THE CUBA REVIEW 



27 



AGRICULTURAL MATTERS 



HOLLAND AGAINST CUBAN HONEY 



C)\viurs of ajiiaries in Santiago and else- 

 where on the ishmd are disturbed because 

 Holland, the country fourth in importance 

 in the consumption of Cuban honey, has 

 determined to triple the duty on this 

 island's produce on the assumption that the 

 bee here makes its honey from the sugar 

 cane rather than from various flowers. 



Those interested in the bee industry in 

 Cuba declare the reasons given by Holland 

 are absurd and show ignorance of the real 

 facts because the honey bee extracts the 

 honey from all flowers the same as is done 

 all over the world. 



The flower of the sugar cane is not so 

 productive of sweet as to attract the bee 

 in preference to the many other flowers 

 always growing in Cuba. 



The Chamber of Commerce of Santiago 

 de Cuba has appealed to the government 

 to induce Holland to forego its intention 

 of raising the duty from 2.50 florins to 

 eight florins. 



Several of the largest apiaries on the 

 island are owned and operated by Ameri- 



cans. United States Consul R. E. Holo- 

 day 'says in an official report regarding the 

 progress of agriculture in Oriente Prov- 

 ince. 



The production of honey is one of the 

 most important of the special industries 

 for the man of small capital. The business 

 is conflned to certain of the hill districts 

 and to sparsely cultivated river valley, as 

 the blossoms of the wild or uncultivated 

 plants are mainly depended upon to furnish 

 the supply. Apiaries are found, however, 

 on most coft'ee and cacao estates, as a 

 good, though dark, cjuality of honey is de- 

 rived from the blossom of these trees. An 

 apiary is therefore a valuable subsidiary 

 asset to the coffee and cacao grower. 



However, apiculture is far behind that 

 in the United States, due probably to the 

 few persons engaged in the business ex- 

 clusively and to the reluctance of the na- 

 tives to adopt more modern appliances for 

 hiving and handling the bees and manipu- 

 lating the crop. 



Xo statistics are published by the State 

 as to the annual production and value of 

 honev. It is estimated, however, that the 



The native Cuban beehive is usually a cedar I'.ig, 



hollowed out and r.)>lit through the centre so that 



one part can be laid over the other 



