The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-17
CUBA'S TRADE IN FRUITS.
The Story of It's Decline Suggests the Man
ner of It's Building Up.

MGR VI As DulAuiHB Ops
From the Florida Tines Union aud Citizen.
Among the things Of which but pleasant
memories remain to the natives of Cuba may
be counted the fruit industry that was once q
thriving business that the native planters
fondly believed was theirs forever and a day.
A change came over the spirit Of their dream
when the Americans decided to try their hands
at raising oranges and pineapplcs. and the
dream has been changing ever since. until
to-day the Cubans and Spaniards OF Cuba
would be glad to see some chance Of getting
back even a mall remnant Of their former
prosperous fruit trade. How it came to pass
that the fruit trade OF Cuba passed from the
islanders into the hands of the American grow
ers is told by q produce merchant who lived in
the fruit district for many years. and. in fact.
until the loss OF the fruit trade to the island
When we shall have won Cuba" said this
man, the Cuban fruit trade will be once more
a part Of the industriq! life OF Cuba. The con
diti9ns q soil and climate are perfect for the
pineapple. but the people are quite unequal to
the task OF taking advantage Of these, condi:
CCEb5s' lazy y Is sRif 9SssS tsaF or 70 carr eaTe Ies nsss' mof re-
aptly describes their state. They always choose
the easiest way O. accomplishing an end and
Now. fruit like oranges and pineapples re-
quires the most careful handling from the time
markets. How do the Cubans gather and mar
ket this fruit-or. rather. how did they, for the
fTom the - t feesFS the he G tERsSr or 81 Spanish sds 'n pla nlH,r
shook the tree or knocked the fruit, down with
z long pole It reached the ground bruised BY
Considering, that the fruit was picked for a
journey of thousands Of miles, 1t will he seen
capped for competition with the carefully
picked fruit Of the American planter,
the town to be PACKED for shipment. This was
done by mules. The oranges or pinnapples
and away went the mule over the rough coun-
and making sad havoc witt, the cargo. When
fully lifting the burden from the mules back
and depositiyg it te1derly. on the ground, the
aud threw II down in the nearest corner Of the
storehouse. The next man threw his consign-
men RsHt we're 9l iT piIad G np w M bs%p n fbc 's siig d1h@I' r s9a TS
10 the consequences to the fruit.
Next We come to the packing process. ]
have seen the men stand several feet AVA from
be packed and actually throw il into. the mouth
eye MT adding to the bruises that the .p@or frSii
bad received. When the 5HErGl was iqll the h
physical ply 5 dS Il force y" would MAKE i. fHi%syo You seen
Rn obs str nroNs tWEg rpI ,b lid forced Ssfu IF cl SSst p
nPpics s'' that were shipped from tCS%Ta
to, this country. After the box or bar
roll it down to the steamer, No care was takcr
to carry il %gingerly, II a barrel II was rolled
down the Rangplank and thrown into the hole
ofthe vessel. fla box IL was carried down. 1
that way OF getting It there was the easier, anC
then dropped on top Of the others.
1.-THE inevitable result OF oil this rough trent
ment was that the fruit had become rotten fn
the most part when IL arrived In America, anC
half OF IL was wasted, II is not 10 be supposed
that this sort Of thing could continue; AmeTi
can planters decided that they could beat thu
the Cubans speedily found that there was NJ
longer o market for their rottinR oranges