IHE HISIN or Pll SWIM ID IIS M 



INTRODUCTION 



One of the most important steps for the protection of the 

 agricultural interests of this Island was taken by the President 

 of Cuba when- he signed the decree, July 3, 1916, creating the 

 Commission of Plant Sanitation. 



For many years Cuba, like many other countries, has suffer- 

 ed tremendoais losses in some of the crops owing to diseases and 

 insects, and new pests have carelessly been introduced, while 

 still more are active in adjacent countries and are liable to be 

 introduced if the greatest care is not taken to prevent them. 



iFor thirty or forty years the Budrot of the Cocomit has 

 swept over the Island until the growing of coconuts on a large 

 scale is confineid almost entirely to a small section of the Island 

 about Baracoa in the Province of Oriente, and the total exporta- 

 tion of the nuts has >been reduced from over 20,000,000 to 

 4,000,000. For at least ten years the banana disease has spread 

 through Havana and other provinces wipinig out the plantations 

 of the manzano and of the Johnson varieties. Unless precautions 

 are taken this disease will reach the important banana district 

 of Oriente and there cause the same damage. Recently there has 

 been discovered existing in the Island the Mosca Prieta which 

 appears to have been here only a few years. The greatest amount 

 of this insect is found in Giuantanamo and as the Island of Ja- 

 maica is the nearest place having the pest it is supposed to have 

 been introduced from there. 'The Mosca Prieta is reported to 

 kill trees in the Bahama Islands and in the district of Guan- 

 tanamo has already seriously injured many by causing the 



