The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-27

the cane on a large estate requires 0
men per day. to say nothing Of loading and
hauling to the railroad tracks. The problem
OF a cane-harvester awaits solution atthe hands
OF American invention. When we consider that
suRar-RroyinR is n branch 81 agriculture best
conducted on q large scale by capitalists
employing az low-priced labor as possible. We
must recognize that the regeneration OF the
island can hardly be looked for from this
source. The chief opening Tor Amer
can energies will be found in the
cultivation Of minor agricultural staples
and in the line OF public improvements.
Railways must be constructed. cities improved.
waterworks and sewerage systems established.
harbors dredged and the thousand and one
public works undertaken which Spain has long
neglected. Returning to agriculture. we should
note that tobacco. while secondary TO sugar as
Abource OF revenue, 10 far more profitable In
proportion to acreage. The tobacco plant
grows we'll In all parts OF the isle. although. as
is well known. the chief seat of It's cultivation
is along the southern slopes OF the Sierra de
los orGanos in Plnar del Rio. the famous
Vuelta Abaio region, which produces the finest
leaf in the world. Good tobaccos are also eX-
portedfrom Trinidad. Clenfuegos and Santiago.
The best tobacco farms are known as vegas:
their ordinary size IL not moro than thirty
three acres, about one-halt of which is planted
in platdnos and vegetable Rardens for feeding
the laborers. A veoa Of average size produces
about 1900 pounds OF tobacco. whereof $50
pounds are OF the best quality. 1900 OF the
second. and $3.50 OF the third. In Havana
there are dozens of large cigar factories which
give employment to many thousands Of people
OF both sexes and all ages. In 1893. there were
exported from Havana 6.100.0O0 pounds OF
leaf tobacco and 1874 10. 000 cigars. Large ex-
ports OF baled tobacco were also made from the
east end OF the island. most OF which went to
the United States.
III.
Coffee was once extensively cultivated In
Cuba. having been introduced from Martinique
In 1927. The mountain sides and hill lands OF
the East are capable OF bearing a berry as ex-
cellent as that grown on the famous Blue
Mountain Of Jamaica. Should the island ever
be properly developed, the growing OF coffee
for export will become q largo and fiourishing
industry. At present most Of the trees have
been cut down and replaced with suKarcane.
or else destroyed by the revolutionists; what
coffee is still grown is nearly all consumed upon
the island. Attic beginning OF the present revo-
lution the growing OF bananas was q large and
important industry, chiefly in the vicinity of
Euevitas and Baracoa. During the season
from February, to December an average OF a
shipload a day was exported from the last
named place. Oranges grow without cultiva-
ton in all parts Of Cuba, but no pains have as
yet been taken to make them equal by selection
to the product Of Florida. Pineapples are
grown and exported in western Cuba and the
Isle of Pines. The mountainous eastern end
Of the island 10 the only one. except the Medi-
terranean shore between Marseilles and Genoa.
that will produce lemons equal to those grown
in Sicily. The author Of the book before us is
- ~,Et - Nl.A .~-A-t A.
Of lemons with that Of peaches and nectarines,
which begin ~ripening In May. would become q
great source OF wealth. 1t 10 pointed out that
lemons and lines are more easily grown
than oranges. and that as the area of
their production Is much more limited,
there Is no surer agricultural road to for
tune than is presented by their cultivation.
We observe next that in the provinces Of Santa
Clara. Puerto Principe. and Santiago the cattle
industry. owing to the extent and fertility Of
the grazing land. reaches large proportions.
Horses are bred in all parts of the island; the
Cuban horse Is a stout pony. with the build Of
a cob and a peculiar pacing gait. Goats and
sheep do not thrive, but poultry is found in
abundance throughout all the provinces. In
addition to the large estates Of the planters,
Cuba possessed in 1895 over 100. 900 farms Of
less than 100 acres each. devoted to fruit. mar
kst garden and dairy products.
TIL mineral resources of Cuba. 80 far as these
are known. are iron ores. asphaltum, man.
ganese. copper. and salt. In 1927. the silver
mines OF Santa Clara yielded 140 ounces to the
ton. but they were soon worked out. and 1t is
now doubtful whether either OF the precious
metals can be found in paying quantities. Iron
ore has thus far been found to be the chief
metallic resource OF Cuba The ores are mixed
brown and red hematite. containing from 65 to
90 per cent. OF pure iron. The best known mines
are situated in the Sierra Maestro. a few miles
east OF Santiago. and are owned by American
companies. Very rich deposits OF manganese
occur west OF Santiago in the same mountain
range. The mines in the neighborhood Of
Ponupo had yielded 200 tons per day before
they were closed by the insurgents. Asphaltum
Of unusual richness occurs beneath the waters
OF Cardenas Bay. and in several other parts Of
the island. One Of the Cardenas beds pro-
duces a very fine grade Of the commodity used
in the United States for the manufacture Of
varnish. Near Villa Clara Is an unusually large
deposit Of asphaltum. which for forty years
has supplied the material for making the
Illuminating gas used in the city. The
mines Of Cobre. about twelve leagues
north Of the city Of Santiago. were worked
from 1924 to 1857. and were once the great
est copper producers in the world. The books
Of the American consulate show that. from
1928 to 1910. an average OF from $4,000. 900 to
100000 worth Of copper ore was shipped
annually to the United States from these mines.
Although It is generally believed that large
quantities Of copper still remain In this locality.
the mines are now filed with water. and Il Is
questionable whether they could be prohtably
reopened. Natural salt pans are found along
the northern keys. Those OF the Cayo Romano
alone might supply far more salt than is needed
for the ordinary consumption Of the Cuban
population.
One Of the most interesting chapters OF this
book is that which treats Of the people Of Cuba.
According to the latest census. published Dec.
81. 1887. the total population was 1881 1897. Of
whom 620.384. or 80 per cent. were described
as black or colored. It has bean aasartAd ra-