Honolulu star-bulletin., 1917-03-17
ny J.. T. crawley, in Facts About
Suuar)

SANTIAGO DE LAS VEGAS, FEB.
Unusually cold weather has pre-
vailed throughout Cuba the past week.
The weather bureau reports the min
imum temperature to have ranged
from 40 to So degrees during this
period. Latest reports from all parts
Of the island show l7S centrals now
grinding. an increase of for the
week. This leaves only % mills not
operating, a number of which are new
centrals whose opening is. delayed be-
cause of the non-arrival of essential
equipment. F4r
Behind Last Year
SANTIAGO DE LAS VEGAS, Feb.
3.-While the number OF centrals now
grinding is practically the same as on
the corresponding date in 1916. yet
sugar is not yet being manufactured
as fast as last year This condition is
illustrated by the production tonnage
for the week ending January 90, when
the receipts amounted to 137, ,463 tons,
compared to 15z, ,931 tons for the same
period in 1916, and by the total re-
ceipts to that date. which amounted to
390,654 tons, as against receipts of
563.064 tons last year. The yield of
sugar, however, is improving from
week to week and is now not material
ly different from the yield the first of
February of last year
The drouth, which began unusually
early this season, is now assuming
such proportions as to cause consid-
cradle concern to the planters in the
western provinces. This unfavorabIe
development will not only affect the
cane yield per acre. causing it to be
not so large as was expected, but if
the drOuth continues il will also seri-
ously reduce the mill yield. A recent
trip taken by the writer through a
part of Havana province showed cane
field after can field literally drying
up. The only part of the cane that
shows any green is few leaves Of
the crown, and they will shortly sue
cnmb. The drouth has also affected
unfavprably the cane that was planted
in October and November of last wear,
as it can make no progress; indeed it
will do well to keep alive under pres
ent conditions,
Cane Very Ripe
Attention has already been called
to the fact that the ,cane in Cuba
has generally flDwered. an eYi-
dence of early ripeness. With normal
weather this mature cane will hold its
Juice and sugar for several months al
most unimpaired. but under the influ-
enoe Of excessive drouth conditions it
Is apt to dry out and become pithy or
woody. The writer therefore expects
considerable lowering Of the purity
of the sugar juices toward the end OF
the harvest, unless occasional rains
relieve the situation.
Naturally the planters are very
much afraid of cane fires, as the cane
is now so dry that once fire starts it
becomes very difficult to stop These
fires are of almost daily occurrence,
and in fact the writer saw four on one
plantation last week during a period
of less than three hours. They began
at II o'clock. when the plantation
people were at their midday meal and
at time therefore when the fields
we're practically unguarded. At one
time two fires were burning in differ
ent sections Of the plantation.
All OF the fires were thought to be
of incendiary origin. The cane cut
ters, like almost all other laborers in
Cuba, are restless. and see their op-
portunity to command large wages on
account of the scarcity of labor They
are demanding higher anG higher
wages. and when they do not secure
,ust what they desire cane fire is apt
to result As a laborer is paid so
much per ton for cutting the cane and
stripping the leaves from il, he can
make more money il the fire has pre-
viously stripped the leaves for him.
Not only that. but if large area has
been burned over il must be harvested
within three or four days. as by that
time decomposition will dave gained
such headway as to render the cane
pnfit for making sugar A fire there
fore that burns over several hundred
acres of standing cane puts premium
on labor and there are many men
ready to take advantage OF this knowl-
edge.
lncendiary Methods Used
Il is said that the usual method OF
setting incendiarv fires TO the cane is