The Democratic advocate., 1909-04-23
AMERICAN FARMER IN CUBA.
He Shows the Natives How to Grow
Fruit and Vegetables.

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Fruit and Vegetables.
From the Havana Post.
Probably the most notable fact in
connection with the exhibition OF
Cuba's farm products, aside from the
marvellous quantity and quality OF the
products displayed, is that the ex.
hibit is made up almost entirely OF
products from American farms IN
Cuba. Cuban growers are not repre-
sented, except in a small way, for the
very good reason that the Cuban
farmer has always devoted himself TO
the cultivation of cane and tobacco
and has bothered himself but little
with fruit and vegetable products. He
is at a disadvantage compared with
the American farmer for that reason,
just as the average yankee" farmer
would be at a disadvantage in the
growing of cane or tobacco here IN
Cuba
This feature of the exhibition has
been observed by many of the Cubans
who visited the display, A writer or
La Lucha, Don Gil, comments on the
exhibition, stating that as the pro-
ducts shown are from Cuban farms
Cuba being eminently an agricultural
country, all of her riches coming from
her exuberant soil-it would be sup
posed that the exhibitors were like
wise Cubans.
'But this is not so. Their progen1-
tors are Yankee of pure stock; work
ers who came to Cuba in search OF
the promised land. and discovered
they had found it. Through Incidence
or apathy, we have not availed our
-, oI1 n 0f tho for
tility of our soil, hence we import fri
joles from Mexico corn from the
United States and no end OF cereals,
which we could grow not only with
positive profit, bue even export If the
case need be.
THAT which is not cane or tobacco
we do not consider worthy of our
agricultural vigilance. With the
judgment of mosquitoes, we leave the
balance for the Americans.
ITO them will belong the kingdom OF
the earth. And when they appropriate
it, by-by my bankroll and yours
Meaning to say that if Americans pro-
duce the wealth of the country, there
will be nothing left for the Cubans.
There is nothing queer about the
coming of American farmers to Cuba.
For the 10 years that Cuba has been
free, or nearly so, the plant OF her
statesmen and economists has been
that there were not enough FARMERS,
that thousands of acres Of this rich,
exuberant soil which is Cuba's proud
boast, was lying idle, and not so long
ago as six months Cuban Minister
Quesada left his post at Washington
to induce foreign farmers to emigrate
to Cuba But the only ones who came
were farm hands who, after gather
ing cane for couple of months, re-
turn to their own country with the
money they have earned. The Ameri-
can farmer has come instead, and as
testimonial of his ability he gives
US the horticultural exposition. He
is one of the best farmers on earth and
ne comes to make productive the Vlr-
gin fields of this island. He does the
work that Cubans will not do, or
have not done, he fills the place that
Cuba has tried to fill by sending out
foreign agents.
But his coming does not mean fare
well' to the Cuban bankroll any more
than the emigration of some hundreds
of thousands Of thrifty German farm
ers to the United States meant the
farewell to the money of the Ameri-
cans, or any more than the advent
OF the Portuguese to Hawaii, or the
Japanese to Chill, meant the same
thing.
The cultivation of Cuban land by
the American and the making of two
products grow where none grew be-
fore will be a stimulus to the Cuban,
and from his tobacco and cane he will
branch out under the influence of the
good example set him, into fruit vege-,
tables and grain. There is land enough
in Cuba to feed a multitude with it's
products, and we believe that fears of
corner of the agricultural wealth
of this island are Altogether out of
place.