The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1898-02-19
AND SOME ODD BITS ABOUT
THAT COUNTRY,
Who the People are-Native Products
Status as Foreigners-dany Cane
Plantations In the Countrywide Laws
Very Liberal Towards Foreigners


random. AS most Of these odd bits and items
have not been touched upon in my desulto-y
letters to The Inter Ocean, 1 am minded to
collect them in an addendum, which, after
the manner of women's postscripts, may con
tain the gist of the whole communication
AS the result will necessarily be somewhat
1erkey and disconnected, I beg my readers
indulgence in view of the circumstances.
Who the People Are.
Nicaragua contains 100000 square miles, OF
an area which just about equals that of Maine
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecti-
cut combined; yet it's population, according
70 the last census, was trifle less than
10000. OF this number 1900 are white
$4,000 being Indians, 1900 negroes, and the
rest mixed race. This makes about eight
inhabitants to the square mile. How differ
ent from the same area in our own country
the states above mentioned with their T. OOO
900 inhabitants! Las Casas and the other
early historians tell us that Nicaragua was
once densely populated. War, slavery, tor
ture, and pestilence rapidly decimated the
aboriginal inhabitants, and within a few
years after the conquest not enough remained
TO serve the Spaniards. In 1886 negro slavery
was introduced to supply the demand for la.
Dor, and continued to be legalized institu-
ZION for nearly three centuries, until abol.
1shed in 1924, by act of the Congress Of the
then Republic of Central America. The
docile and Industrious Indians of today form
the bulk Of the laboring class. Free to work
for themselves or for others, as interest may
dictate, they make an excellent rural popu-
lation. Strangers passing through the coun-
try, sometimes going days journey without
seeing house or meeting person, are likely
to estimate the population as less than it
really Is. In Spanish America, where So
called revolutions" are continually occur
ring, people do not live on their scattered
farms, as in the United States, but those of
the rural districts are collected In towns and
villages for mutual protection, often necessi-
tating journey of several miles every day
to and from their fields of labor.
Native Products.
From time to time schemes have been pro-
posed to secure immigration to Nicaragua, but
none have proved successful on large scale,
principally owing to the difficulty of getting
products out of the country from the Atlantic
Eeaboard. When the ports on that coast arc
deepeneds by removing the bars from the
mouths of the rivers, giving access to the
markets of the world, there is no doubt that
Nicaragua will have her full share of immiera-
ton. Peter Heylyn says, in his Cosmograph,
which was published in London in 1852: Mic
aragua Is stored with plenty of cotton wool
and abundance of sugar cane. and is so pleas
ing to the eye that the Spaniards call it by the
name of Mohammed's Paradise" Its produc-
lions Of the present day are not limited to the
staples mentioned by the old biographies, but
are OF the most varied character, though SC
imperfectly cultivated, and although facilities
for transportation have been so poor that
little more than enough for home consumptio ion
is raised at present. The chief AGRICULTURAL
wealth is in coffee plantations. The industry
Is still In its infancy, but every year wit
nesses Its growth, and the time is coming
when Nicaraguan coffee will take it's rightfu]
place among the best in the world. 1t Is esti-
mated that there are 1000, 900 acres of land
In the country which are specially adapted tc
coffee raising. India rubber has been another
important industry, but Is decreasing OWNS
to, the reckless slaughter of the trees. Even
with the most careful treatment the rubbe,
tree (siphonia elastica) will stand but few
years tapping. Since the days of the con
quest, the government has taken no steps tt
prevent the ruthless destruction of the valu-
able trees. but OF late years it has sndeavoreI
to stimulate their cultivation by giving 6
premium of 10 cents for every rubber tree
planted, where the number does not go below
ESQ trees planted by one person. The decree
also provides that the trees must be planted
in squares, Of not less than sixteen feet fol
eech plant. In all the lower regions of Mic
aragua, particularly in those bordering the
Atlantic, there are large tracts Of land suit
able for growing rubber trees; and there /:
no doubt that their cultivation would prove
very profitable to any one who could afford tt
await the return from the capital invested
until the trees reached maturity. It wouit
mean from seven to ten years of waiting; 'bu
meanwhile the planter might be deriving som,
income from other crops.
Bananas. '.. .'
Everybody who comes into the tropics takes
to banana raising as ducks to water. II the
interoceanic canal and the projected railroads
are ever completed, the fruit will become 8
still more important feature in Nicaragua
exports, and the large profits it yields will
stimulate Its production on thousands of acres
of fertile but now unoccupied lands. 81
far bananas have been raised principally II
the rich alluvial deposits of the valleys ant
river bottoms. But there are many uplant
regions where rain Is abundant, or water
plentifully supplied by other means, which
will produce abundant crops; and it Is wei
known that the best bananas are grown OF
high ground-fine, firm fruit, less liable t.
damage from transportation. No industry o
small capital than banana growing, from tn
fact that 1t costs very little, in time or money
to clear and grow the speedy crop. The frs
fruits are gathered in about ten months from
planting. The trees reach maturity in tn
second year; and, therefore, by proper man
agement of the fruit stalks, a constant sue
cession In the crops may be secured an
fruit gathered every week throughout tn
year. 1t is said that plantation of fort.
manzanas (about sixty nine English acres
will produce during and after the second yea
$4,000 punches per annum. The lowest pric
paid for bananas for many years past ha
been 37k cents per bunch. Reckon 1t to sui
yourself. An approximate return OF NOR
than SIC, 900 per year Is not so bad. Very mucl
more profitable than this is cacao, and tina
grown in Nicaragua is the best in the world
But considerable capital is necessary to star
plantation, as the trees do not begin t
bear under seven years. When once we'll
established and in full bearing. little farthe
outlay is necessary, and the fortunate owne
is sure Of large, and steady revenue for tn
next forty or fifty years. Sugar cane grow
in Nicaragua with extraordinary luxnriance
crop can be secured within twelve month
after planting, and thenceforward two crop
a wear, and in some places even three crops
for an indefinite number Of years.
Sugar.
There are many cane plantations lin tn
country, so old that nobody remembers tn
Z date Of their planting. A great deal Of til
sugar manufactured in Nicaragua Is Of
coarse brown quality, the Juice being mere
" boiled until 1t crystallizes, without bein
4 cleared Of the molasses. Ia this crude stat
e IL poured into molds forming small cake,
sxh,eh~are sold TO the poorer classes, q 4 yer e.