Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-07-16

tains the names of 225 American firms
and individuals engaged in tropical
agriculture in Mexico. OF SO that DO
not report their capital, 50 are strictly
tropical plantations. Fifteen planta-
ton companies that advertise freely
/ have an aggregate capitalization of
so, III, 900, or s13.0S per acre on the
land that they claim to own. The
plantation that has advertised most
layishly, employing one of the most
expensive advertising mediums in the
United States, has a capitalization of
s., SOC 600 on 5000 acres. But six of
these fifteen are reported by Barlow
and there is wide variance in the
| capitalization as advertised and that
/ to be invested. In 1901 four sugar
plantation companies were organized
with an average capitalization of
S2,S25, 900.
Almost without exception these
companies purchase wild land that is
covered with a dense growth of
tropical vegetation. The first cost of
the land is nominal, from fifty cents
to one dollar peT acre. The expense
comes in clearing and preparing for
cultivation. The companies report
labor as plentiful and cheap, but in
formation from various sections seems
to indicate the contrary. The fact
that many Japanese and Chinese
, laborers are imported does not point
to an easy condition OF the labor
market. Much care and experience is
necessary in the selection of loca-
ton as the soil is not even in its
fertility. Land adjoining a successful
plantation may be worthless.
The only crop that at present seems
certain to yield profit is sugar
Mexico has all the advantages and few
of the disadvantages of the other
sugar producing countries. The cane
natures eighteen months after plant
ing and needs to be replanted only
once in twelve to fifteen years, while
in other places il must be renewed in
from three to FIVE years. The best
lands in Cuba will yield fifty tons of
cane per acre. In Louisiana twenty.
ive tons is the maximum. In Mexico,
on the best lands, sixty to eighty tons
can be raised, while some claim that
it is possible to produce one hundred
tons per acre.
Mr.. Jameson of the American En-
cheering company of Mexico has
made q report that seems to be con-
sentative, especially when compared
with the estimates of the profits of
sugar planting made by others. He
places the annual net profit per acre
at $376.S5 Mexican, or s16749 gold,
which at the present price Of land is
a very large return.
Many plantation promoters claim
that coffee will yield large returns,
but at the present low prices this
seems to be the poorest crop to raise
There was such an overproduction ia
3razil last year that the government
is seriously considering the destruc-
ticn of twenty per cent. of the product
a Chicago investor spent over s25, 900
on his Mexican plantation in an at
tempt to raise coffee. He has now
given it up entirely and is planting
sugar.
The great hope of tropical Mexico
is rubber and the returns that its
cultivation premise are most alluring
Rubber grows wild in every tropical
country. South America produces
the best quality and by far the largest
n nloI hi
Genes from India, the Malay
peninsula, and the islands adjacent,
although Mexico and Central America
are close competitors. Many thou,
sands of acres are being set out to
rubber trees in Mexico. The trans
planting is comparatively easy and
the trees grow well, but clearing the
land is expensive.
The best rubber is called Para, from
its port of shipment, and is obtained
in the Amazon region where the rain
fai is about seven feet. The most
valuable is reported as growing under
water the entire year while the
second quality is obtained from trees
under water only part of the year.
Although there are serious attempts
being made to grow rubber in various
parts Of the world, there seems to be
no successful example of cultivation
that proves that it is feasible. Some
Of the governments of South America
have laws to aid in its cultivation and
several trials have been made, but all
have failed The most reliable report
was made by P. L. Sherman, Jr.,
special agent for the United States
forestry bureau, and was printed in
the report of the Philippine com
mission for December. This is
study, made on the ground, of the
cultivation of gutta percha and rub
Der in the orient. Here the govern
ments of the various rubber producing
countries have been actively engaged
in experimental cultivation for several
years. Trees are being grown and
careful study being made in the
botanical gardens of Penang, Sing
apore, Buitenzorg, Java, Bukit Timah,
S. s., and the Tjipitir plantations,
lava a great deal has been done in