Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-08-05
IsGSegSz4L 90 cry A0USk" OF cI1PIIS

SO than otherwise. for exactly the opposite OF
the case in the west these far eastern lands need
to be reduced
They are almost too rich, and the fruit Of
trees they produce particularly young trees. is
apt to be coarse-sknned, too big and pithy.
These defects, nevertheless. time remedies, for
as groves age they lessen the supply of plant
food Eventually 1t will become necessary to fer
tize the trees, and then growers, by selecting
their fertilizer, control the quality of their
fruit.
They have, meanwhile, acquired their grove
without the expense for fertilizer the grower In
the west has been put to in order to produce his,
He on the other hand, has been to less expense
than the man in the east in the matter of clear
ing and he has not had to sit up nights wedding
to keep his grove from disappearing under
tangle of tropical vegetation.
The obvious conclusion, is therefore, that six
is onehalf dozen. Groves in both eastern and
western Cuba will produce trees and good fruit,
but neither will do so for any owner not willing
to pay the price under one head or another In
cash and also in hard work.
1t is conservatively estimated that
should undertake even fiveacre grove anywhere
in Cuba unless he has at least Sc. 900 where he
can lay his hands it. If he is a lively, capable
man he will probably not need that amount Of
money but no matter what his ability he should
be able to command at least that sum before en-
barking in the citrus fruit business here, He may
need it all, and more.
While no complete statistics are available, it
is the writer's impression that In western Cuba.
including the Isle of Pines the acreage of or
anges is more than that of grape fruit while in
the east II would that the grapefruit acre
age is the larger The older groves seem, usu-
ally to be orange groves: the younger the grove
the larger the proportion of grape fruit in ii.
Problems of transportation to market demand
careful study from all growers, prospective or
established Groves situated at a distance from
railway lines are handicapped at the start, for,
although there are many good roads in Ptnar del
Rio province, and all over the Isle of Pines. every
foot of haul counts and where the roads not
excellent, it counts heavily, most especially ia
wet weather.
Americans and Canadians have plunged head
foremost into citrus-fruit culture IN Cuba. Thev
are building up against odds, by their ndomitablc
courage and optimism, an industry into which
preceding owners of the lands they hold did not
venture The Spaniards and Cubans did not so
venture may have been because they were blind
TO the possibilities, lacked specific knowledge,
or the energy required; or possibly they we're
outmatched by adverse conditions In past dec
AIDES. Then again, 1t may be they were deferred
not by these things at ALL but by true under
standing Of basic conditions here: by a Tealiza-
ton of difficulties in the way OF competing, not TO
say controlling, In the markets where the citrus
fruit Of Cuba must be sold and especially, by
keen appreciation OF more profit to be made more
quickly and inexpensivey elsewhere In fine
they may have been governed by caution. which
does not notably distinguish the AngloSaxon
when engaged In opening up fields to him new.
New 10 him. be it noted but in Cubas case
not in themselves either or mtried. This
island is not virgin wilderness in toto 1t has
been under the domination Of white men for tc9
years not all these white men we're idle and
incompetent They appreciated the country and
in deveop.ng Its resources-not to the fullest ex-
tent possible nowadays, to be sure, but as far
as Iossble to them in their times-they
made fortunes.
The aniards devoted all the energies they
had for agriculture in Cuba to sugar cane and to-
bacco IN ne eastern and central Provinces and
especial TO tobacco in the west For four cen
turtles the" held fast to these two prod ucts thle
demonstra-tng that they we're possessed Of ~
more versatility than the American and the Ca.
madam %. in Cuba, insist upon discovering n
future save in citrus fruit
From -obacco and from cane the Spaniard and
the Cuba with him, has wrested the wealth Of
the Ind ss Rich as a Cuban planterr'-plauter
Of cane nd tobacco, not of oranges and Crane
fruit significant English phrase. To attain
TO the ath and the ease II implies has been
the amAHon of the adventurous and the avari
cious from 1892 to the present time