The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-10-17
SMALL FARMING IN CUBA
SATISFACTORY PROGRESS SINCE
THE WAR.

sATisFACToHY PROGRESS SINCE
THE WAR.
Americans who Have Gone in There
Are Making Money ana Have Ex-
oeelingly Bught Prospects Ahead.
II BIS one of the common mistakes that
Cuba is good To raise only sugar and
tobacco. Leaving out the culture of
fruits, which is going To- take front rank
ln its agricultural industry iu the near
future, there is yet a further variation
in production. Guines is the district Of
small farms and small farming. They
raise crops not only for local cOnsumps
ton, but for export to the United states
No section Of the island gives 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. 1t has been coming up
rather slowly because, with so large
proportion of small farms destroyed
and with their owners dead or heavily
in debt, speedy reCuperation was not
possible. The foreclosure Of mort
cages which has begun still bears heav-
lily ON some unfortunate landowners
but this is one of the inevitable results
of the war which no authority of gov
eminent could entirely relieve. Never
theess in spite of the grip of the Span
ish money lender, many of the original
owners of the small farms or their heirs
seem to be keeping their property OF a
part of it. Their burdens are heavy,
yet encouragement is given that with a
good season or two these Will be light
ened.
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 su-
gar mills, which did not have to be re-
built. Among these are the Providen-
cha, one of the largest in Havana pro-
vince, which also operates q small re-
finery; the Amstad, Nombre de Dois
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
pursuits. The cane planted insures a
crop at least one-fourth larger next
season, and this will be an additional
aid toward recuperation.
The Guines district differs from other
parts of the islands in that it does not
depend on nature alone for its fertility.
Irrigation enabled it to become the mar
ket garden of Havana, and to export a
considerable surplus crop of onions po-
tatoes and other vegetables to the Unit
ed States. 1t is claimed that good
part Of the Bermuda onions, instead of
coming from Bermuda, come from Gui-
mes. BY means of irrigation the dis
trict is enabled to market two crops of
both potatoes and onions annually, in
= To- H.. a "A.
raised for the island consumption
The irrigation bitches have not been
restored 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
supposed to furnish sufficient moisture
for the rest of the year. Guines, by
meants of irrigation, has had the ad-
vantage over the other parts of the ISL
and in that it could alternate the crops
with greater regularity and was not
affected by the occasional droughts
which occur often enough to demon
strate that the rains i'm Cuba are not
perennial or perpetual The soil is both
of the rich black loan and of the red
earth, which is sometimes called null
latto land. 1 is good for sugar as well
as for fruits and vegetables, but it does
not produce the tobacco leaf of the
quality or quantity sufficient 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 instruction va
rious English and American syndicates
We're reported to be projecting extensive
systems of irrigation. Since peace
came these reports have been revived
but, like most enterprises which are
dependent on American capital, the rea-
Hzation comes very slowly. Yet in time
the object lesson which Guines has Civ
en- of the value of irrigation is certain
to be taken advantage Of, either by CO.
operation among the landowners them
selves or by corporations with outside
capital.
In the days before the war and insur-
rection the possession of a caballeria Of
land with a few oxen anywhere in the
GuineS territory constituted what would
be called in the state a well-tO-do farm
err. caballeria is thirty three and one
third acres, yet in its productive value
ii would pass for the quarter section of
100 acres on a western prairie The farm
houses and outbuildings as in all parts
OF rural Cuba, are simple and ineXpen-
sive, and the conditions of life except
for the oppression and corruption of
the Splash officials, We're not difficult to
meet. Sometimes a Caballeria would
be sold for $4,000 or therea bouts, but it
was difficult to put any fixed price.
The small holding was valuable
enough to secure more than one adj
vance from the bodeguero, or store
Keeper, who usually wac the money
loaner. In spite of Is or 20 per cent in
terest compounded annually, the pro-
ductiveness of the soil was great
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 planters
did with their enormous obligations. Be
cause of the distress and poverty caus-
ed by instructions, some of the land
has to be sold at a sacrifice and it is
cheaper than before the war yet none
OF 1t Is to be had for a song. A cabal-
leria under cultivation while IL may be
bought comparatively cheap, still fet-
ches a price not far below that of the
Dig farm in the United States.
A number of Americans have come
INTO the district in a small way, and are
doing fairly well. One group of them
mas made an arrangement with the rail-