The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-31
SEA ISLAND COTTON IN CUBA.

SEA ISLAND COTTON IN CUBA.
The Havana correspondent Of the
| New York Tribune sends to his paper
cotton growing industry for Cuba The
long-staple cotton is to drive sugar out
OF the island. as the money crop, and
take its place. It is asserted that ex-
periments have already shown that the
cotton can be grown there with won
derful results. So well adapted are
the climate and soil Of Cuba to sea
island cotton, It is asserted, that the
cotton gives almost twice as many
pounds of lint to the acre as that OF
any other country Of which there is
any record. Last year experimental
crops were grown that yielded all the
way from 1900 to 1000 pounds of seed
cotton to the acre, whereas the aver
age yield on the sea islands of South
Carolina is about 700 pounds to the
acre. And, according to the Tribune's
informant. the quality of the South
Carolina sea island cotton, which has
been thought the finest in the world.
lis not to be compared" with that of
Cuba; meaning. of course. that the
Cuban staple is much better.
The extraordinary yield of the Cuban
cotton. however, is far from being all
to recommend IL as a bonanza crop.
We quote; THE bush (of. sea island
cotton) in Cuba grows all the way
from 6Ha fO fna 4aI >
makes it so especially profitable is that
it will grow for eight to ten consecu-
tive years without the necessity of re-
planting. Thus the expense to the far
mer will be practically nothing after
it is once planted" All the farmer
will have TO do will be to WELD the hoe
a little before the poisoning season,
and then gather his o. when it is
ripe. The first crop gathered,
it is claimed, six months after the
planting, and thereafter the farmer
will have his steady source of income
each year. If he be a small farmer.
he will not even have to pay out any
thing for help, since with a wife and
children he can do his own harvesting.
So far there is no machinery for gin
ming the Cuban production of sea is
land cotton in the island, but there is
already one American company in the
field to provide ginning apparatus in
time for the next seasons crop. The
Cuban government, has taken up con-
sideration of sea island cotton as a
staple crop, and will give whatever
aid it can to the new industry.
All of the foregoing is very interest
ing. and important if true" If the
Tribune's correspondent bases his arti-
facts, then Cuba has a source of
wealth which makes her sugar grow
ing look Insignificant by comparison.
But 1t seems to be rather odd that
1t has remained to this late day for
the discovery TO be made that Cuba
can grow sea island cotton in such
marvellous abundance and at such low
cost. There must have been a Ger
tain number of enterprising farmers in
the island, even under Spanish rule
who were ever watchful for an op-
portunity to add to their incomes, and
it does appear reasonable to suppose
that sea island cotton did not entirely
escape their attention. Meanwhile,
since the Cuban government has the
facts in hand and may shortly give out
something official respecting the mat
ter, one can only wait and wonder at
the alleged newly found possibilities of
the island