The Washington herald., 1909-01-23

Countries OF lne world Inc increase II
the consumption or sugar In the las,
century Is one OF the most striking evl-
dences OF the extension Of the use OF
luxuries to the masses OF the people
The increased demand has caused a
wonderful expansion OF sugar produc-
ing territory, and improved methods
OF agriculture have multiplied the
yield OF every acre Great as the
increase has been, and despite that
sugar has become an absolute he
oessity 20 almost every civilized
human being, the business Of making
sugar has not materially changed II
IS now as It always has been, q business
requiring large capital for Il must be
worked on large scale. The small cane
farmer may exc out an existence. but he
will never be prosperous. The greater
the acreage. the bigger the mill. the
more the number OF employees. the better
II is for the profits, and the better il
IS for the consumer.
Almost $4,000 acres OF Cuban land are
devoted 10 the cultivation Of sugar cane.
Yet there are only is plantations in the
island Their average acreage Is about
4-500, although some are much smaller
and some run up into tens Of thousands
But from the tinlest Of all. the Ingenio
QuijanO at Marianao. at the city gates Of
Havana, to the great Central Chaparra
in the Oriente, each sugar plantation IS
the center Of affairs OF It's particular
section.
The plantation is called a central
pronounced almost as in English. ex-
cept that the accent is on the last syl-
lable). or an '-ingenio," which is akin 10
the English word engine" and refers
more direct. 70 the mill The central
Is, in very fact, the center OF al activ-
ity Of its neighborhOod. The Cuban peas
ants, guajiros, look 20 the central for
their livelihood, the Chinese coolies re-
gard il az the fountain OF all authority,
the mayorals. or overseers. acknowledge
its supremacy, and the social life Of the
community IS guided by Its edicts-
The greater plantations have private
steam railway systems running through
their lands 70 convey the cane to the
sugar mill. but in many instances the bull
teams and the two-wheeled carrelas, are
depended upon for transportation. The
sverseeTs. wearing the wide sOmbrerO
and the gay colOTs OF authority. ride
over the fields directing the work OF the
men much in the same fashion as before
the emancipation.
The grinding season begins in Deem
Der and continues until May Or June.
This IS the period Of greatest activity
in Cuba. The people are busy and no
body expects any trouble After the
sugar crop is disposed OF. then the wise
ones look out for trouble. In the sugar
cane fields the Cuban farm laborer be
comes skilled in the use OF the machete.
a skill which he has more than once
turned TO dreadful account 81 war The
machete IS a great. powerful knife which
looks Ike a cross between a big carving
knife and butchers CIeaver. There is
a trick IN its use which is acquired only
with long practice in the cane fields
With the first few strokes the machete
takes away the tops and leaves the
naked stalk OF The cane one powerful
blow fells that, and the sugar-laden cane
Is ready 70 be piled on a drag, to be pull
ed away TO the railway, 10 be lifted on
a car BY q steam derrick always attached
10 the uamway engine, and then 10 be
carried 10 the crushers at the mill
Negroes are In q vast majority in the
cane fields. Negroes are in the majority
in the population Of the whole island.
and by their economic pressure they ac-
tually control the sugar business. They
DO not share IN the profits Of an extra
ordinarily successful year. perhaps. but
it is within their power at any time 10
turn the seasons work into disaster. In
-
the one vital issue The negroes believe
they have won a victory. IF, under the
new republic, the negro voters shall be
disappointed the sugar planters OF Cuba
may well be prepared for trouble.
IN the mills the laborers are negroes. |
SPaniards, Chinese coolies, and highly
paid American mechanics and engineers.
Young college men from the States
watch the manufacture and apply 2
knowledge Of practical chemistry TO every
process. forcing science to pay its tribute
10 energy IN coin OF the realm The ma |
chlnery Of the larger plantation mills is /
new and up-to-date Everything thar
Al.ss-ican money can buy and Yankee |
ingenuity Caz devise HIS been added 10 /
the Cuban sugar mill equipment since /
the beginning Of the American Industrial l
invasion OF 1925 Yet with all these /
things, the system Of conducting a sugar
central has not been changed in the I
slightest degree The ideas Of the peo-
pie have not been changed Cubsns de-
clare that when all else IN the island has /
been thoroughly Anglo-Saxonized. and
when all else that is peculiarly Latin has
persisted. the sugar central stiu will be /
Cuban n every essential.
Yet American methods have extended
the acreage devoted to sugar cane and /
have increased the output Of the mills.
The statistics show steady increase
ever since the Americans came 10 the
Island, an Increase which was not af-
fected even by the revolution Of 1906
which caused tire United States to re-
sumo provisional government In the re-
public
Almost al the lands OF Cuba are
adapted 10 the growing Of sugar cane.
The Cuban land is so fertile that il viii
grow sugar cane OF fair quality for twen-
y years from one planting and without /
any fertilization. The improved methods
Of farming do not permit such long
growths, but It is still quite possible
FREQUENT reDiantings that is. frequent
for Cuba, with the use OF fertilizer and
with green heterogeneous crops 10 be
ploweo under, greatly enhance the value
u an acre. The experiment station work.
lone under the general supervision Of the
American Department Of Agriculture. has
done mach TO improve the methods Of
zane growing IN Cuba
The acreage now devoted 70 sugar cane
s twice as great as It was when Spain
eft the island on the Ist Of January.
Ss9. Millions Of dollars have been in