The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1910-08-06
LeEGI1L TDH Gly/ h0AHSZ'" ar cW1US

30 than otherwise, for, exactly the opposite OF
the case in the west, these far eastern lands need
to be reduced.
trees they produce, particularly young trees, Is
ant to be coarse skinned, too big, and pithy.
These defects nevertheless, time remedies Tor
as groves age they lessen the supply or plant
food Eventually it will become necessary 10 1er
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 MS
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 weedihs
to keep his grove from disappearing under
tangle OF tropical vegetation.
The obvious conclusion, is therefore, that SIX
is one-half dozen. Groves in both eastern and
western Cuba will produce trees and good frult
but neither will do so for any owner not Wiling
to pay the price under one head or another III
cash and also in hard work.
1t is conservatively estimated that no man
should undertake even a fiveacre grove anywhere
in Cuba unless he has at least $4,000 where ne
can lay his hands It, If he is a lively. capable
man he will probably not need that amount OF
money but 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 1t all, and more.
While no complete statistics are available, 1t
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 it would seem 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 It,
Problems of transportation to market demand
careful study from all growers, prospective or
established Groves situated at a distance from
railway lines handicapped at the start. for
although there are many good roads In Pinar del
Rio province, and all the Isle of Pines. every
foot OF haul counts and where the roads are not
excellent it counts heavily. most especially In
wet weather.
Americans and Canadians have plunged head
foremost into citrus-frut culture in Cuba lhey
are building up against odds. by their indomitaoe
courage and optimism, industry into "hlch
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 were
outmatched by adverse conditions In past dec
ades. Then again, 1t may be they were deferred
not by these things at ALL but by a true under
standing of basic conditions here; by a reaiza
tion 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 a
keen appreciation Of more profit to be made more
quickly and inexpensively 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 to him. be 1t noted, but in Cuba's case
not in themselves either new or untried. This
island is not a virgin wilderness in toto. 1t has
been under the domination of white men for 40C
years. Not all these white were idle and
incompetent They appreciated the country and
In developing its resources-not to the fullest ex
tent possible nowadays. to be sure. but far
possible to them In their times-they
made fortunes.
The Spaniards devoted all the energies they
had for agriculture in Cuba to sugar cane and to
bacco In the eastern and central provinces. and
especially to tobacco in the west. For four cen
turtles they held fast to these two products, thus
demonstrating that they were possessed OF nc
more versatility than the American and the Ca
madam who. in Cuba. insist upon discovering nc
future save in citrus fruit.
From tobacco and from cane the Spaniara, ant
the Cuban with him. has wrested the wealth "
the Indies. Rich Cuban planter"-plantel
of cane and tobacco, not OF oranges and grape
fruits a significant English phrase. To affair
to the wealth and the ease 1t implies has beer
the ambition of the adventurous and the avari
cious from 1892 to the present time.