New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-21

ikObNIAlNNc'
Ineed hardly say that fruits are always IN season,
for they ripen all the year round. Cultivation, how
rver is so loose and the popular ignorance of every
thing like farming is profound, that it is impos
Ebe to ascertain how much of anything is raised
the average yield per There are plantations of
bananas aud cocoanuts but the plants are not gem
orally set ont systematically theyare stuck into the
ground anywhere. The fruits most abundant
are the orange lemon, lime, cocoanut, cacao
banana pine, alhgator-pear, cuava, and TAM
arind. Pine-apples are immensely large and
rich. Some measure 10 inches in diameter
and one OF the naval officers recently presented
with pine weighing q pounds. All these fruits are
found in practically unlimited quantities the pro-
duction being checked only 10y the difficulty of trans
por,ation Apples peaches, blackberrieS, strawber-
Iies. and watermclons flourish on the mountains.
Indian corn crows maQuifccnty. Three crops are
raised on the same land every year; two OF these
crops are each larger than an average crop IN the
States, besides being Of The best quality. Mountain
rice is abundant Potatoes vans, plantains, cab
bages, beets, turnps cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes
cggplants. peas, beans, and i know not now
many other culinary vegetables are produced
in perfection On the subject OF sQuashes our coun-
tryman Mr. Burr. is enthusiastic. The Hanto
DOMINGO souashes are the best squashes IN the
world Last March Mr.. Burr sent 1900 pounds OF
This noble vegetable 10 the New-lork market ana
got - cents pound for his cargo. and tho Iapor OF
cultivation was almost nothing. They say there Is
ALWAYS market ior squash in the United STATES
Still intending immigrants VIII do wei 10 remember
that oven squash can be over done.
The reports Of the value and variety of timber on
the island are probably not exaggerated. Inc KINDS
most used FOR commercial purposes are mahogany,
lockwood TcnumyitP, iron-wood, and saun-wcod
md these gre said 10y the botansts Of the expedition
ne VOL MS INTELLIGENT inhabitants with whom have
talked t. Lc Of great abundance and large growth
Nj Burr. who was q Union soldier and has lived
here three years. says that the mahogany tree IN
ths part of the island is from 1 foot to feet IN
diauc+.r. liqnumvitp, 4 to inches; s3tin-wood,
to151n,lcs locwood, G to IS inches; iron-wood, y
10 90 inches 50 far rs ! hayo learned, there
are no saw-uiIls-though tho vaterTower
is abundaut-an1 sawn timber is conse-
orc--l- imported Indeed no use az al is made
of any Of the mill streams The climate and soil
seem 70 be admirably suited to the suear-cane' bat
ihe processes Of extracting the juice are so bad that
Tho c-oD IS not SO valuable rs il ought 10 be. The
c?ne grows very rich and hardy and hear OF
plantation which hes been running 40 years without
replantinc vet IS still strong and healthy once III
Eve veo~s Ne stubble was cut and the land burnt
over lut she soil has never been stirred. Flows are
uuh.srl o. Tho tobacco raised near Samona is
very coc5-mucL better than our ovn-bUt IT is
esteemed inferior 10 that of the southern side OF the
island lam an old and fastidiOus smoker, but !
have no hesitation iu pTOnoun0ng the one cent cigar
OF SANTANA better than you can get for 10 or 10 cents
in Ncw-ToIk and thee cent cigar Of Santo Domingo
equal TO the % cent Regaas or PaTagas The smoking
tobacco woull sell in the States for 81 90 or - a
mound: hercit brings o. cents Ii Is too strong for
the ordinary SIN l.l, but lis favor Is very lne Inc
inhabitants. Of both sexes, chew tobacco a great
e. Ar,r. fba 1aof n I'll
purposes as We do. They have highly sociaOle
way Of smoking passing about cigar from one to
another as the calumet is passed around at an In
dian council. Indeed, it is considered grossly eN-
travacart aad prof. gate to smoke the whole OF CT
gar While there are any ships in port, tine popula-
ton keeps itself in tobacco by picking up stunp5'
TIE CLIMATE
So much has been said about the danger Of the
climate hat ! have made some very close inquiries
on this subject, and l convinced that sonto Do
Ininco is ass healthy as any Of our Southern States
Prof Newcomb who is familiar with The tropics, and
has been charged With the duty Of reporting on the
health If the island has ascertained from various
roUrccs-the town authorities, the priests and
preachers. and others who would be likely TO have
information on the sUbcct-that the population Of
the peninsula is about 1900, and that during the
wear ending last month the deaths were H. ana the
births overSo. This is not a bad exhibit for the
SANTANA region at any rate. There Is not doctor
nor drug store in the village, 50 we could not get
medical testimony; but 1 got the next thing
to IL; / went, with one Of my companions,
10 the colin-mak.r, You should have seen the eX-
preston. about equally compounded OF horror and
DELIGHT. with which be greeted us when we asked if
he made collins. and the eIgemess with which he IN
Ouired " DO You want e." We replied that we
were not ir want Of such article just then and
proceeded to ask him few questions. He spoke
tolerablc English. lie was the only person in town
who made collins. and during the year he lad made
ONLY four! OF course this is not conclusive for
people WHO live without clothes may very well be
buried without collins; but tell it as an incident
DR.. Newcomb believes and think the Commission
will so report that white men and women may come
here at proper seasons Of the year with entire safety
and with entire safety remain as residents of this
portion Of the island. What may be the facts in
other portions of the island must be left 70 the
future OF course, as in any change of climate,
extra care should be taken for the
first year or two. The temperature is not
subject TO sudden variation, but il is needless to saw
il is rather warm. Many of our party, however,
now wearing the same clothes they wore in Washing
Ton Boston. and NewYork and in these clothes have
INDUCED in such labOTious exercise as climbing
mountains and riding bulls. Prof. Blake has taken
the temperature as often possible, and records it
as averaging from 765 TO so Fahrenheit, Mr.. Burr
SAWS that the thermometer rarely in the hottest
weather exceeds 90. The officers and crew of the
Nantaskct have been in these waters for u months,
and during that time have not lost a single man
nv death In the sun the heat seems very great but
the shade is delightful and the breeze is continuous
The negroes say that violent exercise in the middle
Of the day is very unwhoesome-but then they have