Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-19

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BANANA PLANTATION
and under them thicket of young trees
which grow mp for thirty feet without a
branch. These trees are hound together
with vines, long iianas hang down from
their limbs and here and there take root
in the ground. Tie tops of the trees are
covered with air plants, and orchids by
the thousands r0"st in their branches
There gre dead trees which have fallen
this way and thai, broken by the wind
and dead vines. the whole so matted and
woven together that i would be impossible
to go through This Jungle without an or
a ,Iachete. The Wilderness continues all
the way from Alto CeGro to Nipc bay. and
it still surrounds the greater part OF the
bay. There age. however, about four thou
sand acres which have been cut down.
burned over. and turned into i plantation
of sugar cane, oranges, bananas. pineapple,
coffee and cacaC. TaiS tract belongs to H.
Dumois & Company. and it is the result of
only four years work. 1t is the most Won
derful agricultural exhibit l have ever seen
in any part of the world.
An Agricultural Garden of Eden.
This land, as I have said. was a jungle
four years ego. Today it is an agricultural
Garden of Eden. 1t contains one million
banana trees. one million pineapples, three
hundred thousand orange trees, eighty
thousand cacao trees, and one hundred and
sixty thousand coffee trees. all thriftily
growing. The cultivated lands cover four
or five thousand acres There are not as
many weeds upon this tract as in the best
kept kitchen garden Of the United States
l rode on horseback thirty-ffve miles over
the plantation, taking two days to it, riding
sixteen miles 1T trim and | did
not a dozen weeds nor a dozen blades
of grass. The crops are kept as clean as a
floor, and the growth of everything is be-
You'd belief
This plantation is just at its beginning.
The property is only four years old. The
company owns 10000 acres, and of this
only one-tenth has been planted. 1t is ex-
pected that the planting will continue SO
Mr.. Dumois tells me, until they have 5000,
600 pineapples, 1900, 900 banana trees and
100000 orange trees. These. when in full
bearing, should net about 300,O0 cases of
pines. 100000 punches of bananas and
100000 boxes of oranges every year. The
company has a capital stock of 81 100000,
and when its plantations have reached the
above condition they should bring in about
81, 900, eco year This condition will prob
ably come within two or three years. The
company is a close corporation, consisting
OF Mr.. II. Dumois and his son. his broth
ers and a few friends and relatives. There
is, believe. no stock for sale.
iAS - oAt 4AAAS VI NlpS
Before describe my visit to this es-
tate, let me tell you something of its
chief owner. This is Mr. Hippolyte Dnmo:s,
the fruit king of Nipe bay He has been
raising fruit in Cuba all his life, and he
knows more today about the country and
how to get the most out of it than any
planter near Santiago and Mr. Dumois be-
gan life in the fruit business His first
plantations were at Baracoa, on the north
ern coast of Cuba not far from Cape Maisi
and little later lie bought $4,000 acres of
land near Banes bay. He cleared 10000
acres there and set 1t out in bananas and
was doing an enormous business shipping
his crops to the United States when the
Spanish war broke out He then had a fleet
of fruit steamers, there were twenty miles
of railroad on his plantation. and everything
was on proportionate scale. His prop
erty was destroyed during the war, but at
its close he rejuvenated it and merged it
with the United Fruit Company. He had
large amount of stock of this company
and acted as the manager of the Banes
plantation. building the central Boston su-
gar mill, which is still running.
When everything was in full operation
he decided to retire from business life
and went to Havana. He soon became
disconnected, however, and then returned
here and bought the enormous tracts of
land which are now owned by himself
and family and the Nipe Bay Company.
The property was first bought in connec-
ton with the Nfpe Bay Company; but he
has taken his share, and now owns in
connection with his relatives more than
10000 acres of the richest land in Cuba
A part of this estate is on the island of
Saetia and the peninsula of Raymon, and
another part on the mainland bordering
the bay and the Tacato river. He has
about twelve miles of railway on the es-
neck of the Saetia isthmus connecting
Nfpe bay with Levisa bay, making Sac
tia an island
Pineapples by Millions.
came with Mr.. Dumois from Santiago
to Antilla, and I have spent several days
with him on his estate during my stay
Leaving Antilla, we rode across the bay
In the plantation launch to Saetia, where
Mr.. Dumois has million pineapples, a
million banana trees and several hundred
thousand orange trees now growing. Five
hundred men are there employed and the
homes of Mr.. Dumois and his sons and of
the various officials make quite q colony
Their houses line the shore near the
wharves. with beautiful park between
store. blacksmith shop, a machine shop
and number OF comfortable homes, the
largest Of which is that of George c. Du-
mois. the SON of Mr. H. Dumois.
Sixteen Miles Of Bananas.
Directly back Of the buildings the banana
plantation begins. They extend along the
shore for miles rising up the hills SO that
| the whole side OF the island Is banked with
great mass Of green leaves. The planta-
| ton has excellent roads. and during my
stay took horseback ride through these
banana fields Of fully sixteen miles. The
banana trees were tar above my head an
| rode through them on Q LITTLE white pony,
| and. indeed. could hardly reach the fruit
| By standing upright on my saddle. Ths
| trees were not over six feet apart ana rid
| inS through them y Ike going through
great ribbcn-iike lsavss Which m.s1