La Junta tribune., 1898-05-04
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inquire into the resources of the
country and ask what may be. her
prospects for prosperity when- she
is no longer RESTRAINED and over
taxed BY the gr, ed, government of
Spain. The area oi Cuba is abou,
~. 900 sqdase miles. It's, greatest
length is 7eo mites and IT'S breadth
ranges frumA Atw.6t. toA,3s miles.
Perhaps ihei. isino space OF earth
the equal in size 10 Cuba than can
begin to compare with her in the
production of those things that
are useful to man. Antonio y
Morales, = noted authority, has
prepared q table showing the var
iety and quantities Of the staples
that can be. raised on tract OF
thirty-three acres in Cuba. Alarm
OF that size in one year produces
thousands OF pounds of sugar,
coffee, tobacco, cocoa (chocolate),
cotton, indigo. corn, rice. sege,
bananas and yucca. The choicest
lands in California-noted for the
variety and quantity of their pro-
ducts-can not approach the soil
OF Cuba in this respect With its
mild climate, its exuberant vegeta-
ton and the eagcrness of the earth
to respond to the slightest efforts in
the way OF culture, Cuba offers an
ideal home for the man in love
with the agricultural lie.
The commerce of Cuba, even
under the blighting rule of the
Spaniard. has been great. In 1893,
before the curse Of war fell on the
island, Cuba exported 7IS, 2o4 tons
OF sugar and produc.-d 8rs,oS4
tons. Its exports Of molasses 10
the United States alone in that
year were 1854 hogsheads. OF
rum the exports were 9. 3oS pipes.
In 1893 the Cuban exports OF leai
tobacco were 1885 bales. OF
manufactured cigars I47, 365, 900
were exported and Of cigarettes
SO, 58i,4o3 packages. These are
only the man exports They show
what may be done with the ex-
hauslless soil and climate Of the
island when its people were ip =
condition Of virtual slavery Il 4
time when chattei slavery had been
abolished only seven years. 1t is
Of economic science that
free labor is indefinitely more pro-
than slave labor, and the
industrial growth OF the United
states is an example OF the expan-
sion Of industry when enterprise is
unhampered by the curse of slavery
and by foreign political interfer-
ence. Cuba's chief industries were
growing in spite Of the drain upon
her before the present war began,
for in 1894 her'total production Of
sugar was I.o54ar4 tons. an in
crease Of a3S, $40 tons over the
preceding year.
The natural resources of Cuba
aresinfnite, one may say, in variety
OF her area only 10 per cent is
under cultivation, 7 per cent is not
reclaimed, and 4 cent is under forl
ests.- Great tracts of the island
are practically UNEMPLOYED She
had IN 1894 population of little
more than 1900. 900. OF these
nearly one-third have been starved
TO death. during the present war.
Cuba could support in plenty !
population of 10000, 900. Her
forests are stocked with the finest
wood in. the world-wood, several
species of which are as bard a
iron. turning the edge Of the AZ
and remaining imperishable under
water. There are found woods in
valuable for the dye industry.
ebony cedar. tustic, lancewood.
mahogany, fosswo6d, jocdma,
scana and mapy others. There
are fifty varieties Of palm. Her
fruits are valuable and little cnlti-
vated. The climate is admirably
suited fer the olive; and The orapge,