The Topeka state journal., 1901-06-27
LIKE ALL THE REST.
Cuban Farmers Are Little Diferent
From Their Kind EIsawhere.


New York. June 27.7The Pinar del
no correspondent of the Tribune says
Inc Cuban tobacco farmer is not un-
like the western wheat grower or corn
raiser Rains or droughtS have great
deal to do with the view he takes of
the tobacco industry and OF his own
condition. When the rains come at the
right time and when the dry spell lasts
long enough, he is fairly cheerful. ana
does not have a gloomy opinion OF
farming in general and OF the TOBACCO
industry in particular. When the sea
sons are dlSlOcated and Inere Is tOO
much moisture at the wrong time or too
much dryness at the right time, ne 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 nave
been hardly up to the average. yet IN
this region there is no disposition TO
talk of turning the tobacco lands into
something else. The crop Is the wealth.
Of this province, and will continue SO IN
spite of occasional discOuragementS
The removal of the export TAX by d1rec-
ton 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 460, 600 bales of 110 pounds each,
but the price was a low one. The exact
figures are not yet obta1nable Tor TINS
year. but taking the island as whole,
the crop may be a little larger with
prices a shade better.
Tobacco differs from sugar in that the
Cuban producers of the leaf have not
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 production probably has not reached
it's limit, yet there is no wide dlscrep-
ancy between what it actually costs TO
deliver a bale of tobacco to the factories
in Havana and what it should cost.
The methods of cultivation are simple,
and If future economies are to be effect
ed they will be chiefly in drying ship
ping and WarehOuSing, rather than IN
actual cultivation. An Incidental help
has come from the weather bureau re-
ports, that system having been extend
ed by the American authorities under
the signal service corps.
In the matter of production, however,
Americans do not find that they have
much to teach the CubanS of the
Canary Islanders. Two young fellows,
one from Iowa and the other from Ten
nessee, bought a farm a few miles out
of Pinar. The plants developed Splen-
didly, the leaves were green and the
tobacco field looked finer than any IN
the region. Nevertheless, their neigh
bors warned them of various mistakes
they were making. The warnings were
unheeded until the buyers began COM
ing through the country looking up the
choice crops. They made no bid for
that owned by the Americans. The lat
ter found that the leaves crumbled to
powder at the touch and their crop was
practically ValueleSS- Ine CUBAN To-
baccO growers do not themselves know
how to describe their way of analyzing
the exceptional qualities of soil, at
mosphere and moisture which give the
VueIta Abajo leaf its primacy, but they
know when a crop is deceptive in ap-
pearance and they know how to handle
it so as to secure the largest return.
The Americans, too, will know next
year, for they viii follow the advice of
their neighbOrs.
It is the general testimony that the
Vuelta Abajo district is likely to in
crease it's production. within the next
few years, though not phenomenally. The
lands which were in the initial process
of destruction when General Grant dis
covered the flavor of guanO in his
cigars and called the attention of the
Cuban producers to it at that time, had
been thoroughly fertilized, so that for
years the crop was tainted. Some of
them were left untouched Now it is
stated that a considerable portion of
tobacco lands which have been rested
through a series of years is beginning to
be cultivated again, and that the quail
ity of the leaf produced is excellent
Ordinarily good tobacco lands do not
need much resting and the alienation
of a corn crop is sufficient.