File:The Cuba review (1907-1931.) (20803596615).jpg

Title: The Cuba review
Identifier: cubarevie10muns (find matches)
Year: 1907-1931. (1900s)
Authors: Munson Steamship Line
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Publisher: New York : Munson Steamship Line
Contributing Library: New York Botanical Garden, LuEsther T. Mertz Library
Digitizing Sponsor: The LuEsther T Mertz Library, the New York Botanical Garden

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THE CUBA REVIEW 17 bold-eyed fighting cocks were tethered close to my bed. I also awoke once in the night when a heavy shower drove a score or more of the big black hogs to cover tmder the house, where they squealed, grunted and crowded one another for half an hour before settling down to sleep. "The morning broke clear, cool and delightful, and after coffee we went out to view the plantation. The valley broadened out and consisted of a fertile alluvial plain some ten feet above the river. Here were thousands of cocoanut trees in full bearing. There was also coffee, many acres of cocoa and a forest of huge bananas. "It was, however, rubber that we were in search of and we found it. The trees, Castilloas. were very large and thrifty. The leaf suggested the Guatemaloisis and I was pleased when Don Angel remarked that a near relative of his had married the president of Guatemala and brought the seed from that country. The latex was thick and rich and flowed even in the middle of the day. There were only 20 or 30 of the big trees, but on the ground be- '^ neath were hundreds of young seedlings. In fact, here was the nucleus of an exceedingly valuable Castilloa plantation. We coagulated some of the latex with al- cohol and got a clean, strong and mature rubber. It was here that I added a rather unusual bit of rubber in- formation to my store. Don Angel in tapping one of the trees got some of the latex in one of his eyes and was suffering intensely. I sug- gested warm water and we went back to the house .for it. The lady of the house, however, knew a better remedy, namely, human milk. This she applied dexterously and promptly from her own ample store and the pain was at once allayed. "The tale of an indigenous rubber tree that could be found up the mountain side took us up one of the steep trails as far as the horses could go; then we climbed. We found the tree, the "Lechugo." but the latex was of no value commercially and except for the exercise and the fine appetites developed b)' it the excursion bore nn fruit. The travelers explorei all the rivers in the neighbor hood, fed on tropical fruit.~ and grew more fascinatei with the country. Their dinners each evening at the plantation house 'were abun- dant and picturesque.' The freshest of eggs, fish from the rapidh' flowing rivers, fresh pork and chicken. "The dogs of the planta- tion are really to be re- spected. Left to guard a house, no one may enter. They will fearlessly attack the huge wild boars that are found Largest Castilloa in Cuba, 58 years oirl.
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