The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-02-21
CUBA
As Seen by John Rhodes, the
Rough Rider Interest
iUg Facts.

John d. Rhodes, the Hennessey boy
who went to Cuba with Roosevelt's
Rough Riders and remained there in a
government capacity, continues his
interesting series OF letters concern
ing that country, which are published
in the Waukomis Hornet. His latest
letter reads:
THE last weeks mail brought me
several letters In gegard to things
here Some asking questions Rave
already answered, and a few new ones
They are as follows:
Does it rain during the winter
months2
"Yes, but not the heavy fooding
rains OF summer 1t is during the
winter that ali vegetables grow best.
During the last month / have seen
hundreds OF acres ia onions, potatoes
and garden truck. Everything is
lourishing and the new potatoes and
onions are being harvested. The po-
tatoes bring 81 per bushel and from
their looks must yield several hundred
bushels per acre. The onions are
worth cents q pound and they will
yield about 500 bushels per acre. They
are harvested tops and all, the tops
being used TO plat them into long
strings which are hung up in the shade
and dried. There Is an American
truck gardener here who Is raising
vegetables for the New York market.
He lately shipped thirty barrels of
egg plant and bas turnips now ready
Tor shipment. Two other Americans
IN Mantanzss are buying up all the
potatoes possible to ship TO Boston.
They bring fancy prices there now
and will till May.
4" Can cattle live there in the winter
without feed?
THAT question nearly staggers me
after all had written about the grass
Cattle aud other stock not only live
but are rolling fat. The grass is green
and healthy. This morning / saw a
piece of land that had been mown and
the grass burned not over a month
ago. 1t is now nearly knee high with
tender, nutritious grass. IL is this
way the year round.
sis there any wild feed for hogs?
81 hardly understand what is meant
by this question unless IL means feed
that is not cultivated. The pelnss
here all bear a small nut that is used
exclusively by the natives for hog
feed. These nuts fall when ripe and
seem to bear constantly as there are
always about four bunches in different
degrees of maturity from bloom to
ripe seed. Sweet potatoes grow after
planting for years without replanting
and are good feed. Yucco is also
grown but as IL does not grow from
tue root IL is necessary to replant for
each crop. II is almost pure starch
and very nutritious. The natives eat
IL and also manufacture starch for
their laundry from IL. / am informed
that It is raised extensively in Florida
where there are mills for the manu-
facture OF starch.
"'Do bananas, oranges and lemons
do well?'
"Oranges are fine, sweet, plump
fruit and as Due as l ever saw any
where, and every Florldan is enthusi-
astic In their praise, saying they
beat the best ever grown in Florida.
They claim shat ten acres of or
anRes, after the fourth year will
bring in enough income TO support
| large family In idleness and luxury
They are no more care than any other
tree, and here about the only thing
necessary 70 do is 20 set out tree and
nature does the balance. AS for bA-
nanas, they are very small. and have
serious doubts as TO their sale in a
northern market. The Cubans never
eat anything sour and so there are nc
/ lemons cultivated. They grow wild,
/ however, TO perfection"
/ What is tae depth 10 water?'
That is a hard question to answer,
as it varies from ten TO 100 feet, and
] have been told OF some still deeper
/ than that. Again, have seen wells
on top OF high hills not over 25 feet
deep, and water In the valley could not
near be reached at a depth OF 60 feet
Many springs abound In parts of the
country and in others there Is no sign
of water for miles. The depth TO water
has no effect on vegetation, as IL does
not depend on the water In the soil for
It's growth. but upon the rainfall.
have seen grass higher than my heed
and great trees OF from so to 90 feet on
/, high rocky ridges.
"The grinding season Is now on and
THE whole population is at work cut
ting cane; It is hauled 20 the mills on
great carts, the wheels of which are
bver seven feet high and the axlei
seven feet wide. They are pulled by
-four yoke Of cattle, harnessed, as il
4 the custom hero. The carts are driver
TO the side Of long carrier resembling
somewhat the steam carrier OF Z
/