New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-04

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disadvantages. and business men here. who know
the circumstances advise caution IN putting up
mills At the same time. they are
confident that run hrst-cass business and
scientific principles. such ventures viii prove
successful.
RICH TIMBER FORESTS
Valuable woods grow on tho mountains!aes
OF Santiago Province. At present. for all COM
mercial purposes. they might as well he stu
ated on the mountains OF the moon. All the
mahogany, cedar, ebony and other trees that
command good prices have been cut from the
lands that near the avenues or Transports
ton. The rivers are not more tn"n CREEKS
After unusually heavy rains they become tor
rents but the pitch of the watershed Is SO
great that they suoside. OF course. the
heavy woods could not be hoated even IL .he
waterways of adequate depth. All tne
mahogany has been stripped from the Nils
near the coast or near the few small lines OF
railroad. Any that Is secured now mas 10 ve
hauled i've or six days over bad roads by pull
locks Naturally the expense makes this wood
TOO costly for export.
Mahogany and similar woods grow so slowly
that II Is hardly worth while talking about the
new forests OF them which may spring up TO
replace the old. Railroads and good highways
Will make available large supplies OF these
products. which now bring high prices lhefe
are plans for a railroad along the length or the
island and the extension Of the mining in
dustry will involve the building Of spurs Ma
hogany is much used by the American soldiers
for tirewood Before IT had become as costly az
now it was employed in fences and buildings
to a large extent hereabouts. Dry seasoned
fuel Is often difficult to obtain, and mahogany
answered very well for II.
1t is an odd fact that much Of the building
lumber used in and about santiago comes from
the United States. White pine IS shipped there
from New-York. and yellow pine In much larger
quantities from Mobile. There seems TO he no
good building wood available. Some OF the
trees are so hard as 10 turn nall but most
are remarkably soft A single blow with a DIRK
knife will cut through branch nearly an inch
in diameter: in the United states an axe would
ba-a no cd nh
part the universal use Of the machete in cuba
With it may readily cut down a sapling
or even small tree. In a Northern forest II
would be Of little use. and would be replaced by
an axe Even the mining companies here inn
port the wood for railroad and other purposes
from the United States.
Santiago rum has a considerable local reputa-
ton and the best II 1t is Wanted as superior
t. the Jamaica article. Be that as II may.
there seems reason 10 believe that the manu-
! facture OF it on a considerable scale will attend
the reopenng Of the sugar mills. In the usual
| process. rum is by-Iroduct OF sugar. and
cannot be prohtably distilled as an isolated In
dustry.
Beef has come to be such rarity in sam
| tlago that cattle-raIsing Will command the at
| tention Of men with money as soon as peaceful
| possession Of stock is assured Although most
Of the country IL thicky oyergrOwn. there ar,
stretches and nelds Of good grazing land:
Much OF this had been fenced in with barbed
wire. The grass grows rich and tall there Is
| a good deal Of guinea grass. which the horses
and mules OF the Army found exceedingly paia-
| table.
Perhaps the experience of Cuba after the Ten
Years War Will be repeated now. In 1873 thers
were virtually no cattle in Cuba. Some were i'm
ported from Mexico and the United States
yearly until 1885, and then the supply had In
creased so that expectation to Florida began.
This was not on large scale. however While
Cuba can raise sufficient beef for home con-
sumption. the industry will hardly prove profit
able enough 10 warrant competition with the
| United States and Mexico in export trade.
The raising Of wheat was forbidden by royal
| Spanish decree, that the fields OF the govern
ing country might supply the bread OF the col
ony. In consequence. American wheat was often
shipped TO Cuba via Spain. The tarin on -four
sent direct from New-York was - ~ a sack of
two hundred pounds. This prohibition Of wheat
! culture one OF the most effective agents III
| bringing about the revolution in lS3J Wheat
can be grown in Cuba. but the truth seems t.
be that II is a less valuable crop than sugar and
various other commodities. The island is likely
! TO continue a customer Of the American farmer
! and miller.
Rice may be raised In Santiago Province. but
is less important than seyera! other staples.
Coffee grows back on the high lands. but has
! not been produced in sufficient quantities TO
! supply the consumption here. There are large
imports OF II from Porto Rico and even Now
! York. One may hear confident assertions Of tho
possibilities Of this crop. but the several years
required to bring the plant to maturity Will al
| ways he an important factor. Sugar and other
| crops may be gathered the first year and in
vestars will prefer such to coffee with its long
deferred returns. Tobacco Is raised In Santiago
| Province, and Is even exported 10 Germany, but
| the quality Is indifferent
THE FRUIT SUPPLIES.
Fruit should be one Of the most important and
permanent Of the exports from Cuba 10 the
United States. Baracoa, as already said, has
been centre Of this traffic. Santiago city Is
more distant but not sufficiently 10 be re-
moved from competition II is about as near the
| Atlantic ports as Port Antonio. Jamaica, from
which enormous shipments of fruit are made TO
BALTIMORE. Boston NewYork and other cities
With these commodities. Of course the time ee-
meat Is important. not so much on account OK
the expense OF running the ship as on account
OF the deterioration Of the cargo.
About Santiago are numerous cocoanut groves
The tree grows readily and speedily. Its nuts
may be gathered cheaply. for skilled Cubans
Chamber up the long, smooth stems Ike mon
keys, and strip the tree IN little while
Bananas. pineapples, oranges. alligator pearA
and mangoes grow in profusion. or did before
war ravaged the groves To the inhabitants OF
cities increased imports n tropical fruits. es-
pecaly bananas and pineapples, viii be great
| boon Cheapness and greater freshness Of the
articles will result. together with familiarity
with the ways OF cooking them The housewife
who will buy bananas by the bunch and serve
them as fritters. fried either ripe or green. or
as dessert. with sugar and cream. with
! sherry or Just raw, will take a long step toward
| that variety in cookery for which she always
longs However. the conservatism ~ the kitchen
IL rockbound. and II is idle to indulge in dreams
| about innovations.
That part II Cuba opposite Key West may be-
come a market garden for the United states
| The water 10 be crossed Is only ninety miles
wide the railroad from Key West to Miami may
become a reality. and then the problem OF trans
| portation will he solved The gardeners OF the
| Southern States. however. have a big advantage
| in their experience and in the intelligence with
which they carry on their business That branch
| OF agriculture has not reached high state of
excellence in Cuba. nor Ia II likely to do so un-
| less foreigners engage IN 1t. But Santiago Is
| too far away to send fresh tomatoes. peas and
| the like to the United States.
| Santiago. having manufactures. should buy
scores OF the products Of the United states.
VlEAY