The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-27
CUBAN TOBACCO GROWERS
Hopes and Fears of Those Who
Cultivate the Weed.

Possibilities of the Future in the
IsIand-Prospcctivc Competition Of
the Porto Rican Product Causes
AIurEr-Needs of the Small Farmer.
PINAR DEL RIO. Cuba Jure 21--The
Cuban tobacco farmer Is not unlike the
Western wheat grower or corn raiser.
Rains or droughts have a great deal to do
with the view he takes Of the tobacco in
dustry and of his own condition. When
the rains come at the right time, and
when the dry spell lasts just long enough
he is fairly cheerful. and does not have
q gloomy opinion of farming in general
and of the tobacco industry in partlcu-
lar. When the seasons are d!slocated and
there is too much moisture at the wrong
time or too much dryness at the right
time, he is a pessimist and thinks that
tobacco growing is going to become one
OF the lost arts in Cuba
The last two seasons have been only
fair. and prices have been hardly up to
the average, yet in this region there is
no disposition to talk OF turning the to-
bacco lands into something else The
crop is the wealth Of this province. and
VIII continue so in spite OF occasional dis
eoura gements- The removal of the eN-
port tax by direction Of the Washington
authorities has helped to reconcile the
growers TO an average return when they
hope for an exceptional one. The crop
last year was about 10000 bales of 10
pounds each, but the price was low one
The exact figures are not yet obtaIn2b!e
for this year, but, taking the island as
a whole. the crop may be q little larger
with prices a shade better
No two experts among the owners of to-
~. no Ia
vana manufacturers agree as to the eX-
tent to which the future production Of
tobacco may be increased Some of them
insist that. except for the very inferior
crates there can be no material increase
Of production Others offhand will say
that Cuba can produce in exceptionally
favorable circumstances FIVE times the
amount II now raises Conservative guess
ers after figuring a while usually say thal
with proper encouragement the present
crop of the island may be doubled within
the next ten or twelve years Probably
that is as good guess as anyone can
make.
NOT 50 MUCH To LEARN.
Tobacco differs from sugar in that the
Cuban producers of the leaf have not so
much to learn as the sugar planters, and
there is not the field for Introducing more
modern methods that exists with sugar
In the case Of tobacco economy OF pro
ductior probably has not reached its limit
vet there is 10 wide discrepancy between
what il actually costs TO deliver bale OF
tobacco to the factories ii Havana and
what il should cost The methods OF cul-
tIvation are simple. and il future econo-
mics are to be effected they viii be chiefly
in driving. shipping and warehousing
rather than in actual cultivation An
incidental help has come from the
Weather Bureau reports, that system
having been extended by the American
authorities under the Signal Service
Corps.
1t is the general testimony that the W.
eta Abajo district is likely TO increase its
production within the next few years,
though not phenOmenally. 1t IS stated
that a considerable portion OF tobacco
lands which have been rested through a
series OF years is beginning to be cult
waited again, and that the quality Of the
leaf produced IS excellent. Ordinarily
good tobacco lands do not need much
resting. and the alienation Of = corn crop
is sufficient
The common belief has been that in all
the Yaeita Aba5o region not an acre Of
good soil exists which has not been in
cultivation. but this is something Of an
which produce the leaf from which the
cigars are made which sell at 81 apiece
and upward are claimed TO be capable Of
extension However. the general state
nent is made that development OF tobac-
co growing in Cuba viii be neither in the
VueIta Abajo nor in the Partidos or Ha-
vana district. but in the central region
OF Las Villas. where good average quail
ity can be procured. The Remedies dis
trict in Las Villas now spreads south
through the Manicaragua Valley. ard d
number OF Americans have gone into the
latter place and are said TO be quite sue
cessfuI
Among the tobacco growers there does
not seem to be much fear that the Syndi-
Gates, or combinations. ever VIII be able
% control production II must be said
that the experience of the American and
English capitalists who have sought
to combine the factories as the
first step toward a monopoly Of
production confirms this view Of
the growers The future Of the to
bacco industry, III the opinion Of those who
have studied the subject on its industrial
side. as well as OF the growers, Is that
the only possible means by which the mo
uOUnlv could be secured would be TO own
ali the. tobacco producing lands IL the ISL
and II the estimate that the present
crop could be doubled within ten or twelve
years Is approximately correct the ClIn-
Guilty Is inSu-nloGntable-
The tobacco grower has the benefit Of
competition among the buyers and Fle
largest factories. and he has an instinc-
tive sense Of the value Of this competi-
ton 10 him Sentiment, which is an IN
known quality elsewhere. has something
TO do with II The man who bought his
crop and advanced the funds for il last
lr7n 10 frl4l Y 81 he