Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-03-24
Uncle Sam in the Caribbean
6--Suqar Cane and Bdy Trees
BIZ Frederick J. Hdskin


its bay, its rum and its bay rum. As matter OF
fact, St. Thomas produces neither bay nor rum,
but merely combines them into bay rum St.
Croix produces the rum and St. John the bay
leaves; but to the manufacturers OF st. thomas
belongs the glory of making the best bay rum
in the world-from this little island goes forth
fragrance to tickle the nostrils OF three con-
tnents.
This making OF bay rum is the most distinc-
tive industry of the Danish West Indies and, to-
gether with St. Croix rum and sugar and few
cattle hides, it makes up practically the entire ex-
port trade. 1t is said that nearly all OF the nm
ished bay rum goes to Denmark although good
deal OF the bay oil is shipped to other parts OF
Europe and to America to be manufactured into
so-called bay rum, most of which bears scant
resemblance to the true West Indian product
Here you can buy the very best quality for about
rs cents quart, and after using it Literally dur
ing his stay almost every visitor is seen to de-
part with full case, which will usually get by
the custom inspector if it is declared for per-
sonal use.
The basis OF bay rum is the leaf of the sweet
bay tree, which is rare and caprcious plant. 1t
grows abundanty on certain parts OF the island
of ST. John, though on other parts, where condi-
tons seem exactly the same, it will not thrive.
ST. John has rich soil, but is very mountainous
In the days of hand cultivation and slavery it
was covered with sugar cane and coffee and to-
bacco to the very crests of its mountains; but
with the increased cost of labor and the use of
modern farm machinery their crops became un-
profitable and the island practically reverted to
a wild state. The bay groves are merely part
of the natural forest; they are not tended and the
birds and the wind are trusted to plant the seed:
Usually once year the leaves are gathered by
women and children. The children climb the
trees and break off small twigs bearing ten or
dozen leaves, which they throw down to the
women, who pack them in bags weighing sixty
to seventy pounds when full. The breaking off of
the twigs does not seem to injure the trees, but
rather to stimulate the growth of new leaves.
Most of the leaves are distilled in crude dis
tileries on the island, the resultant product be-
ing the bay oil of commerce. This is again dis
titled with rum or alcohol and water to make
the finished bay rum; $50 or more quarts of bay
rum are made from a single quart of the oil,
which is worth S.. A bay rum of superior
strength and fragrance is made by distilling the
leaves in alcohol without first extracting the OIL
There is one plantation on St John which will
make bay rum for you by this direct distillation
process for 80 cents gallon if you will furnish
the alcohol and the containers
About the only real cultivation upon St.
Thomas is that of few lime trees. Concen-
trated lime juice is made from part of the
1mes"-by soaking the fruit in sea water for a
certain length of time. There are also number
of cattle on the island and parts OF it are cleared
and planted in guinea grass for their benefit
There is only one resident white man on the
island and less than thousand persons in all
The nearest thing to a town is at Cruz Bay, where
perhaps $50 people live, and government is repre-
sented by one judge and two policemen
The most important industry OF the Danish
islands is the raising Of sugar cane on ST. Croix,
where it is estimated that 10000 short tons will
be produced this year. The large crop combined
with war prices has made the island more pros
porous than for many years. Although commonly
described as very rich island, the cane yield on
St. Croix is not heavy, and the planters had been
losing for several years. Several of them manu-
facture their entire produce into the rum which
is widely known by the name OF the island
Annexation to the United States means some loss
to these planters, for they say that it would be
impossible to continue their business under the
severe restrictions imposed by the United States
revenue laws. while national prohibition seems
imminent. Nevertheless, even these planters well
come the change and are ready to scrap their stills
and sell their cane to the sugar factories. Most
of the cane produced on the island is now con-
verified into sugar at one great factory, which
buys the cane from the planters.
The soil Of St. Croix is admirably adapted to
the raising OF the valuable long-staple sea-island
cotton. In 1918 1000 acres had been planted in
cotton, but war conditions and insect pests
forced the planters to abandon the business. They
are convinced, however, that cotton will ulti-
mately be as important crop on St. Crox as
sugar cane. Cattle, horses and mules raised
and there are especially good commercial pros
poets in Embarrassing, as the English islands
afford ready market at good prices, and mules
do not stand the long sea voyage from this coun-
try well. Annexation to the United States means
to the island planter that he must face the pros
pect Of prohibition, which he does not like either
from personal or business standpoint. But it
also means free sugar, better boat service and
efficient government. On the whole he is more
than satisfied.