The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-09-02

and there are now enough Americans on
the island to consume the products of all
the truck farms that are likely TO be e.
tablished here for years 20 come. Poultry
farms. too. though more troublesome and
uncertain. would doubtless pay extremely
well. Successful experiment has proved
that tea can be probably raised in our
own South; then why not better In Cuba.
where soil and climate arc more like Chi
ma and Ceylon? At any rate, the farmer
might hedge his beans and cabbage with
tea plants, as we'll with other bush. The
Department OF Agriculture at Washington
will furnish the plants feee Of charge;
his wife and childrne oan pick and dry
the leaves. and IL he gain nothing but the
filling Of the 6amily tsa-caddy the expert
ment Is worth trying.
Another great agricultural pursuit Of the
near future, both in Cuba and Puerto
Rico. wiz be the raking Of cacao, the
plant that produces the chocolate bean.
It grows to perfection IN these islands,
where the natives consume a great deaf
of chocolate. But In an Cuba there Is not
u
being required TO reduce the bean to the
powder from which the beaverage Is made.
Indeed. there are almost no factories OF
any kind in Cuba, because II has always
been SPANS policy to discourage manu-
featuring in her colonies. so as to com
pell the people to buy OF the unnatural
mother country.
The time is ureIy coming when Cuba
and Porto Rico Will be the great fruit
producing refions of the Western Hem
isphere. II prune culture pays SO we'll In
California, why not better In Cuba
whsre land Is cheaper. and where. for at
least a century to come, there VIII be no
danger or over-production7 Just so with
olives, almonds. chestnuts and many
other things that are now comparatively
unknown in the West Indies. Oranges OF
exquisite flavor grow wild in all parts
of Cuba, but no attention has ever been
paid to their cultivation or expectation.
Cocoanuts and other spontaneous
yrowthb Of the island are always in de-
mand. Besides, q multitude OF tropical
fruits, little known and not usually
relfshed BY the Anglo-Saxon race. there
are many less per1shable varieties. such
as guaSas, tau1arfnds, mangoes and
aguacates. which might profitably be
conserved. or with proper care transport
ed uncoOked.
As to bananas, the field r. practically
unlimited. To be sure-like love. and the
Scriptures. and many other good things.
It IS an ''olG old story" and the same
may BE- saiod Of wheat potatoes. corn
and other STATS OF life which the world
goes on eating. No crop requiring small
capital 10 grow is 50 readily marketed
and always profitable as bananas. They
thrive in almost any soil. need hstle care.
and Yield ffty times as much IN weight
to the acre az wheat. Suppose you con-
Guided TO turn banana planter. and paid
az high as s. the ARE Tor twenty acres o.
well cleaned land in the vicinity % Trim
fdad. Santa Clara or any other pleasan5
Cuban city. You might obtain any num-
Der Of plants Wild. for no cost except
the hire Of a man 20 dig them; but BY far
the better tWay would oe 10 60, 20 sono
established plantation and buy suckers"
which sell for rs the thousand. Setting
the plants fifteen Zee, apart. your twenty
acres will accommodate more than 100
plants. costing 800. And 10 that amount
the price Of your land. 10 for wesding
and another 81 for harvesting. and the
total outlay foots Up 20 l7to. The suckers
shoot up Ike magic. and In a few
months each has stalk called the
stool" from twelve 20 twenty feet n
the air. with a single gigantic bunch OF
fruit growing like gold near the top. The
lowest prize bananas ever bring is =
cents the bunch. American MONEY. On the
plantation. II carried 20 New Orleans
they command from - 70 - cents the {
bunch. ans when SUCCESSFULLY transported !
% England (which f. not an easy matter.
for then they mus; BE- pickles very green
and allowed 20 r4pen IN the dsrk without /
bruissng). they bring a. high as - tbs |
bunch Rsckoned ~ the IOsTcs;. your /
40Oo punches. with no cost or risk % /
trans porta ron will sell %heFe thsJ grew 4
70. a Thousand dollars. realizing = clear /
proat o. s70.
The sscosd year t1o b1nches may -
expected from each stool o. eight thoe- d
sand buocbes In AL. yielding '~o th98-
sad dollars. minus pa-S % the cost q
the previous year. This VII cDutlo7e
Until tie stools are sxhk1sisA Wis
they must Dc RrEDoed I'd aad neE w
err planted IN Their stead WIZ ~ Tres
afsssn feet apart suckers r,Ay - - -
tween then uhsn TIE hrss sign = en-
haustios app<ars. - that tssrs a@r8 b
no break IN the ytsid - 80 5iaaiati0n-
A. each stool Sends ap an q. s-gh' s'sra<
ST the esA .: tss third y@s- = - ~
poaslbie % reap sAsa; nznbe- - hsncb~s
fross each original ;rre. aoi ofisa four
or ave stems are Allowed - pFaSsnes
fruit But that 81 70; fhe 49, ~aT. 90
the fruit Sfii ~ zsch Sbsr osiT TIE
stems arr permitted 20 mature ne o.
sboyzs % ~sl5c&s=s~ ~ No. s>-3ef frf
sxtsaaing IRE piRstss.os. Gay - soaA
90 sSEss seEiarsr. - y0z ha4Ehs ys1T
Start. a. ths rate q - - ;ho1sAns
Tbs graceful psant. w5fh 80 spasasls
sweep - leaves bAs % trzEsk- but -
sogs. Marcus stem. hks esssEJ. . CO..