May, 1912.] 



395 



Fibres. 



but it should be planted before the 

 Kapok trees are 3 or 4 years old.* 



The trees begin to bear in the third or 

 fourth year. The crop is never very 

 large until the sixth year. A large tree 

 brings 1,000 to 1,500 fiuits to maturity per 

 annum, each of which contains about 7 

 to l - 2 grams of dry fibre. The tree 

 flowers in April or May, and the fruits 

 mature and begin to open at the end of 

 October or in November- The fruits are 

 gathered by means of long bamboo poles 

 bearing small hooks at the upper ends. 

 They are then left exposed to the sun, 

 and when they are fully open the seeds 

 are removed from the fibre by beating 

 with sticks, or by means of a simple 

 machine. 



The number of bales (of about 80 lb. 

 each) exported from Java in recent years 

 is as follows: 1907, 92,874; 1908, 109,852; 

 1909, 87,685. 



A German firm has recently discovered 

 a method by means of which Kapok can 

 be spun either alone or in mixture with 

 cotton. 



THE CULTIVATION OF COTTON 

 IN CUBA. 



By H. C. Hknricksen, Havana. 



(From Tropical Life, Vol. VIII., No. 1, 

 January, 1912.) 

 We have had a great many inquiiies 

 in regard to cotton-growing in Cuba 

 during the last four years, and we have 

 answered them to the best of our know- 

 ledge. The information to be obtained 

 on the subject is scattered and not very 

 satisfactory, but we have sifted it down 

 to a few tacts, from which certain deduc- 

 tions can be drawn- Cotton has been 

 grown here from time to time, and a few 

 years ago a considerable acreage was 

 planted- All the different attempts, we 

 understand, were practical failures, and 



* As pepper is a climbing plant, supports are 

 used for it, and generally quick growing trees, 

 provided with a soft bark, such as Kapok, 

 Erythrina indica, several species of Albizzia, etc. 

 Heinrich Sembler, Die Tropische Agrikultur II. 

 Band, p. 298. Wismar, 1900. 



the reason seems to have been a lack of 

 knowledge. At this time, when the re- 

 collection is more or less vague, the 

 failures are mainly attributed to Boll- 

 weevil, but there seems to have been a 

 number of other things indicating a 

 general unpreparedness of the parties 

 who made the trials. The Boll-weevil is 

 undoubtedly the greatest obstacle to 

 successful cotton culture in Cuba, but it 

 can be overcome as well as all other 

 obstacles. It may require co-operative 

 effort, and it may even require some 

 Government regulations, but that cotton 

 can be made a fairly profitable crop has 

 been well proved by yields from small 

 plants during the last couple of years. 



Varieties. 

 It is not probable that short staple 

 cotton can be made a paying crop in 

 Cuba, and only the locg staple or Sea 

 Island should be planted. There are 

 several varieties of that on the market 

 in Florida, and it is impossible to say 

 which one will be most suitable for Cuba 

 until they have all been thoroughly 

 tried. Good seed may also be obtained 

 from Barbados, but regardless of where 

 it comes from, it ought to be thoroughly 

 soaked in corrosive sublimate before 

 planting. This can be done by mixing 

 1 oz. of corrosive sublimate in about six 

 to seven gallons of water. Then soak 

 the cotton seed in that for at least 

 twenty minutes, after rinse off in clear 

 water and plant at once or spread out 

 to dry if the seed is to be stored. The 

 corrosive sublimate is poison, and the 

 water should be kept away from animals. 



After a few crops of cotton have been 

 grown on the Island it may be possible 

 to obtain varieties better adapted than 

 those that can be brought from abroad 

 at the present time. Cotton varies very 

 much in the field, and any grower can 

 improve his crop by selecting seed from 

 the plants that are most vigorous and 

 produce the longest fibre. This is very 

 important, because it sells according to 

 the length and strength of fibre. 



A good variety on fair soil and pro« 

 perly fertilized may be expected to 

 produce 800 to 1,000 lb. of seed cotton per 



