Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-21
Sugar the Basis of Industrial and
Commercial Activity.
THIS YEARS CROP is LARGE
Great Returns From Tobacco Cul-
ture in Some Cases.
FRUIT CULTIV TION

Special Correspondence OF Inc fVelliIlR star
MATANZAS. Cuba. December -, 1900.
Cuba is recuperating almost by leaps and
bounds. The signs of this may not be found
in Havana, where the depression was never
so great as in the country. and where the
revival, therefore, would be less marked
But the indica tons are met with every
where when once the city is left behind.
Sugar is the basis of industrial and com
mercial activity. No one looked for a
generated Cuba until sugar production came
up again. 1t is coming up rapidly. | have
seen the smoke from q few of the centrales
or central mills that have started grinding
this early in order to get the benefit Of the
present market price. Everywhere there is
life in the cane fields, and the OK carts
laden with the cane found seen moving
on some of the larger plantations. Within
two or three weeks there will be much
greater activity.
In the sugar district, which not not long
ago was almost barren. there are now vast
fields of cane. All of the area that was
swept by the flame Of inSurrectfOn has not
been replanted hut these uncuItivated lands
are lessening with each season.
This Years Sugar Crop.
l heard the estimates of 800 900 to $50 Oa0
tons for this years crop, and thought them
too large The sugar planter in his efforts
to secure credit with his banker is apt to
exaggerate the yield. Usually his estimates
may be discounted by one-third. But the
money lenders, who renew mortgages on the
land, and make further advances on the
crops. are not prone to overestimate. Last
year early in the season, they Were all
misled because the drought proved to have
been much more severe in its effects than
was thought. This experience has made
them quite conservative in their guesses.
20 l. y4rnr iSrgp hat hp ma y
houses in Havana adhere to their estimate
of a sugar crop this season which vii. be
substantially double that of last season.
when il was in the neighhorhood of 10000
tons The point they make is that instead
of reducing their figures, their latest in
formation causes them to push the notch I'D
toward 100000. This means a crop valued
at from S3O.GN,O 900 to 500. O.H1 and an IN
fux of money into Cuba from December
until April. such It has not seen In the
last five or SIX Years. a couple of years
back the planters did not know how they
were going to get oxen to work their fields.
or means to replant the vast acreage that
had ceased producing. Somehow they are
managing to do 1t. and some of them this
last summer made their usual trips to
Paris. which. to the knowing means that
the prospects were good enough for them
to secure additions to the mortgages already
on their Plantations. IT would be unjust
to make this sta ement Of them as class
for the majority have been STAYING at home
and looking after their property.
Prospect for the Future.
Half a million tons Of sugar or even 6l0.-
100 tons. Is not phenomena! crop for Cuba
It only seems great by comma rison with the
small yield of the period during and follow
ing the insurrection. This season the cane
harvested will he about half the crop of
the years of greatest production The price
will not be high as in the pa'my days of
old. but it is high COMPARED with the last
three or four years. All this shows that
Cuba, as the natural home of the cane. Is
getting ready to challenge the beet sugar
rivalry OF Eurnrean countries, with or with
Out cOunterya'iing taxes.
The StatistciarS who study the fndica-
lions Yeas ahead have told me that next
season the cron will he fully th~ee-nuarters
Of million tons and from that time on
ward it will march forward steadily until
it passes the figures of former years Of
prosperity. I do not imagine that the ex-
perts can discount the climatic Droba bill
ties. such as the drought but their main
proposition IS correct. for the conditions of
sugar production are now favorable to
steady progress. Within two or three wears
he plantations which formerly We're under
cultivation will all be bearing cane again.
After that Il = the new areas which will be
opened up. These chiefly in the eastern
end Of the island. and No one can guess the
additions which will he made to the crop.
The Van Horn railway syndicate is going
INTO SUGAR the primary bass IN its de-
Nei0nmeDC pans. Inc lrOit COMPANIES
which bought immense tract Of land In
he northern mart of Santiago province are
not going tn restrict themselves to fruits
Sugar IS part Of their general scheme ]
heard the other day in Hav7na that inter
ests Identified with The American Sugar Re-
lining Company. or the sugar truss. which
before The tnsur~eCti n had made extensive
purchases around Tamano de Sae1a and
which ceased work at the time If Maceo's
invasion, were preparing TO continue their
enterprises There ave other. projects Of
lesser maeri'ude They all mean the cree
ton Of surar nils we'll as the cultiva-
ton of great areas OF undeve'oDed land FIR
n the eastern er7 + the island few mills
have been built. This means that there will
he a lrr"e amount Of machinery imported
Nevertheless. the chief significance Of the
renewal Of the Cuban sugar industry and
is extension les in its warfare with The
beet root.
Tobacco Culture.
Relatively tobacco is a small crop COM
parp6 with ~ t.