Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-20
Effect OF Short Tobacco Crop in Cuba

n MOKERS of Havanas will soon find
it necessary to limit themselves to
a cigar on Sundays unless they
happen to be millionaires with reck-
less disregard for money. The tobacco
crop in the Vuelta Abajo this year came
so near being destroyed by excessive
rains that no more than half the usual
yield can be cut.
Doubtless there are a number of men
in this world who never heard of the
Vuelta Abajo, but some of them are in a
fair way to be made aware of its exist
ence before another twelvemonth rolls
around. The Vuelta Abajo produces the
finest cigar filters that are grown in all
this big round world; hence when this
supply is reduced one-half there must
be privation and suffering among to-
bacco connoisseurs.
The Vuelta Abajo is a section cover
ing space of 500 square miles in Pinar
del Rio, the most westerly province of
Cuba. 1t lies on the sunny southern
slope of the Organ mountains, pro-
tected from the steady winds which
thrash and bruise the delicate leaves in
other sections. Like the wines produced
ny d lew SIIldll vineyards Ill lile Il
province of Champagne, the tobacco
grown in this small district has a char
acteristic delicate flavor that has so far
proved unattainable elsewhere. Numer-
Gus learned scientists have tried in vain
to discover the secret of this superior
ality, but they have failed.
But Cuba haT recently established an
agricultural experiment station under
the direction of an American eXeprt
department at Washington, so nature
will probably not be able to hide the
secret much longer. once the conditions
are thoroughly understood Cuba's out
put of Vuelta Abajo quality of tobacco
will be increased hundred fold and
become so cheap that even in a political
campaign every one will be able to
smoke good cigars.
There are three tobacco-growing sec
tions in Cuba-the Vuelta Abajo in
Pinar del Rio, which produces the ex-
Quisite filler and some fine wrappers;
Partido, in the province of Havana,
which produces fine wrappers and some
filters; Remedies, in Santa Clara prov
1nce, which produces heavy filters of the
kind used in so-called seed and Ha-
vana" cigars. In the first named prov
ince there Will be barely half a crop this
year; in the other two the crops win be
t.
poor quality, so that the money value of
the crop of the whole island will not be
more than half of the usual amount.
Tobacco growing does not require the
costly plant that sugar raising does, so
1t is peculiarly Cuban industry, where
as the sugar industry is passing into
the hands of foreigners. chiefly Ameri-
cans. One hundred thousand persons
make living in Cuba by raising to-
bacco. A so per cent reduction of the
income of 100000 persons means, of
course. a curtalment of their buying
capacity by just that amount. AS
nearly all manufactured goods and a
considerable amount os food products
come from the United States, this mis-
fortune to the Islands tobacco crop will
be felt here in more ways than one.
In 1904 Cuba exported 1894 tons of
leaf tobacco, 206 ISL 900 cigars and 16.-
$4,000 packages Of cigarettes, of which
large part came to the United States.
In fact, the United States is becoming
more and more dependent on Cuba for
its tobacco supply. In 1900 the value of
tobacco in all forms imported into the
United States from Cuba was $9,SO7,
693, while i'm the first eleven months of
1905 the amount had increased to 3d.
663,622. The total value of the 1905
crop was $45, 5,00O,O00 OF which $4,000,
600 worth was exported. In the face OF
the tremendous increase i'm the con-
sumption OF tobacco any shortage in
the supply is a serious matter. Reduced
to figures by the internal revenue bu-
reau the increase in cigars manufac-
tured in the United States is shown tc
be from 4,163, ,972, ,440 cigars and 3, 1926, An.
675 cigarettes in 1905 to $500, .57i
cigars, 6,376, S,645 cigarettes and 72S.,