The Monticellonian., 1902-06-20
COSTLIEST OF FARM ACRES,
Agricultural Advantages of tEe Ca- nary Islands Make the LaLd
 Very Valuable

Over 2,000 steamships annually visit the Canary islands which lie in the At | lantit west of the sahara Desert. In fact most steamers travelling between European ports and South America and Africa touch at the islands uf Grand Canary or Teneriffe to recoal. The captain of an English steamship re- gently said that he knew of no place where coaling might be done more eN- peditiously than at Santa Cruz, the port of Teneriffe.
 Thus the Canary islands are of con | siderable importance in the world- | 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 before they are planted in more north ern countries. The Canary islands, in fact, have much the same relation to some European countries that Der | muda 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 situ ated for irrigation bring an enormous price. In fact the prices asked for till able land would be regarded almost everywhere else as very exorbitant. For example. all the best lands in the environs of the city of Las Palmas are planted i'll bananas. A well-watered hectare of banana plants yields q clear profit of S500 a year. or about S20O an acre. The result is that not d hectare of the best lands situated on the lit toral and at an altitude of less than 700 feet can be bought for less than $5,000 hectare. It is doubtful if there are many areas of cultivated lands the world over that are held at so high a 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 appre- ciate' the bananas they receive from the Canary islands. The fruit is sent principally to London. One of the steamship lines which dispatches a vessel every week from La Luz. the port of Las Palmas. carries from 10.- 0eo to 10000 punches. There are other important sources of bananas in the other islands and all the steamers in the island trade are spe- cially fitted for fruit transportation.
 AnothereXport 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 50 tc 200. Potatoes of the very best quality are also becoming an important shipment, and the tobacco industry. which has de- veloped considerably in recent years is another of the agricultural resources that is swelling the exports of the Canary islands.
 The people need all the land they can irrigate because there is so large demand 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 plac- ing the streams and ponds under con tribution and selling the water they carry to the fields at so good profit that for several years past they have annually augmented their business and capital from 10 to 20 per cent This company is now nearly completing fne largest irrigating enterprise yet un- dertaken. It began the work in May. 1898. and it will be finished this sum- mer.
 The little city of Arucas with r.. GOO inhabitants is on the north side of the island of Grand Canary. Around it are many plantations of bananas and toma- toes making it the most important az ricultural region of the islands. There is opportunity for much larger develop ment 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 q 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 therefore form complete enclosure. The wall is about 100 feet in height. 75 feet wide at the base and 13 feet at the top. With so formidable a struc- ture it is not likely that the impounded floods will ever break it down. The capacity of the enclosure will be SO0.- GOO cubic meters and the stone. sand and lime used in building it have all Teen derived from the immediate Dpiph bOrhOOd More thon ooo ,rorI. men have been constantly employed on the works for the past three years II is expected with the aid of this re- source to add hundreds of hectares to tie cultivated lands ia the north part of Grand Canary.