28 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



AGRICULTURAL NOTES 



(Continued) 



The writer has one of these plants, 

 trained to stakes, which is over eight feet 

 high. It has been bearing quite heavily 

 since last October and is in good healthy 

 condition at the present time. — The Cu- 

 ban American (La Gloria). 



causes combined. Handle the eggs as 

 little as possible both before and after 

 placing them in the incubator. See that 

 the incubator sits level, and place each 

 leg in a can of water or the ants will 

 kill the chicks before they leave the shell. 



ALFALFA AS HUMAN FOOD 



Alfalfa derives its name from the 

 Arabic al-fagfagah, meaning "best kind of 

 fodder." It belongs to the tribe of 

 leguminosae, which are especially rich in 

 tissue-forming elements. 



Mr. !Mark C. Rich, of western South 

 Dakota, insists that alfalfa has a nutritive 

 value in the human dietary. In carrying 

 out experiments to determine this fact he 

 selected the specimens, says the New York 

 Times, in bloom and before the blooming 

 season, for steeping to a tea, of which 

 he imbibed two cups ^t each meal. The 

 alfalfa tea acted like a tonic. After 

 seventeen days, Mr. Rich, who is 5 feet 

 5 inches in height, had gained 10% pounds 

 of flesh, and he added 5 pounds more 

 within the next ten days, bringing his 

 weight to 132% pounds. His nineteen- 

 pound infant daughter gained 10 ^i- pounds 

 within twenty-one days after the addition 

 of this "tea" to her diet. He testifies 

 that the tender shoots when cooked are 

 delicious, and that mixed with 50 per cent 

 of wheat flour, or half-and-half with any 

 granulated food, it makes an excellent 

 breakfast food and bread of even quality. 



INCUBATORS IN THE PHILIPPINES 



If one is going to handle poultry on a 

 ver}' small scale, it is possible to get along 

 without an incubator, but it is almost im- 

 possible if large numbers are to be 

 hatched or a plant of any size established. 

 The machinery has not yet been made that 

 will hatch as large a percentage of eggs as 

 the hen, provided she attends to her busi- 

 ness and does not die while setting, two 

 conditions that have to be reckoned with. 

 The incubator chicks are free from vermin 

 when young, something that is practically 

 impossible with hen-hatched chicks. Ow- 

 ing to the very slight changes of tempera- 

 ture in the Philippines and the humidity 

 always present, artificial incubation is very 

 easy. Any standard machine is sure to 

 give satisfaction, and I doubt if there is 

 an incubator made that would not work- 

 successfully under conditions here. No 

 cellar or specially built house is neces- 

 sary. Use the best oil, follow closely 

 the directions that come with the in- 

 cubator and do not spoil the hatch with 

 overattention. Poor oil and too much at- 

 tention spoil more eggs than all other 



REMEDIES FOR MOSQUITO BITES 



The most satisfactory remed}' known to 

 the writer, from his personal experience, 

 has been moist soap. Wet the end of a 

 piece of ordinary toilet ^^oap and rub it 

 gently on the puncture, and the irritation 

 will soon pass away. Others have en- 

 thusiastically recommended household am- 

 monia, or alcohol, or glycerin. One cor- 

 respondent marks the puncture with a 

 lump of indigo ; another with one of the 

 naphthaline moth balls : another, iodin. 

 Rev. R. W. Anderson, of Wando, S. C, 

 states that he has found that by holding 

 his hand to a hot lamp chimney the irii- 

 tation of mosquito punctures will be re- 

 lieved instantly. — Farmers' Bulletin No. 

 444, United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture. 



Along the lumber wharves in Havana. Patient 

 oxen waiting for a load. 



The United States Department of Agri- 

 culture, in the course of its recent investi- 

 gations of this fruit, has decided that the 

 name aguacate is too difficult and has 

 kindly coined the name avocado, by which 

 it is destined to be known hereafter. — 

 California Fruit Groiver. 



