Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-12-26
Agriculture Pays
M re in C u b a
Than in the
United States

The recent figures given out at
Washington, when analysed, show
some interesting facts. Not the least
interesting is that during every day
of last year the farmers Of the United
States produced S20,307,000 and
every day of the year they produced
$1,800000 more than they did last
year. The total wealth these farmers
added to the country in 1907 was ST.
412,000,000. Averaged by states the
sum means S152,0O0,O00 for every safe
Of the union which would be eonugh
TO stop any panic ever faced by Wall
street.
Thus has the farmer worked in the
United States and thus has been his
golden reward Is there not o lesson
In these figures for Cuba? In the
states the government recognizing the
great latent wealth in successful agri-
culture has given it every encourage
ment possible. For many years seeds
in enormous quantities have been dis
tributed free to the farmers and mil
lions have been spent in agricultural
schools. That the money was well
invested is to be seen by the results
that have come from it.
Cuba is essentially an agricultural
country and the soil is capable of pro-
ducing far more than that from which
the American farmer has wrested so
many millions of wealth. The Ameri-
can farmer who last year produced
daily a sum Of $20,307O0O can only
grow one crop Of corn year while
two and even three crops can be
grown in Cuba
In the United States but one crop
of tobacco can be grown while here
in Cuba we grow two and three crops.
In the United States cane must be
planted every year, while mere in Cuba
it needs to be planted but once every
six or in some cases twelve years.
All that Cuba needs Is to have her
agricultural encouraged as American
agriculture has been and this wonder
full island will astonish the world"
The above Is an editorial appearing
in the Havana Daily Telegraph, a
daily paper printed in English in
Havana, Cuba, dated December -,
1907. and where it refers to Cuba it
will apply with equal force to the isle
Of Pines, which is but few miles off
the Cuban shore, with climate and
soil equal to Cuba and some say SUI
perior. Being an island about 80 by
40 miles, the sea breezes blow over
Its whole extent, thus tempering the
summer heat, it having a temperature
rarely above 95 degrees farenheit.
All that Isle Of Pines needs is to have
her agriculture encouraged as Ameri-
can agriculture has been and this Won
derful little island will astonish the
world
1t is said that from five to seven
Fights Of the whole Of the land is
now owned by Americans, and Is fast
being put under cultivation, and the
orange grove seems to rank first, as
its climate and soil clearly indicate
that it is the natural home of
the orange, lemon and grape
fruit, and as the noted Florida nur-
serman has said
If you plant ten acre grove now
and take good care Of it six years, it
will take care of you the rest of your
life" And in view of the above fact,
almost every owner of 20 to 40 acre
farm is putting out from 5 to 20 acres
in these fruits and in the interval Of
the trees coming into bearing he is
cultivating pineapples, bananas, tobac-
co, winter vegetables and corn This
is a land where frost is unknown, eli
mate ideal in it's healthfulness. Such
is the Isle of Pines.
VIM. Hansel, Ottun1wa, Ia.