The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-02
John RHODES WRITES OF CUBA
What the Farmers Raise and How
and Nhaf [ [ Is Worth

Guthrie, 0. T., Jan 1.-The best let
ters written from Cuba in any American
paper are hose from Rough Rider John
Rhodes, which appear in the Hennessey
Kicker. His latest is from Matanzas,
dated December H. and reads:
"Slnce my last letter I have been over
great deal of the province and am
greatly surprised at the amount of cane
now ready to grind. I was fifty miles
Que from Cardenas and as far as the eye
con reach on each side of the train the
country is one vast cane field; thick as
a Jingle and high as the cacs. One has
to sec q cane field TO appreciate it. Many
Of the stalks are three inches thick and
are. at least fifteen feet high. It seems
incredible that so much could grow on
che piece of ground. The people here
know of nothing but cane and tobacco
ana have let all other resources go unde-
ve'opcd The reasons for this are OBJ
vioEs; one man expressed it exactly when
he said Cane produces all the money
we want why should we look for any
thing else?" That is the reason for plant
ing tobacco and everywhere have been
there are small fields of It. This requires
a great deal of labor for about three
morths. but IS it is in the winter sea
son when the weather is cool enough 50
ore can work. this does not matter. 1t
also comes in at a time when there is
no labor in the cane fields. Every house
has a small patch Of it in the yard to be
used for home consumption. About 10000
plants are put to the acre and requires
fee ton of the ground, it is all done by
hand. The only implements used are
hoo and knife for cutting. There has
never been a cultivatOr on the island and
they know nothing of horse cultivation.
Three months from the time of seq ing
ou1 plants the tobacco is ready to cut,
ana FIVE months from the time of plant
ing it is on the market. 1t brings from
. cents TO $50 gold per pound, de-
pending upon the quality. The better
grade IS raised in Pinar Del Rio prov
ince. With second best in Havana and
Santa Clara provinces. and the third best
in Natanzas. Here 1909 pounds TO the
acre is considered an average crop and
worth ordinarily 80 cents per pound. It IS
this class that IS manufactured and
of Havana cigars. But little OF the best
grade ever reaches America, but is sod
in royal circles Of Europe; France TAX
ing most Of it. Cigars made from it
retail here at 10 cents each.
Pee culture has been and will be again
a great feature here. I have seen sew
eral thousand hives and let is no IN
cor mon thing 70 find 500 hives in one
spot The honey is strained by hanging
in q sack and allowed to drip. A hive
Of bees fill a box one foot square by four
fee. long three times q year. As there /
is 10 time when they cannot work. it IS !
unnecessary 10 leave any of {, for them |
to feed upon. Il all finds a ready sale at
50 cents per gallon for strained honey /
and - cents per pound for wax. The I
wax is all CONSUMED here. being used 5y /
the church for candles The honey is be |
irg gskeu from the bees now and but l
yesterday saw q piece Of wax that had !
been moulded in large wash tUb. The /
honey had been placed in hogsheads /
reaEr for market
Coffee IS 10 5e found in The yard of /
every plantation and am informed that .
az one time the French had great coffee /
plantations. worked by slave labor. Oar 4
ing one CT the wars Between France and .
Spain the French were driven from the .
Island ard their plan-a,icus allowed 10 4
grow Up in srass ana husses. The Gu I
bars and Spariards prcscrred cane 10 coz 4
fee - tina; :. has been entirely neglected /
except that needd fos home consumption !
Ccnae mUst lie s-cvn IN the shade and 4
Is mostly grown under the orange tree
thus obtaining TWO crops from one oiece
Of ground. Piaeapples also require shade
and are usually grown in conneclsf With
bananas.
quite numbsr Of Americans have
settled near agaJanzas and are going into
frui5 and coffee raising. There are sew
e-sl business houses here, also American
and ir time The entire business VII oe
IN their bsrds.
'-The presidents uessase ia rcrard 70
CUca has given universal sat.sfe ten -
19tA CU5ans and Saan4-3s. sad wal ave
gu. an sIcct en- ne future .soz.eEily
Of Ia, island"