present, even in the height of the 

 season, it is often impossible in the interior 

 towns to get oranges or grapefruit in any 

 quantitj^ 



DRYING COPRA 



"A much lower price is paid for copra 

 that is discolored or smells of smoke, as it 

 cannot then be used for making butter 

 without considerable expense. 



"The kernel of the freshly opened nut is 

 wet with cocoanut-milk, which is a fruitful 

 cause of mould and of darker coloration. 

 The first stage of drying, therefore, re- 

 quires a fairly high temperature, say from 

 60 to 70 degrees C. (130 to 158 degrees F.) 

 or higher. When the outer moisture has 

 disappeared and the flesh is a little dried 

 the temperature may be lowered to 50 de- 

 grees C. (122 degrees F.), but not below, 

 ■ and this temperature must be maintained 

 till the copra is at least half dry. To re- 

 move the last moisture, the temperature 

 must be once more raised, and the copra 

 cooled in an airy room. Copra drying 

 should be undertaken immediately after the 

 opening of the nuts and should be finished 

 in 24 hours. 



"For such treatment sun heat is unsatis- 

 factory, and artificial heat is recommended. 

 This also, we may remark, leads to much 

 more uniformity in the sample, a ver}^ de- 

 sirable result. 



To insure an output of the best copra 

 only of good, rehable, even quality, "cut- 

 ting nuts from the trees with a long pole 

 is not recommended, as many unripe ones 

 are sure to be gathered. 



"Experiments in New Guinea show that 

 -1:,43S nuts gave a ton of copra. Freshly cut 

 kernels gave 62.7 per cent of dry copra. 



"Dry cocoa-nut shells form the best 

 fuel." — Notes from the Tropenflanser, Ber- 

 lin. 



ARTIFICIAL WOODS FOR SAWDUST 



The manufacture of artificial woods from 

 sawdust for moldings and finishing and 

 building materials has become rather ex- 

 tensive in Germany and France. For this 

 purpose blood and solutions of glue, starch, 

 flour and aluminic sulphate are the common 

 agglutinants. These artificial woods take 

 on a high polish and look atractive. 



Another artificial wood, known as xylo- 

 lith, is understood to be composed of saw- 

 dust and chloride of magnesium. It is said 

 to possess the qualities of both wood and 

 slate, and, as such, suitable for wainscot- 

 ing, carved work, stairs, floors and sills. 



Consul Talbot J Albert, of Brunswick, 

 reports that sawdust and wood chips are 

 extensively used in that city for smoking 

 meats and sausage, as the steam from these 

 is considered superior for this purpose to 

 that of coal. — United States Consular Re- 

 port. 



