New-York tribune., 1901-07-04
CUBAN SMALL FARMS.
OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED IN THE DIS
TRICT OF GUINES.
POTATOES AND ONIONS FOR THE AMER1
CAN AS WELL AS THE CUBAN MARKET
A TEXANS PROFITABLE VENTURE.

"A
Guines, Cuba. June % (speciaD.-It is 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 In
its agricultural industry in the 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 consumption,
but for export 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 de-
struction the Gtiines district one of the most
prosperous parts of the island. 1t has been COM
ing up rather slowly because with so large a
proportion of small farms destroyed and with
their owners dead or heavily in debt, speedy re-
cuperation not possible The foreclosure OF
mortgages which has begun still bears heavily
on some unfortunate landowners, but this is one
of the inevitable results Of the war which no
| authority of government could entirely relieve
Nevertheless, in spite of the grip of the Spanish
money lender. many of the original owners of
the small farms their heirs seem to be keep
ing their property part of it, Their burdens
| are heavy, yet ncOuragement is given that with
a good season or two these will be lightened
LARGE ESTATES IN THE DISTRICT, TOO.
! The Giiines district is not given over entirely
TO small farming. for half the country is covered
with canefields and there are several large cen
traIes. or sugar mills, which did not have to be
rebuilt Among these are the Providencia, one
of the largest in Havana Province, which also
operates a small refinery; the Amstad. Nombre
de Dios 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
! cuperation.
The Guines district differs from other parts of
! the island in that it does not depend on nature
alone for its fertility. Irrigation enabled it to be
come the market garden of Havana. and to ex-
! port considerable surplus crop Of onions pota-
/ toes and other vegetables to the United States.
It is claimed that n good part Of the Bermuda
! onions. instead of coming from Bermuda, come
! from Guines BY means of irrigation the dis
| trict is enabled TO market two crops of both
! potatoes and onions annually, in addition to
! other products which are raised for the island
! consumption.
! The irrigating bitches have not been restored
TO their former condition. but enough is seen of
! the system to demonstrate its value in country
where the rainy season OF four or five months is
supposed 10 furnish sufficient moisture for the
has had the advantage over the other parts Of
! the island in that il could alternate the crops
with greater regularity. and was not affected
! by the occasional drouths which occur often
enough demonstrate that the rains in Cuba
| are not perennial perpetual. The soil IS both
/ of the rich black loan and Of the red earth
! which is sometimes called mulatto land Il is
! good for sugar we'll for fruits and vege-
tables. but II does not produce the tobacco leaf
! of the quality quantity sufficient make this
/ cultivation profitable
THE VALUE OF IRRIGATION SHOWN.
The Spanish laws governing irrigation are said
! TO be very good ones. They protect all parties
! in interest and afford a sufficient guarantee for
/ the investment Of capital Before the insurrec-
tion various English and American syndicates
were reported to be projecting extensive systems
/ OF irrigation Since peace came these reports
/ have been revived. but. like most enterprises
/ which dependent American capital the
! realization comes very slowly. Yet in time the
object lesson which Guines has given OF the
value of irrigation is certain taken advan-
| tage Of either by cooperation among the land
owners themselves or by corporations with out
side capital
| In the days before the war and insurrection
| the possession of a Caballeria of land with
few oxen anywhere in the Gtines territory con-
stituted what would be called in the States \
| well-tO-do farmer. A caballera Is thrty-three
! and one-third acres yet in its productive value
| 1t would pass for the quarter section of 100
acres on a Western prairie. The farmhouses
| and outbuildings. s in all parts of rural Cuba
| are simple and inexpensive. and the conditions
OF life, except for the oppression and corruption
| Of the Spanish officials, were not difficult to
| meet. Sometimes a caballeria would be sold
| for $1,000 thereabouts. but il was difficult to
| put any fixed price. The small holding was
| valuable enough to secure more than one ad-
| vance from the bodeguero or storekeeper who
| usually was the money loaner. In spite of IS
! or 20 per cent interest. compounded annually
| the prOductiveness of the soil was great enough
! to stave off the foreclosure for long time
and the small farmers with the debts hangins
| over them managed to get along about as the
| great sugar planters did with their enormous
| obligations. Because OF the distress and pow
| erty caused by Instructions some of the land
| has TO be sold sacrifice and IL is cheaper
| than before the war yet none of it is TO be had
! for a song. A caballeria under cultivation
while it may be bought comparatively cheap
still fetches price not far below that of the
| big farm in the United States
AMERICANS IN THE DISTRICT
number of Americans have come into the
district in small way and are doing fairly
| Well One group of them has made an arrange
| ment with the railroad company to give them
warehouse facilities, while others are operating
| on their own account Just after the protocoI
! was signed a number of Americans jumped into
| Cuban farming. they called it, and selected
| the Guines country for the scene of their ac
| tivities. A few of them leased lands while to
|