New-York tribune., 1891-03-01


Havana, Jan. 2o.-Travellers coming to Cuba
Yor the first time usually see what they have
expected to see and fall temporarily into ecstasies
over tropical scenery and semi-Saracenc archi-
tectural effects. 1t is imagination fired by over
heated books of travel that lends to the view
greater enchantment than distance in foreign
land. When the eye becomes accustomed TO tho
contrasts with familiar scenes offered in town
and country disenchantment quickly follows.
Then the truth is dscerned that the woods, foliage,
plants, flowers, landscape effects and SUBURBAN
drives are incomparably more beautiful in the
temperate zone than in the tropics. Raptures
over Cuban scenery are transltOry Vagarles IN
Havana. The harbor, with a long line of high
Fashioned Notifications fanking the low peninsula
upon which the city stands, is an imposing
pageant, especially under a moonlit sky; but
the country about the city is fiat and unlmpres-
sive. A railway ride across the island from
Batabano, westward TO MatanZaS, dlscIoses
vistas of undulating levels and moors under poor
cultivation, relieved only by sentinel palms of
the royal guard or by encampments OF palmeltos'
or by struggling cabins with palm-leaf roofs. The
laurels and other shade trees in the avenues and
plazas have an ill-nOurished and stuntcd look
The Bishops Garden in Tulipan was once lovely
retreat but it is now neglected ground. The
finest drives in Havana are those to the Cerro
and to Vedado, but there are few luXurlant
tropical trees to be seen by the waysidc, and not
many orange groves and banana clumps. 1he
Botanical Gardens and the grounds about the
Captain-General's country seat offer the only
really satisfactory glimpse of tropical foliage TO
be obtained in Havana. There is noble alley
of royal palms: there are fine specimens of the
gorgeous fan-palm, almonds, the coral tree and
the star cactus; lowgrowing flowers OF the
temperate cline are here seen as trees, such as
the mignonette and garland of the night; ana
there are roses, Companies, jasmine oeanders'
heliotrope and exotic flowers in profuSiOn. On
the Marnao Railway there some excellent
effects of rural scenery. The Toledo sugar planta-
ton lies in district where palmettos and cocoa
nut palms abound, and near by are pineapple
plantations, with laborers' cabins constructed
entirely of palm, and overshadowed by wide
spreading mangoes-the best substitute to be found
in the tropics for the Northern oak and elm.
If Cuban scenery be disappointing from naked
ness of hillsidcs and lack of variety III foliage
and farming lands. it is not through any fault
of Nature. There is other garden in the West
Indies like this highly-favored island. There Is
no defect either of climate or soil 1t is human
foolishneSs that is responsible for the meagre
development of the agricultural resources OF the
island. Every fruit that can grow In the tropics
will thrive here. Not even Southern California
has wider range OF fruits than Cuba, with lts
oranges, pineapples lemons, lines citron, bananas
plantains, tamarnds figs breadfrut. pomegran-
ates zapotas, mangoes, cocoanus, sapodillas, GUS
tard-applcs, mammeeS. guava, and rose
apples 1t is q fruit region, capable
of enormous Development. and is accessible
to all the centres of population on the North
Atlantic coast. Here is soil of varied quallties
and so rich that il only needs TO be scratched with
plough or hoe TO be made to yield hundred
fold There is an abundance of red earth I'M
pregnated with iron, which is the natural bed Tor
a coffee-farm. There are broad levels Of black
soil. where sugar-cane will flourish as in no
other quarter of the world. III the cholcest
lands for tobacco are of limited area on the plain
watered by the Cuyagnatejo, there are most eX-
tensve belts where leaf Of fine color can be
raised Corn, while growing to half-size, can be
made to bear all the year There are rice and
cotton lands which could be cultivated on
large scale most productivity. There is no limit
TO the agricultural resources of Cuba The track
less forests are rich, not only in mahogany rose
wood ebony and cedar, but also in dye-woods,
like fustian; and in the south and east the
mountain ranges are stocked with iron and man.
ganese All these resources are made available
by undulating plains, where railways can he
cheaply built and by coast-line of 1000 miles,
bOrdered with capacous harbors for shipping.
Four centuries have been nearly rounded out
since the discoveries of Columbus, yet Cuba to-day
is. with the single exception of Brazil, the least
developed country of the New World. Out of
total area Of $1,000 square miles barely more
than one-tenth is under cultivation At the
western end of the island there is a population
exceeding .OO0, ,000 but the remaining districts,
Of which Puerto Principe and Santiago are the
capitals, are practically unsettled having between
them less than 100000 whites, negroes and
Chinese. Only within five years has iron-mining
been begun in earnest. The forest areas are un-
explored. There are vast tracts OF unreclaimed
lands available for future industry. There are
broad savannahs, now abandoned 10 tropical
thickets, where sugar, tobacco and corn could
be cultivated If there now 800 sugar
plantations, large and small, on the island there
could be $4,000 If there are $1,000 tobacco
planters Of every degree, the number might be
multiplied. If cofee-farmng has declined and is
now restricted mainly to the mountain slopes Of
Guantanamo it could he restored to its old-tme
efficiency and prosperity. transformation OF
administration and economic conditions is needed
in order that there may be "a new and rein
vgorated Cuba. Spanish rule has been like the
wild Indian ig of the island that winds about
the monarch trees of the forest and parayzcs
and kills them with its serpentine embrace. The
destroying fig must first be uprooted before the
tree can have soil, light air and moisture needed
for its normal growth.
II Americans, preOccupied with the develop
ment Of the resources OF their own country, are
Indifferent TO this second California stranded and
wrecked off tie Florida Peninsula. the Spanish
and Cuban landholders Of the island. who are
struggling laboriously and hopelessly against the
ruinous conditions of a destructive economic sys
TEN, know where their interests lie They are
conscious Of their own helplessness in dealing
with Spain. Experience has taught them that
alone and unaided they can do nothing 10 work
out the salvation of Cuba. The disastrous in
surection would never have broken out if they