Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-25

mound means a difference to the sugar
producers between profit and loss. In the
mountainous islands. where other cultlva-
tions may be carried on, and where land IS
so abundant that vegetables for subsistence
can be easily raised, it does not matter SO
much; but in islands like Barbados, for In
stance, where almost the entire population
is engaged in Sugar-cane culture, II means
So it was that Madame Louise saw only
poverty staring her in the face at the emo
of her first season. 1t has been stated that
she was sensible woman, and to bear the
writer out in this assertion it must be
shown exactly how she showed her sense.
1t took several years to accomplish "hSt
she next undertook. and establlsh herSe4I
upon basis Of prosperity; but she dld 1t.
Put to New Uses.
A norton of the thousand-acre Beaulieu
consisted of hill and forest land lying be-
tween which and the sea were the sugar
fields. In the hills the soil was Of incredible
fertility. but owing to its location, SO far
from the shore, it had been practically
abandoned to the laborers for their pro-
vision ground and grazing fields.
One sweet-scented morning, near the be-
ginning of the rainy season, Madame
Louise mounted her mare, and with her son
as an escort cantered away toward the hills.
The pair were gone a good half day, dur
ing which they pretty well Investigated that
portion of their estate Of which they had
hitherto known so little. The outcome of
this investigate was that the son was
sent with a dozen or more sturdy blacks.
over the mountains in search of cacao
trees. AT the end Of week they returned
with enough to set out half a dozen acres
of hillside land. and for the next month or
more parties from the plantation were
traversing the road over the mountains.
always returning with great back-loads Of
thrifty cacaos.
That was the beginning of Madame
Louise's prosperity, for. though it took
from three to five years to establish the
cacao plantations and get them into bear
ing, yet At the end of that time the
scheme was an assured success. Mean
while. sugar had been cultivated sufficiently
to keep the plantation going, and the liv
ing expenses of the family and all the de-
pendents had been provided for. though the
mortgage still lowered over them like
cloud.
Money in Cncao.
Unlike the cultivation of the sugar cane
cacao (from which our chocolate is made
as every oae knows) requires compare
lively little labor. The land has to be
cleared the trees set out, pruned, and be-
tween the rows. if one desires. can be
grown bananas, pineapples and all sorts of
tropical fruits and vegetables. Even with
out a sugar cane attachment one can easily
subsist. after the first year, upon the Incl
dental products of a cacao plantation. After
the second year the fruit will begin to ap-
pear. and after the third will probably suf-
fee to pay all expenses. Then the acquisi-
ton of a fortune is simply a matter of
tinle-and not a long time, either-for the
demand for cacao. is continuous and ever
growing, and the price conditioned only
upon the supply.
This. then, is what Madame Louise did
with her sugar plantation. and from a
raiser of cane became a raiser of cacao
Today she is, or. rather, she was last year.
an Independent, unmortgaged woman with
q son who loves and respects her. and a de.
tendency of blacks who almost worship
the ground she cuitfvates. And she is not
SO old, either, that she could not IL she
wished. attach to her train any one OF
those staiwart West Indians whom she has
beaten In the race for wealth. For further