The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-05-14

| Il umphal tour of that island,
| which he had not seen since
| taken from it. Il prisoner. nearly u
quarter of a century ago. is now in Ha-
vana, awaiting his Inauguration and
| formal assumption of authority, May
! 90 In all his words and actions thus
far. General Palma has exhibited wis
| dom, prudence and self-control. He
seems to be undoubtedly the man for
the place.
In view of the nearness of Cuba's
entry into the list of independent ma
tions. interest re-attaches to an esti-
mate of her future submitted by Gen
eral Palma some time ago in the Inde-
pendent. After treating at length of
the capabilities and needs of the Cuban
sugar industry, Il subject now familiar,
he continued: I'VE hope to extend the
| productive energy of the people of the
| island to the utilization of other and
| very valuable possibilities which the
country affords We look for Cuba 9
| greatest measure of prosperity in the
| future to her immense mineral, ,resour-
ces chief among them being iron and
coal. and to the advantages which pre-
| sent themselves for the raising of
| fruits, vegetables, cotton. hemp, rubber
| and coffee. and for the breeding of cat
| tie for the home market Even the
| most brief consideration of the profits
| which Cuba's marvelously arabic land
| Offers will convey an idea of the posi-
| bilties awaiting her people.
h "In the fruit trade we already export
| to the United States quantities of ba-
nanas. pineapples and cocoanuts. The
growth of these fruits we hope to
spread to a much greater degree than
prevails now. Cubas climate and her
soil wait only for her peoples active aid
to add to the list oranges, tamarinds.
manSoes and the extremely valuable
agauacatc. 1t is II green fruit Of large
size whose dense yellow pulp possesses
the flavor of almonds. All Americans
who visit Cuba are delighted with it.
Already Cuba exports some few spec
linens of the agauacate, as she does
oranges.
"The possibility of quick delivery of
ocean freight which is of perishable
character opens to Cuba the whole
American market. Only three days are
required by swift steamers for shipment
from Havana. This extremely laVora-
bic circumstance offers the same posi-
bility to the Cuban grower of vegeta-
bleS us it does to the cultiNator of
fruits. ImportationS by the United
States from Cuba include already to-
mutoes. egg plants. cabbages. potatoes,
green peppers. ochra or gumbo, and
squash. Cuban farmers are expert
menting with asparagus, radishes and
sweet potatoes. The sweet potato of
cuba is of Il quality even better than
the variety grown in the southern
states. | have mentioned here only Il
few of the vegetables that promise eX-
cellent profit to the Cuban people. They
are trying with much care TO develope
the strawberry, SO as 10 permit of the
raising of large quantities, whose flavor
and size will find popularity III the mar
kets of the United states. There are
large opportunities also, in the importa-
ton by this market of Watcrmelons and
canteloupes, which have hitherto been
grown for domestic consumption alone,
Cuba is one of the homes of cotton
Thus far, however. the absence OF sys-
tematic cultivation has left Cuban cot
ton in II condition of little value. We
expect to introduce the Egyptian vari-
ETY. and to bring it up to Il level of
excellence which shall command buyers
for all the island can grow Hemp is
easily raised in Cuba. 1t grows there
naturally and little care is needed. The
best opportunities for its production are
offered in Cardenas and Puerto Princ-
pc. where no small amount is already
being raised. Both provinces have some
factories in successful operation, but
the hemp industry Is Il mere infant
compared with the proportions To which
it can be legitimately expected to at
tain.
las for rubber, there are some caout-
chouc trees growing i'm Cuba, chiefly on
soil that has no other use. But in the
province of Havana Cubans are already
esta blishing nurseries for young trees,
and the people are buying them eXten-
sively.
Some years ago the island produced
all the coffee that was needed for the
supply of the home market The war
ruined so many plantations that capt.
tai is now necessary 10 bring this par
ticular industry 10 profitable position.
We could not hope to compete With
Brazil and other countries that grow
cheaper coffees, but there is no doubt
we can raise a crop sufficiently large
at q cost of production sufficiently low,
to satisfy the demands of the popula-
ton of Cuba.
There We're in the island before the
war no less than 100000 head OF cattle.
During the progress of the conflict all
these cattle were destroyed. Since then
Cuba has imported, as beef, cattle by