GROWTH OF THE CATTLE INDUSTRY OF CUBA.

By IGNACIO Diaz Lopez,

Chief of the Department of Claims in the Customs Division of the Treasury Department of Cuba.

The law regulating the importation of cattle into Cuba admits free of duty cows for breeding purposes and their calves; also bulls of the following breeds: Jersey, Guernsey, Devon, Durham, and Hereford. These concessions were made to benefit our country and improve the cattle in our pastures.

The same law provides for the low duty of $2 (American money) per head on all thin cattle brought from certain countries into the Island to be fattened on its rich pastures, provided they do not exceed the following weights: Cattle from Florida exceeding 500 pounds must pay a duty of $5 per head, those from Honduras exceeding 600 pounds must pay $6 per head, those from Mexico exceeding 700 pounds must pay $7 per head, and those from Venezuela and Colombia and other countries not mentioned exceeding 800 pounds must pay $8 each per head.

The law prohibits the killing of thin cattle until fully three months shall have elapsed after their importation. At the time of their importation each animal must be branded with the date thereof in the following manner: 9-1-03-signifying the month, day, and year; whereupon they must also be registered and their pasture destination made known to the authorities. Before any cattle bearing this form of brand can be killed a permit from the proper authorities must be obtained and proof submitted that the stock has been in pasture the time specified by law. Failure to do this results in heavy fines upon detection.

It can not be denied that the long war resulted in the practical disappearance of the cattle in Cuba; the extensive and rich pastures of Santa Clara, Puerto Principe, and Santiago Provinces were deserted. The good effects of this law, however, early became apparent, for on December 31, 1901, according to the statistics of the treasury department, the following number of cattle existed in the respective Provinces:

312

The same statistics show that on December 31, 1902, there existed, as registered in the official live-stock registers of the Island, 555,563 males and 444,299 females, or a total of 999,862 animals, which shows an increase of 316,509 head over the previous year. The total registrations in the Island during the year 1902 were 1,358,749 and the total withdrawals for the purpose of butchering or of driving into other districts were 1,048,240. This shows a discrepancy of 6,000 head, which small percentage is due to loss from sickness during the year. The general consumption, by Provinces, for the years 1900, 1901, and 1902 was as follows:

Number and total weight of animals slaughtered for consumption in Cuba, 1900, 1901, and

The total number of head of cattle killed throughout the Island for the three past years were 171,071 in 1900, 174,887 in 1901, and 176,962 in 1902, with the following weights for the respective years: 60,788,329, 65,311,639, and 68,845,352 pounds.

The importation of cattle during the above-mentioned years was as follows: 1900, 288,324; 1901, 368,793; and 1902, 267,281 head. The importation of cattle from various countries for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1903, was as follows:

Number and value of cattle imported into Cuba, fiscal year 1902-3.

Upon arrival in Cuban ports an inspection charge of 10 cents is made for each head. In Habana there is also a dockage charge of 12 cents per head.

The statistics above show that the cattle imported into Cuba from Costa Rica commanded the highest price, which was an average of $46.61 per head. Those from Santo Domingo come next in order at the price of $34.42 per head. The other countries which ship cattle to Cuba are the English West Indies with an average value of $34.21; Nicaragua, $28.78; Colombia, $23.41; Honduras, $20.09; Porto Rico, $20.05; Venezuela, $19.14; Mexico, $19.09, and the United States, $16.03.

With a population of 1,572,797, there were 176,962 head of cattle butchered in Cuba in 1902, averaging a fraction over 389 pounds (dressed), each, or a total of 68,845,352 pounds of beef for the year. The consumption of beef, therefore, was 43.07 pounds per capita for the year; the consumption of pork was 6.82 pounds per capita, while the consumption of mutton was but nine-tenths of a pound per 100 inhabitants.

The consumption of beef per 100 inhabitants, according to provinces, during the past year was as follows:

From these figures it is plain that the concentrated population in the cities largely governs the consumption of meat, the country people living mostly on vegetables.

By the above figures it will be plainly seen that the importations are on the decrease. The present conditions in Cuba have been completely changed by the building of the Cuba railroad, which now facilitates

the movement of the products of the richest zone of the Island; and the question now is, Will the central and eastern provinces continue to devote their energies to stock raising entirely, or to the cultivation of the fertile estates? Stock raising, before this railway ran through and united the interior of these provinces with the ports and other portions of the Island, was about the only pursuit the inhabitants living in those districts could engage in. Then all of the cattle were driven over the roads to the immense pastures. To-day this is not so, for with transportation facilities more economical methods of marketing cattle can be employed; new industries can also be profitably followed, sugar centrals can be established, fruit, cotton, and various other products planted, and a large percentage of the lands now used for pastures made to produce profitable crops.

Without doubt there will always be a large portion of Cuba's lands devoted to stock raising, and with the continuance of this industry, assisted by agriculture, the national resources will be enriched on all sides.

Notwithstanding that the population will steadily increase, it is probable that within a few years the production of cattle in Cuba will be sufficient for the home demand, if the protection of the industry is maintained as it should be.

In addition to the above it may be said that the law also prohibits the killing of cows, except when it is known and proven that they can not reproduce. This measure is one highly protective to the industry.

A PLAN FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF AMERICAN BREEDING STOCK.

By GEORGE M. ROMMEL, B. S. A.,

Expert in Animal Husbandry, Bureau of Animal Industry.

The most striking features of agricultural progress at the present time are the intense study which agriculturists, botanists, and horticulturists are devoting to the subject of systematic and practical plant breeding and the very remarkable results which have been reached. New varieties of wheat have been evolved whose productiveness promises to add materially to the country's output of cereals; new varieties of cotton have been perfected; corn has been improved so that it will yield not only a larger amount of grain per acre but produce a higher percentage of protein than was contained in the original varieties, and the statement is now being made that it will probably be but a short time until the nitrogen-gathering bacteria will thrive on the roots of this plant. These achievements have increased directly the production of agricultural wealth.

The methods by which this great work has been inaugurated do not differ widely from those used by animal breeders, for the principles of heredity are undoubtedly the same whether applied to plants or to animals. Selection and pure breeding were potent methods in bringing about the results mentioned above. Both are at the basis of success in animal breeding and have been applied for generations. Both are fairly well understood by stockmen. The third agent, whose use has given tremendous impetus to plant breeding-crossing between varieties and hybridizing between species-is rarely resorted to in animal breeding except for the production of market animals; it is therefore a new field for exploration.

The situation at this time is that the breeders of plants have passed the breeders of animals in this line of work and to-day possess a better insight into the principles underlying their science. This difference can perhaps be ascribed to two causes: The first is that the breeding of animals has been so long a business of recognized standing that its principles are supposed to be established to a certain extent. It will come somewhat as a surprise to say that animal breeding, as a field for scientific investigation having useful purposes in view, is practically unexplored. On the other hand, the prospective investigator of animal breeding, filled with zeal for the study of his subject, has