The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-06

in many cases the vegas which produced
them, by their tintings of rich brown
and freedom from discoloration. The test
Of the finest is in the smoking; cigars
made from it burn freely. with a white
ash which will remain intact at the end
until 1.-The weed is half consumed.
thirty-three acre vega should produce
900 pounds of tobacco a year. Of which
500 pounds may be "desecho," or best
Probably 1900 pounds of "desechito," or
second: 800 "'libre,' and so on. 1t IS
impossible to estimate the profit. because
the price per bale varies from forty ito
four nun ''.d dollars. according to the
class of leaf and the reputation Of the
vega. Some years. too. the pests that
infest the plant make sad havoc, and at
best vegueroes life Is spent in warfare
that knows no truce The Psalmist may
have had the Cuban vivijajua In mind
when he advised the sIuggard to go to
the ant, consider her ways and be wise.
Certainly the huge native ant, the viyi-
jajua, is the most Industrious thing In
this lazy land of tomorrow. II is to
tobacco what the locust is tor wheat, only
hundred times more 50.
When its Yisitations assume the propor-
lions OF plague the Cuban way of check
ing it Is to go in solemn procession to the
nearest church and implore the assistance
OF San Marcial, who 10 known to be the
special patron OF the veguroes. When
that fails, as truth complies US to admit il
has been known TO do. cremation Is the
last resort. and that unfortunately de-
stroys the plant as well as its pest, for
the eggs in the soil must be sterlized.
When the planter has watched his tobacco
grow up to sturdy plants six or eight feet
high. 1t Is discouraging. to say the least.
to see them suddenly droop and fade.
He cluts into the stems OF few OF them
several inches above the ground. and finds
a fragile lace work OF fibre where healthy
cells full of sap should be-the work OF in
dustrious and tasteful vivijajua- AS these
plants are. so are the rest in the field. and
the whole crop is failure.
Equally varacious IS the cachaga, an
ohter insect that assails tobacco and
makes the planters life burden. II domi-
Giles itself at the roots Of the leaves and
feeds upon the stalks. twisting the outer
edge Of the leaves. as 1t eats its way along
rapidly increasing family. Another pest
is loathcome VERDE" a little green worm
the identical shade OF the leaf through
which It travels, leaving nothing behind
but the midrib. a fat, jointed worm.
shaded from pale green to yellow. big
around as your thumb and several inches
long, eats like the lean kline OF Egypt, but
luckily are not so numerous. The rose
quiIla' gets into the hearts OF the buds
and multiplies so amazingly that in
twenty-four hours the plan: IS a total
wreck. And there are others. too many 70
enumerate. To rid the vega OF these
animalculae the surest way Is TO pick
them OF by hand. and when the prayers
OF San Marcial have not brought relief
the tropical night sometimes witnesses a
strange sceue-a procession OF all the
hands on the place, headed by the owner
and tailed by the ove-seer. each with a
tiny lamp attached 10 his shirt front, NOV
ing with slow regularity Gown the long
drills Of tahe field. Outgoing the plants
Though for two long centuries the W.
eta Abajo was Cubas Klondike, yielding
enough tobacco for the island factories
to send out about two hundred and fifty
million cigars a year. there has not been
sufficient tobacco raised in Cuba OF late
10 supply the home demand Everyday
remembers Weyier's celebrated decree OF
p. forbiddinE the expectation OF Cuban
tobacco. aad how the insurgents got even
with him by burning the crops. green and
growing. and all the stored tobacco they
could lay hands on. Il IS estimated raAt
more than forty million pounds o. the
very best tobacco In the word WIS thus
wan,onIy destroyed TIE Marquis % Ten
sriife. who seldom acted without d-Iibera-
ton. had his reason for the order He
knew that the war was largely carried on
~ the Cuban cigar makers n Tamaa and
Key West every ore % whom gave III
orally from his weekly wage . the cause
% national liberty. To proh!5i. he ex-
port OF the lea fwou;d ;hcow al ,hese
men OUT - employment Ard deprive he
Insurgents % an Inp3rTaaa source o. rev
ezue Weyier also be-'eve- tsas es.,srs
and manufactures II re Cnits,I Sszses
would purchase a.! the ;osareo ~ haas 81
CuEa and so-oe Havana factories 10 czoss.
And 81 it happens !; Americas ID svy
AL ihey could ges before The decree. Pr
p,ssly delayed isYfbe execution. toak sf- /
fse;- TAe shrs~S Cagsss-C;snersl1tlaA I
private schemes q Ais Own to sezvs4z,ihe
same connec;ion. and he served rem 50
Esn that in spite 0. ssa-visE C1ss and In
povsrisheA Spain hA tet; the lslazs nul-
u-aiIiIanAire undsr eEsseass OF s0aas