Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 05.djvu/742

* CUBA. 642 CUBA. Agricuxture. Owing to its climate and soil, Cuba is exceptionally well adapted for agriculture, but long years of jjolitieal oppression and un- favorable labor conditions, combined son;ewliat with the indisposition for work inherent in the natives, have retarded the agricultural develop- ment of the island. Prior to the late war the number of farms was estimated at over 90,000, valued at nearly $200,000,000. But the war, with the reconcentrado policy, caused a great destruction of farms and live stock. Thus the census of 1899 gives the number of farms at 60,711, with a total area of 8,542,000 acres, of which, however, only a little over one-tenth was under cultivation. The land is cut up into ex- , ceetlingly small tracts. The lioldlngs of less than eight acres ( li cabelleria) constitute about G3 per cent, of the total numlier ; those of between eight and sixteen acres comprise about 19 per cent, ; while those above tliirty-two acres consti- tute only 7 per cent. Out of the .50,000 farms of less than sixteen acres, about 24,000 are occu- pied by white renters, 10,300 by colored renters; 9600 are occupied by hite owners, 2800 by col- ored. The participation of colored inhabitants in agricultural pursuits is confined largely to the smaller farms. Sugar. — Sugar was one of the earliest products of the island. Cane is supposed to have been introduced in 1523, but its cultivation for three centuries was insignificant. The annual output prior to the opening of the nineteenth century averaged about 28,000 tons, which was increased by the end of the first half of the centurv to about 250,000. During the latter half of the nineteenth century also the tendency was up- ward, although the industry was greatly handi- capped by frequent internal disturbances and by the low price of -sugar, brought about largely by the competition of beet-sugar. In 1853 the out- put of the island was 322,000 tons; in 1870 it had increased to 726,000. Twenty years later the amount had fallen to 632,368 tons; but in 1894 there were produced 1,054,214 tons, or nearly 50 per cent, of the world's output of cane-sugar. Even in 1895, the first year of the Cuban war, the output exceeded 1,000,000 tons; but in the fol- lowing year it fell to 225,221, with a further de- crease in 1897 of 13,221 tons. Since the Spanish- American War the fiaures have grown to 335,608 tons in 1899, 300.073 tons in 1900, and 600.000 in 1901. The cultivation of sugar differs from most branches of agriculture in that it requires a laige outlay of capital for its operation. The successful colonia, or sugar plan- tation, generally contains several thousands of acres, several miles of private railway for the transportation of the cane to the mills, numerous buildings, and costly plants of machinery for the manufacture of the sugar. Besides this, build- ings for the hoxising of a thousand or more em- ployees have to be provided. The cane, which re- quires replanting but once in seven years, is chiefly grown on elevated land, no fertilizer being required. Tobacco. — Next to sugar, tobacco is the most important agrieuUura! product of the island. The cultivation of that plant in Cuba dates from about 1580, when it was introduced into the district of Vuelta Abajo, in the Province of Pinar del Rio, which has since been famous for the quality of its tobacco. The output of the pro- vince is nearl_y 50 per cent, of the entire crop of the island. The plant is also extensively culti- vated in the provinces of Havana and Santa Clara. At the outbreak of the late war, the nor- mal annual output was over 62,000,000 pounds, but in 1896-97 tfie amount had dwindled to alxtut 41,000,000 pounds; in 1897-98 to 9,680.000 pounds; in 1898-99, however, it rose to 24,400- 000 povmds. The condition of the tobacco in- dustry is, on the whole, more hopeful than that of sugar, because it suffers less from competition and because the raw tobacco, although the tariff is high on the finished product, such as cigars, is admitted to the market of the United States with only a slight import duty. Other Agricultural Products. — Corn, or maize, is grown all over the island and is used extensive- ly for the feeding of domestic animals. Rice is also cultivated, but the harvest goes entirely to satisfy the domestic demand. Wheat, barley, and oats, chiefly for economic reasons, are little cultivated, and it is doubtful whether the output of wheat will ever meet the home demand. Sweet potatoes are raised almost ever}~vhere and form a very important food article. The natural con- ditions are exceedingly favorable for the cultiva- tion of fruit. The banana is grown in enormous quantities, and besides being extensively ex- ported to the United States, figures very promi- nently in the diet of the poorer native classes. Oranges of an excellent quality also abound, and their cultivation will imdoubtedly be extended owing to the recent destructive frosts in Florida. Coffee, once an important product, is now (1902) in a state of decline and the output is barely sufl[i- cient for home consumption. Pineapples, cocoa- nuts, limes, lemons, and numerous other southern fruits grow in abundance, but thus far very little has been done by the natives toward their systematic cultivation, the fruit interests being in the main in the hands of foi'eigii (chiefly American) companies. The forests of Cuba are supposed to occupy about 50 per cent, of the total area of the island. Besides the valuable mahogany and cedar woods which find their way to foreign markets, there are about thirty species of the palm, of which the royal palm is probably the most useful tree on the island, every part of it from the leaves and fibre to the roots being utilized by the na- tives. Of the forest area the State owns 1.250,- 000 acres. The natural conditions for the raising of live stock are very favorable, and at one time this branch of agriculture was in a high state of devel- opment. During the decades preceding the late war, however, the heavy import duties on live stock, whose effects were aggravated by periods of rebel- lion, kept the supply far short of the natural demand, and most of the animals necessary for agricultural purposes and slaughtering had to be imported. In 1894 the live stock of the island numbered 584.725 horses, 2.485.706 cattle, 570,- 194 hogs, and 78,494 sheep, with a total value of over $101,000,000. The effect of the late war on the live stock of the island may be §een from the census figures of 1899, which give the number of horses at 88,000; cattle, 376,650; hogs, 358,868; and sheep, 9982. Manufactiikes. The manufacturing indus- tries of Cuba are confined to the production of sugar, and of cigars and cigarettes — both indus- tries closely connected with agriculture. In fact, the first is so intimatelv connected with the