New-York tribune., 1899-08-14

! derbrush leaving the large trees and the wild
sacao trees which are frequent in all the forests
and birds have scattered The Wild trees are not
While the plants are young the space between
them is planted with corn arrowroot and bananas.
shoots from the sun and securing an immediate
income from these crops; The cacao plant begins
maturity in the tenth year and continues to bear
for several generations The first few years year the
may run TO fruit" rather than to foliage. but no
fertilizer is used except leayGs ana otheT Vege eLf,
attention necessary is TO keep the orchard clear
of weeds and the trees free from parasites
THE YIELD FROM CACAO TREES.
The average yield is about one pound of beans per
tree but that may be increased considerably with
cultivation and careful pruning. No scientific farm
Ing has ever been done In Ecuador The most print
for two centuries and there is no telling what the
application OF intelligence and botanical science to
OF hundred thousand trees will therefore produce
making a liberal allowance for failures and acci-
dents At the present market price this would be be
TSh % G0st Sl e woG be- abo
Including taxes taxes AZ an9 J., transPGraon 10 GnSyaa n
far below the average income OF plantations con
tanning hundred thousand trees, which are valued
The banks of Guayaquil are accustomed to make
advances to the planters; IN fact, most of the
latter live ahead OF their incomes as the cotton
kings of the South used to do before the war and
pay 10 and p per interest. Mortgage loans
made for twenty -one years at or 10 per cent at
the of 30 cents for each tree in bearing.
The greatest difficulty is in indng labor Ma
tive Indians generally employed upon the
plantations ana paid from 50 to 80 cents day in
in our money. They are brought from the noun
tains by employment againts when needed. under
contracts which are as bad as and usually worse
than slavery There are no laws for the protection
of the poor All the statutes are in the interest OF
the rich. The contracts registered in the police
courts, and no aborer can leave an employer
owes him money Therefore the first. step in tho
relation of employer and employed is for the latter
to overdraw MS wages at the plantation supply
store. which he is always eager to do If permitted.
Then he becomes a slave for life. for unless the
employer wants TO get rid of him the debt is
but IL is the cause OF servitude all the same II
the peon runs away the planter reports the fact to
the police who recapture him. and the expense OF
the pursuit and prosecution is charged against
him and fastens his shackes all the frmer II he
wants 10 change his residence he must get some
ployer wants TO get rid Of him he sells him for
the amount Of his Indebtedness to some other
planter without consulting him or his welfare.
PEONAGE THE CURSE OF THE COUNTRY
In this way a system Of peonage has come about
that is the curse OF the country peon IS not
worth half as much a mule. and therefore is not
well treated. He is often abused and III fed
compelled to live in unhealthful surroundings and
under the degraded conditions with even
less and comfort than his forefathers enjoyed
during the days Of legalized slavery. The natural
consequence is rapid decadence OF the race both
morally and physically, for In his desperate state
the peOn have no self-respect no ambition and
no purpose except 10 forget his misery in drink
and other vices that not only undermine his con-
stitution, but transmitted 10 his children who
grow up among similar conditions to enter the en-
ployment OF his master they are old
enough TO be useful.
OF course there exceptions TO this rule There
are some haciendas on which the aborers