The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-06-14
CUBA AND THE CUBANS.
A Budget of Interesting Facts About
the Present and Past Condition.
The Population, Climate, Resources
Revenue. etc.
Chapel Hill, n. c., June II.

Chape! Hill, N. c., June II.
Cuba has an area. including it's 300 adj
jacent islands. Of nearly 1900 square
miles, about equal TO that of the state
of New York and nearly o~ne-fourth the
size Of Spain, and about 900 square
miles less than the area of North Caro-
lima. With the exception Of a strip or
the southern side of central Cuba the
island as a whole stands-weI above the
sea: II is thoroughly drained and pre-
sents a rugged aspect when viewed from
the sea. About one-fourth of the total
area Is said to be mountainous; about
three-fifths of the area may be described
as a rolling or undulating plain with val.
legs and gentle cultivatable slopes, some
h like Piedmont, n. c. The remainder
OF the island, especially along the south
ern shore Of central and western Cuba is
swampy
The island is about 73O miles long; it's
width varies from 80 miles across Santi-
ago to less than 20 miles in the vicinity
OF Havana; the eastern end of the island
lies directly south of New York, while
its western end lies south of Cincinnati.
The coast line is very extensive measur-
ing, without following the minor linden
cations, nearly 200 miles. On all sides,
except the southern shore of central and
western Cuba the coast is abrupt and ele-
ydtGO. In many places the immaculate
coast line is a narrow beach or shelf of
elevated coral reef rock, only a few yards
IN width and some twenty feet above the
sea. Back of this coast the higher bluffs
rise by a succession of old sea beaches,
which reach in places to from 1000 to 1900
feet elevation.
The mountains of Cuba do not form,
as has been stated, a~zbackbone extending
along the entire length of the island, but
are arranged in three distinct artl indie
pendent prOlnS. one in he western nrOV-
1nce of Pinar Del Rio, between Havana
and Cape Antonio, the highest hills of
which rise to an altitude of $500 feet.
and the slopes of which are covered with
a growth of pine and fanked with many
beautiful valleys. The central group is a
short one extending from Cienfuegos
some fifty miles eastward on the south
side of the central portion of the island,
reaching a maximum height of nearly
5000 feet. The third group lies on the
southern side Of Santiago province in
easern Cuba, the crest of the mountains
lying parallel to the adjacent sea, to-
wards which the slopes descend precip-
ltOusly. The mountains of this eastern
group reach a maximum height OF 1900
feet-some 1000 feet higher than Mount
Mitchell in western North Carolina-near
Santiago harbOr, the scene of hostilities
at present. There are some peaks more
than 5000 feet high; the scenery is fine
and the climate is delightful.
This last great range of mountains be-
longs geographically with the Blue
mountains of Jamaica, which reach an
elevation of 1000 feet, and the higher
mountains in Hayti, which reach ar ele-
walton of II 600 feet. The larger part Of
h area of Cuba Cat least three-fifths) is
made up of the limestone plains with an
elevation of from 500 to 800 feet. Much
of this region is cut by streams into hills
and valleys, and a considerable portion,
especially in Santiago province. is ex-
ceedingly wild and rugged. In Cuba the
great sugar plantations are on these ele-
waited plains and not, as in Louisiana, on
the low river flats. The fine tobacco is
also grown on the slopes Of these hills
and low mountains. On the mountain
slopes of western Cuba and on the hills
there are said to be 1870 900 acres of
unbroken forests, never penetrated by
Spaniards.
THE FLORA.
The Flora of Cuba is said to be quite
varied, more than 5000 species of native
logued. The beauty and abundance of
the vegetation first caused the island to
be called the Pearl of the Antilles. This
includes over thirty species of palm,
while associated with these are pines,
which are so characteristic of the south
ern United States, the mahogany, the lig-
mum vitae, and the cocoa wood. Among
the more valuable fruits that grow very
abundantly may be mentioned the lime,
the orange, the lemon. the banana, and
the pineapple. The last of these together
with the manioc, the sweet potato and
the Indian corn are said to be indigenous
to the island.
THE CLIMATE.
Concerning the climate OF cuba but lew
reliable records are o~btalnable; on Ine
whole, however, the climate is much more
salubriouS thar most descriptions WOuld
lead us to believe. A gentleman who has
travelled a great deal in different parts
of Cuba in a recent article says:
THE winter months are delightful, in
fact ideal, while the summer months are
more endurable than in most of our own
territory. The current impressions OF in
salubrity have arisen from an erroneous
confusion of bad sanitation with the
weather. While it is true that sickness
be greatly a~llayed-almost abated-if pub
lie hygiene received proper official con-
sideration.'
In July and August the mean
temperature is 50 degrees r, the
maximum temperature being 50, the min
imum rs. AT Charlotte the maximum
temperature for August is 95 F, the mini
mum 50 F, with mean Is f. AT Raielgh
for the same month the maximum is
% F, the minimum Sc F, and the mean
II F. The annual rainfall at Havana is
AZ inches of which % inches fall in the
wet season, May to October. The aver
age number of rainy days in the year is
102, coming mainly within the rainy sea
son.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
Among the agricultural products, sugar
and tobacco are by far the most impor-
tant. The central plain of Cuba, except
where broken by hills, and until the pres
ent instruction began, was one vast con-
tinuous field of cane. The yield CT this
crop in 1928 was something more than
1000, 900 tons and was valued at $50, 900, =
600. The sugar plantations vary in ex-
tent from 100 to 1000 acres, and employ an
average of one man to two acres. The
cane requires to be. planted only once in
seven years. Tobacco, while secondary to
sugar, is said to be far more profitable
in proportion to the acreage. 1t grows
well in all parts of the island, but the
finest tobacco is said to be raised along
the southern slopes of the mountains in
the western province of Pihar Del Rio.
Coffee was once extensively cultivated,
but the coffee plantations have largely
given place to sugar, which is consider
ed a more profitable crop. Doubtless,
however. in the future coffee Will become
one Of the principal crops grown for ex-
portation. In a number of provinces Ve
cattle industry was at one time a lage
and iourishing one. but this k the
other industries of Cuba was largely de-
stroyed during the past few years. In
1895 there was said to be in cuba oyer
100, 1000 farms valued at s2O,ON,0O.