The Forrest City times., 1910-08-05

so than otherwise for, exactly the opposite of the case fin the west these lar eastern lahds need to be reduced
 They are almost too rich, and the fruit of trees they produce, particularly young trees, Is apt to be coarse. skinned, too big, and ptthy. These defects nevertheless, time remedies, for as groves age they lessen the supply of plant food Eventually it will become necessary 10 fer fflize the trees and then growers by selecting their fertilizer can 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 one-half dozen. Groves in both eastern and western Cuba will produce trees and good fruit, but neither will do for any owner not willing to pay the price under one head or another In cash and also in hard work
 It is conservatively estimated that should undertake even a fve-acre grove anywhere In Cuba unless he has at least 5000 where he can lay his hands on it. If he Is 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 em- 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 anges is more than that of grape fruit while In the east 1t would seem that the grapefruit age is the larger. The older groves seem, 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 many good roads in Pinar del Rio province, and all the Isle of Pines every foot of haul counts, and where the roads not excellent. 1t counts heavily. most especially in wet weather.
 Americans and Canadians have plunged head foremost into eitrus-fruit culture In Cuba. They are building up against odds by their indomtable courage and optimism, 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; possibly they outmatched by adverse conditions In past dec ades. Then again, it may be they were deterred not by these things at all, but by true under standing of basic conditions here; by realiza- 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 qulekly and lneXpenstyely elsewhere Tn fine they may have been governed by caution. which does not notably distinguish the Anglo-Saxon when engaged in opening up fields to him new
 New to him. be 1t noted but in Cuba's case not m themselves either new or untried This island is not virgin wilderness in toto It has been under the domination of white men for 400 years. Not all these white men were idle and incompetent. They appreciated the country and lh developing its resources-not to the fullest ex. tent possible nowadays. to be sure but as far as was possible to them in their times-they made fortunes
 The Spaniards devoted all the energies they mad Tor agriculture in Cuba to sugar cane and to oaeeo in the eastern and central provinces and especially to tobacco in the west For four cen. turies they held fast to these two products tbus demonstrating that they were possessed of no more versatility than the American and the Ca. hadlah Who, in Cuba, insist upon discovering m iuture save In citrus fruit
 From tobacco and from cane the Snaniard and the Cuoan with him, has wrested the wealth ot the Indies Rich a Cuban planter',-nlanter ol cane ana tobacco, not of oranges and grana irult- significant English phrase. To attain to the wealth and the ease 1t implies has hea. the ambition of the adventurous and tha svo.t clous rom l4s2 to the present time.