The Canton times., 1902-05-09


The beet and cane product both considered,
Cuba is surpassed by but one country, Ger
many. with one and one-half million tons, as
a sugar producer, and is equaled by but one
other, Austria.
Cuba has exported in one year more than
6,O00, 900 pounds of leaf tobacco and more
than 1874 900, 900 cigars in addition to heavy
exports of baled tobacco of less valuable va
reties.
The shipping of nine Cuban ports, which
includes Havana, for the year 1894 amount
ed to 1856, ,539 tons, carried by 3,lS4 vessels.
The above three paragraphs give gen
eral idea of industrial Cuba of the past;
thew can scarcely be classed as even pro-
phetic Of the future.
Cuba and the adjacent small islands be-
longing to it occupy an area of $1,000 square
miles-a little less in size than the state OF
New York. OF this total area less than 10
per cent. has ever been under cultivation;
four per cent. is classed as forest land, and
large quantities OF the remainder Is virgin
soil awaiting development by progressive
people under a progressive government.
When such people under such govern
ment have turned this unclaimed area into
productive territory we shall have the Cuba
of the future.
But to go back again to the Cuba of the
past. Cane sugar development has been
confined to the vast central plain lying to
a great extent in Matanza province. In the
season of 1928 this great plain yielded
l,O54,2l2 tons of sugar, valued at $SO, ,OOO, ,O0o.
The sugar plantations of this territory
vary in extent from 100 to 200 acres, and
employ an average of one man to each two
acres under cultivation.
For several years the sugar industry in all
the West Indian islands has been in de-
plorable condition, but different causes
must be assigned for the condition in Cuba
than for the other islands In Cuba it has
been the series of rebellions and insurrec-
tions that have caused the decline OF the
industry. During the periods of compare
tive peace the industry has prospered, and
the reason may be found in the fact that the
Cuban planters have gone about the produc-
tion of sugar on large scale, and equipped
with the most modern machinery.
While sugar is the staple crop of first i'm
portance in Cuba tobacco has an important
place in the islands industries, and is even
more valuable than sugar when the acreage
under cultivation is considered. As Matan-
zas is the center of the sugar industry so Is
Pinar del Rio the center OF the tobacco IN
terests, though the tobacco fields may be
found in all sections of the island, and the
crop is exported from every port from Ha-
vana to Santiago
The average size of the Cuban tobacco
plantations, or vegas, as they are called, IS
only about 33 acres, and the average annual
production from a farm or vega OF this size
is something like 5000 pounds of tobacco OF
varying qualities. Of this amount, however,
there will seldom be more than from 400 to
500 pounds of the finest quality from which
the higher priced cigars are made; l,ooO
pounds of the second quality, and so on
down to the cheapest grade, which is, OF
course, the greatest in quantity.
In the wars of Cuba the tobacco interests
of the western portion of the island, IN
which is grown the better qualities and the
greatest quantities, have been but little al
fected until the last one. During the years
of -'97, however, these interests, like the
sugar interests of Matanzas, suffered heav-
ily from the conflicts waged over the tobacco
territory, and the planters are but now fully
recovering from the effects of the devasta-
ton which the revolution left in its path.
Among other agricultural products which
the island is capable of producing, and from
which much may be expected in the future,
are coffees and fruits. The former is espe-
cially adapted to the mountain-sides and hill
lands of the eastern portion. There was q
time when considerable quantity of coffee
was exported from the island, but the pc
litical conditions rendered its cultivation
improbable, as there was always an uncer-
tainty of getting the crop to market. In
point of quality Cuba can produce as good
coffee as is grown anywhere in the world,
and there is but little doubt that it will soon
become leading industry.
Though the present value of the fruit crop
of Cuba has greatly diminished in compari'