Evening star., 1901-07-22
SMALL FARMS IN CUBA
AGRICULTURE IN THE ISLAND HAS
MADE PROGRESS SINCE THE WAR.
of Industry Produces
Engaged in Working the Soil.

| Engaged in Working the Soil.
Cuban Correspondence New York Tribune.
| 1t is one of the common mistakes that
Cuba is good to raise only sugar and to-
| bacco. Leaving out the culture Of fruits
which is going to take front rank in its
agricultural industry in the near future,
| there is yet a further variation in pro-
duction. Guines is the district Of small
farms and small farming. They raise crops
not only for local consumption, but for ex-
port to the United States. No section OF
the island gives a better chance to study
the prospects and the conditions Of small
| farming.
Before the insurrection brought such
great destruction the Guines district was
| one of the most prosperous parts of the
island. It has been coming UP rather slow
ly because, with large proportion of
| small farms destroyed. and with their own
cuperation was not possible. The fore
| closure Of mortgages which has begun
stiu bears heavily on some unfortunate
landowners but this is one of the newt
of government could entirely relieve.
| Nevertheless, in spite of the grip of the
Spanish money lender, many of the origt-
nal owners of the small farms their
heirs seem to be keeping their property
| or part of it. Their burdens are heavy,
yet encouragement is given that with
good season or two these VIII be light
ened
| Sugar Growing in Guines.
The Guines district is not given over
entirely--to small farming. for half the
country is covered with canefields. and
| there are several large centrales, or sugar
mills. which did not have to be rebuilt.
| hose hn noio ~
the largest in Havana province. which also
| operates a small refinery; the AmtStad,
| Nombre de Dos and other smaller estates.
! All Of these have raised fair crops this
| year, which have brought an average price,
and thus the gradual revival of the sugar
/ industry has helped other agricultural pur-
suits. The cane planted insures crop at
| least aue-fourth larger next season. and
| this will be an additional aid toward recu-
| peratiun.
| The Guines district differs from other
! parts of the island in that it does not de-
| pend on nature alone for it's fertility. Irri-
cation enabled it to become the market
| garden of Havana, and to export a consid-
| cradle surplus crop Of onions, potatoes and
| other vegetables to the United States. 1t
| Is claimed that good part of the Bermuda
| onions instead of coming from Bermuda,
come from Guines. BY means of irrigation
| the district is enabled to market two crops
! of both potatoes and onions annually. in
addition to other products which are raised
| for the island consumption.
Irrisating bitches Restored.
| The irrigating bitches have not been re-
stored to their former condition, but
enough is seen Of the system to demon
| strate its value in a country where the
rainy season of four or five months is sup
posed to furnish sufficient moisture for the
| rest of the year. Guines, by means of irri-
| cation, has had the advantage over the
| other parts of the island in that it could
| alternate the crops with greater regularity,
| and not affected by the occasional
| drouths which occur often enough to dem
| onStra te that the rains in Cuba not
perennial or perpetual. The soil is both of
the rich black loan and Of the red earth,
| which is sometimes called mulatto land.
| 1t Is good for sugar as we'll as for fruits
and vegetables. but 1t does not produce the
| tobacco leaf Of the quality or quantity suf-
ficient to make this cultivation profitable.
The Spanish laws governing irrigation
are said to be very good ones. They pro-
| tect all parties in interest, and afford a
| sufficient guarantee for the investment OF
capital. Before the insurrection various
English and American syndicates were re-
ported to be projecting extensive systems
of irrigation. Since peace came these re-
| ports have been revived, but, like most
enterprises which are dependent on Amer
| ican capital, the realization comes very
| slowly. Yet in time the object lesson which
Guines has given of the value of irrigation
| Is certain to be taken advantage OF, either
| by cooperation among the landowners
capital.
Production of the Land.
| In the days before the war and insurrec-
ton the possession of caballeria of land
| with few oxen anywhere in the Guines
| territory constituted what would be called
in the states a well-to-do farmer. A cabal-
leria Is thirty-three and one-third acres,
yet in it's productive value it would pass
for the quarter section of 100 acres on a
western prairie. The farm houses and out
buildings, In all parts Of rural Cuba,
are simple and inexpensive. and the condi-
tions Of life, except for the oppression and
corruption Of the Spanish officials, were not
difficult to meet. Sometimes = caballeria
| would be sold for 5000 or thereabouts. but
1t was difficult to put any fixed price.
! The small holding was valuable enough
| to secure more than one advance from the
bodeguero, or storekeeper, who usually was
| the money loaner. In spite Of Is or 20 per
cent interest. compounded annually, the
| enough to stave off the foreclosure for
| long time, and the small farmers with the
| debts hanging over them managed to get
| along about as the great sugar planters
| did with their enormous obligations. Be-
| cause of the distress and poverty caused
by Instructions, some of the land has to
| be sold at sacrifice and it is cheaper than
| before the war, yet none of 1t Is to be had
| for a song. A caballeria under cultiva-
tion, while it may be bought comparatively
| cheap still fetches price not far below
tnat or tNo Dig IdTIn IN the OnlleQ States.
Americans Do Well.
number of Americans have come into
| the district in a small way, and are doing
fairly well. One group of them has made
an arrangement with the railroad company
to give them warehouse facilities. while others
are operating on their own account Just
after the protocol was signed a number
of Americans jumped into Cuban farming
| as they called it, and selected the Guines
country for the scene of their activities
A few of them leased lands, while to 9TH
ers were given the of tracts by some
of the large planters substantially for
nothing Few Of these early corners made
a success. The trouble that they
knew little Of farming and had no capi-
tai of their own. When they miscalculated
on the potato market in New York and
when too much rain spoiled part Of the
crop they were at the end Of their re-
sources. Others who came in later and
who had some capital are doing better and
are greatly encouraged at the prospects
which the Guines district offers.