Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-02

OF Camaguey cannot be bought for less
than s12 per acre. Fairly good grazing
lands within that radius can be had for
s. per acre. and poorer land suited for cat
tie low 81 per acre. The best cittie
land is made by clearing the virgin land or
the heavy timber and seeding II TO guinea
grass. 1t is estimated that an acre and "a
quarter OF guinea grass will keep one ani-
NAL the year round.
In one such pasture of $50 acres on my
ranch Las Sophia fed loo cattle tor
three months during the worst of the dry
season. This was more than the pasture
could support right along, and We would
not think of keeping that many head to the
acre the year round.
American Cattle in Cuba.
How about importing cattle from tho
United States into Cuba? Does II pay?'
"Of course It pays or we would not be in
the business. An average Texas cow three
years old or older sells in Its local
markets at from twenty nine to thirty-two
dollars That cow If placed on guinea
grass and used for breeding purposes VIII
in one year give n yearling calf which can
be sold for nineteen or twenty dollars a
Texas steer, three years Old or over. whetf
first landed. costs from thirty to thirty
three dollars. and when fattened on guinea.
grass for ten months 1t Will yield from
forty-threc to forty-nine dollars. TINS IS
in the local markets for beef. Beef cattle
on the hoof bring five or six cents
pound; and ! have sold good-srade cows,
Short horns and Herefords. not thorough
breds for as high fifty-ffve dollars
apiece Cuba does not begin to supply Its
own demand for cattle, and II probabiy
will not do for the next six or seven
years.
Indeed I know of nothing in Cuba thac
offers better opportunities just now than
stock raising. This is the ideal country foS
cattle raising for one who has capitai OK
from $500 to 100000 The stock reauirs
no grain and they can be reared more
cheaply than in any stock country In tho
United States Nearly all sorts OF cattle
do well. and think 1t is safe to say that
50 per cent OF the cows will drop cair
each year. With good care and attention,
after acclimatization, 5 per cent Should
cover oil the losses. including that OF tho
calves.
Cattle Diseases in Cuba.
How about cattle Diseases
Cuba has no special cattle diseases, res
! piled Captain Rice, although We have such
Ticks are by far the worse; but they can
be gotten off by washing the animals with
a mixture OF kerosene. water and salt, or
with other preparations used for the pur-
pose The screw worms are caused 10y flies
blowing scratches or cuts on the anlmals,
and they are cured by the use of crude
chloroform with an application OF pine tar.
Neither ticks nor screw worms bother fat
cattle or those in good condition. They are
chiefly confined to the poor among the new
ly imported cattle. Such cattle must he
treated for them they will get the Texas
fever and de-"
Colonel Donovan, Unknown stock
man of ST. Joseph, Mo, in speaking TO ma
of the cattle possibilities of Cuba. said:
1T seems to that the market for
Cuban stock VIII be limited to the popula-
ton. Cattle brought from the states and
other countries now bringing high
prices, but they were very cheap before the
war and at one time beeves sold for 81 g.
hea ',,ha raa1 iS
will not stand curing and shipping like
granted meat. The grasses here grow
twelve feet high and they produce fine beer.
hut II does not seem to me that the meat
is sound enough for general shipping
Hog Raising Without Grain.
find many Americans are looking to-
ward hog raising as a coming industry Of
Cuba The country Is annually i'm
porting about a million and half dollars,
worth of pork and bacon and more than
three million dollars worth of lard. All
the big packing firms of the United States
have branch houses in Cuba; and the Ar
mours and Swifts have smokehouses here
where they cure their own hams. One sees
American hams for sale In nearly every
provision store and our lard Is used every
where.
The average wholesale price OF live hogs
has for years been from to cents a
pound and 1t is not likely to fall. Hogs do
well all over the island. and that without
grain. They feed on grass. the nuts OF the
oil palms and vegetables. They have reg
uiar trails from palm tree to palm tree, and
go from ore to another picking the nuts as
they fall. II is estimated that 1t should not
cost more than from 81 to 81 each to pro-
duce hogs of from two hundred pounds
weight and upward, which hogs sell readily
at from SIS to S25 per head.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.