New-York tribune., 1907-06-30
DROUGHT errvnno Z MEXICAN Colonists HOME from CUBA
BY Lewis r. Freeman.

II there is another thing in which the difference
between theory and practice Is great the bitches
between the working out 0f the plan paper and
In the field r.auy. and the disillusionment in
the transition frcri anticipation to realization
complete. in the color zutlon of a country,
II has vet 10 le heard of. The large body of
American cc'onists ncw IN Cuba may III ;i,ne
furnish some cy n'ions tc this but probably ret
r'ore than enousn to r~cve the rule.
Prior TO the rar Of 1893 the Americans living
n7d following agricultural pursuits in Cuha-not
counting managers ana assistants on sugar and
tobacco 9lantat,ons-cculd eimost have been told
OF on ones fingers Immediately following Ameri-
can occupation the great exodus Of Spanish resi-
dents threw large amount of good land on the
market at low rrices. and this in connection with
rhe glowing reports circulated through the states
regarding The Islands agricultural promise was
the magnet which drew the first American colo
Ists 10 the older and more settled parts Of Cuba.
41dler me opening OF the vast central plains
through the huiiding of Str William Van Horne's
Cuba Railroad from Santa Clara to Santiago at
iracted others. while, still recently the eX-
tensions Of the Cuba Eastern IN the vicinity OF
Guantanamo have kept the tide of immigration
steadily flowing. As a result of these movements
the number or American coonists in Cuba to-day
must be considerably IN of so 00 distributed
through every one Of the six provinces of the
ISLAND.
Among these American colonists may be found
families from every state in the Union, the greater
part Of them, however coming from east of the
Mississippi and most of the latter from Pennsyl-
vania, New Jersey, New York and the New Eng
land states. Most of them were farmers before
eInlgrating. but many mechanics and tradesmen of
every class may also be encountered. Those who
have had previous farming experience in the states
have done rdher better than those totally without
agricultural training. but the farmers have
met with endless lot OF difficulty through their
slowness in adapting themselves TO changed condl-
tlons
Thus met ono colOnist who. having always run
his 50-acre Pennsylvania farm with the help Of a
hired man." who at his orders for sixteen
hours or more out Of the twenty-four still has
clhculty In understanding why he cannot"keep up
ne same area Of oranges and pineapples with the
help or single Cuban peon who takes at least
Two OF ms ten working hours for his MONDAY
Sesta- Another, who. went to Cuba with q large
sum OF money and bought land in the Vueta
Abajo district In Pinar del Rio, was so sure that
he could double his crop by ploughing to twice the
usual depth that he dropped $1,000 a year for three
years before he was ready to acknowledge that the
regular practice-the result Of q couple OF centuries
q experience-was the best. Others have starved
OUT their young orchards Of citrus fruit bv crowd
ing IN bananas between the rows In a well meant
el0rt TO have something that would be Welding
returns while their trees coming TO bearing
Nhlle many more have made the fatal mistake of
setting out their hard acres to seeding
oranges OF the class that Florida and California
growers years ago tore out and DESTROYED because
It's fruit unmarketable