The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-15
HIGH PRICED FARM LANDS.
SOME OF THE C0STLIEST OF
 ACRES
Are in inc Canary Isiands-The Reason
 for the High Prices.

Are in inc Canary Isiands-Thc Reason
 for the High Prices.
 Over two thousand steamships annu- ally visit the Canary Islands, which lie in the Atlantic west of the Sahara des- ert. In fact, most steamers travelling between European ports and South America and Africa touch at the islands of Grand Canary or Teneriffe to recoal. The captain of an English steamer re- gently said that ne Knew or no place where coaling might be done more eX- peditiously than at Santa Cruz, the port of Tener,ffe.
 Thus the Canary Islands are of con siderable importance in the world s commerce. They are also of much use to Europe because they grow fruits or vegetables which Europe cannot pro- duce or which mature in the islands be- fore they are planted in more northern countries. The Canary islands, in fact, have much the same relation to some European countries that Bermuda with its early potatoes and onions has to our market.
 There Is comparatively little rainfall in the islands. The result is that all farm lands which are favorably stua- ted for irrigation bring an enormous price. Tn fact the prices asked for till Table land would be regarded almost everywhere else as very eXorbitant For example, all the best lands in the enyirons of the city of Las Palmes are planted In bananas A we'll watered hectaret of banana plants yields clear profit of five hundred dollars year, or about two hundred dollars an acre. The result is that not hectare of the best lands situated on the littoral and at an altitude of less than seven hum dred feet can be bought for less than five thousand dollars a hectare. It is doubtful If there are many acres of cul- tivated lands the world over that are held at so high price. The reason is that the extent of these lands in the Canary islands Is small, the demand being far greater than the supply.
 European countries greatly appreci- ate the bananas they receive from the Canary islands. The fruit is sent prin- cipally to London. One of the steam ship lines which dispatches vessel ev- cry week from Las Lux, the port of Las Palmas, carries from ten to twenty thousand punches. There are other im- portant sources of bananas in the other islands and all the steamers in the is- land trade are specially fitted for fruit transportation.
 Another export which has had large development is tomatoes. They are shipped while still unripe, each tomato carefully wrapped in paper and packed in little cases containing only fifty to one hundred. Potatoes of the very best duality are also becoming an impor- tant shipment, and the tobacco indus try. which has developed considerably in recent years, is another of the agri- cultural resources that is swelling the exports of the Canary islands.
 The people need all the land they can -iirigate because there is so large de- mand for their products. They are therefore paying particular attention to irrigation. Every stream that can add to the water supplies for their farms is being carefully husbanded. A local company has for years been placing the streams and ponds under contribution and selling the water they carry to the fields at 80 good profit that for several years past they have annually aug mented their business and capital from ten to twenty per cent. This company is now nearly completing the largest irrigating enterprise yet undertaken. It began the work in May 1898, and it will be finished this summer.
 The little city of Arucas with twelve thousand inhabitants is on the north side of the island of Grand Canary. Around it are many plantations of ba- nanas and tomatoes, making 1t the most important agricultural region of the islands There Is opportunity for much larger development of the farm lands if sufficient water is provided. It is expected that the large works now in progress will supply this need.
 In the country some distance from the town is a range of hills down whose northern slope a great deal of water pours during the winter months. A wall is building in the form of a half circle, both ends of which abut upon these hills. The wall and the hills will IL The wall is about one hundred feet in height, seventy-five feet wide at the base and thirteen feet at the top. With SO formidable structure 1t is not likely that the impounded floods will ever break down. The capacity of the en- closure will be eight hundred thousand cubic meters and the stone, sand and lime used in building 1t have all been derived from the immediate neighbor- hood. More than two hundred work men have been constantly employed on the works for the past three years. It is expected that with the aid of this re- source to add hundreds of hectares to the cultivated lands in the north part of Grand Canary.-New York Sun.
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