the possibilities latent in cuba’s splendid agricultural resources are incalculably great. it is practically certain that at some day, not distant as the lives of nations go, this island will be completely covered with plantations and farms, scientifically worked by intensive methods, and sustained by the capital of many large corporations. there is hardly room to doubt this conclusion. the demands of america and the great manufacturing countries of europe for food supplies are constantly on the increase and must grow ever greater with the increase of their populations and the further development of their mechanical industries. there are few agricultural regions better situated and conditioned to take advantage of this demand. but before this can be done a complete reformation in the agricultural methods of cuba must be brought about. capital must be attracted, not in independent driblets, scattered{232} the country, but in large sums, concentrated upon particular districts and devoted to definite developments. in a word, the arable lands of cuba, now lying idle, or being wasted by a ruinous method of cultivation, must be subjected to a process of exploitation similar to that which has brought the sugar and tobacco industries to their present conditions of high development. such a movement must necessarily tend to the uplift and prosperity of the individual farmer. it must influence his methods and his product for the better. it must open new markets to him and afford him increased facilities for transportation. organized enterprise, with ample capital, could make cuba a great exporter of food stuffs. under good management the investments in such enterprises would undoubtedly be safe and profitable. coincident with a movement of this kind a national agricultural bank should be established, and conducted somewhat after the manner of the egyptian agricultural bank, which has a counterpart in the philippines. in cuba, almost more than anywhere else, the small farmer needs loans and credit on moderate terms. at present, if he can borrow at all, he must pay an exorbitant rate of interest.{233}
cuba is now importing annually forty millions of dollars’ worth of food supplies. more than half of the commodities making up this purchase, enormous for an agricultural population of two millions, might be raised in the country, at lower cost and of better quality.
there is here an excellent opportunity for foreign capital. one or two such companies as have successfully developed new tracts in our western states would find a profitable enterprise in the business of supplying cuba’s food demands from the product of cuban soil. this statement is made on the assumption that such concerns would avoid the errors into which several colonization companies, which otherwise had good prospects, have fallen. no such project should be started, except with well defined plans, plenty of capital to carry them through, and, above all, a management familiar with cuban soils and conditions.
to begin with, the acquisition of one thousand acres of the best arable land, well situated for the transportation of produce, will require the investment of one hundred thousand dollars, which would, however, cover the cost of buildings, water supply, and other necessary permanent accessories. each acre would then{234} call for the further investment of one hundred dollars, which would include all expenses until the first crop should be secured. the expense of cultivation would average about fifty dollars an acre, and an average return of one hundred dollars could be looked for. this estimate of fifty dollars gross profit per acre will appear excessive, and doubtless most cuban farmers would call it ridiculous. nevertheless, there are directors of experimental stations in cuba, who are prepared to demonstrate the feasibility of accomplishing it with ordinary staple crops, and several experts, familiar with local conditions, who endorse it. if it is possible to produce thirty, or even fifteen per cent. net profit from the cultivation of cuban farm lands, then the fact is the most striking evidence of the shortcomings of the present methods of agriculture. of course, a large proportion of the estimated results would accrue from the economies in production which a well-capitalized corporation could effect by the employment of labor-saving mechanical devices, and the economies which would naturally arise from shipping in great bulk.
in hawaii, mexico, and other tropical countries, the agricultural development has been
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orange tree.
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effected mainly by large corporations, and in the majority of cases the enterprises have enjoyed financial success. all things considered, the prospect for such a project would be unusually good in cuba. one such undertaking would be a revelation to the cubans, and to the world at large. it would attract additional capital to the same field and otherwise work such benefit to the country that the government and the railroad which would be immediately affected by it might reasonably be expected to lend substantial aid in its establishment and operation.
it is to be feared that capitalists who have considered such an enterprise, have been deterred from entering upon it by knowledge of the failures of some of the ill-judged colony projects. several of these were doomed to failure from the outset. in some cases the promoters had bought poor land at low figures, which they sold to inexperienced settlers at high prices. not infrequently these were invalids, or men looking for a life of ease, to whom it was represented that anyone might make a comfortable livelihood, if not a fortune, from cuban land, with little effort and the investment of a trifling amount. the principal{236} object of such companies is to dispose of their property as quickly as possible. they do little, or nothing, for the community which they create. the natural result of such a combination of unfavorable conditions is failure in its worst form. cuba has suffered incalculable harm from the effects of dishonest and ignorant exploitation by american and canadian land companies. but the fact remains that there are few more inviting fields for effort in agriculture, if intelligently undertaken with sufficient means.
the future development of cuba must be along agricultural lines and it must depend mainly upon foreigners, of whom the greater proportion will unquestionably be americans. the colony, or community system, is the best means of promoting this development, and there are a number of large companies engaged in it under admirable methods. these corporations are affording every possible aid to the settlements for which they are responsible, and are encouraging none to take up their lands without the means of profitably working them.
one of the greatest present requirements of cuba is a revival of its old-time stock industry. the annual imports of cattle, horses, and mules
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“a sugar plantation of fifteen hundred acres will need about three hundred oxen.{237}”
are large, and would be much larger if the peasants had the means of buying the animals that they sorely need. there is probably a shortage of not less than half a million head of various kinds of stock in the island. the demand is constant and great. horses and mules are everywhere employed as beasts of burden, and the ox is the universal draft animal. a sugar plantation of fifteen hundred acres will need about three hundred oxen, besides perhaps fifty horses and mules, and will slaughter twenty-five or more head of cattle monthly for meat.
there is no doubt but that several large cattle ranches and establishments for breeding horses and mules might be run on american lines with profit to the owners. as in the case of farm products, the first object to be aimed at should be the supply of the domestic demand. after that has been accomplished, there should be no difficulty in finding markets for all the surplus cattle that cuba can raise. europe is in need of constantly increasing meat supplies, and the united states will soon be a heavy importer of animal foods. provided that the industry is conducted upon modern methods and the breed improved, as it may be{238} without difficulty, cuba should be able to compete with any of the foremost cattle raising countries.
in this connection attention may be called to the neglect of alfalfa in cuba. it has been ascertained that the plant can be grown in the island with the best results. it is well known to be a powerful soil fertilizer and an excellent crop with which to rotate. the abundance of fattening grasses and the quantity of refuse from the sugar mills available, make it improbable that alfalfa could be profitably used as fodder on cuban farms. there is no doubt however, about its ready sale in the place of the hay which is now imported to the extent of several hundred thousand dollars annually, and at a cost of forty dollars a ton. the market for alfalfa hay could be greatly enlarged by supplying the small towns to which the cuban farmers carry pack-horse loads of grass, to be sold in the streets at five cents for two armfuls.
one of the first steps in the improvement of cuban farming must be the attainment of greater yield and better crops from the land. let us take corn as an illustration of present conditions and future possibilities. for long{239} past, cuba has been importing this grain in constantly increasing quantities and at present is paying two million dollars a year for it. this is one of the most glaring instances of neglect. the island should produce every ear of corn that is consumed in it and much more. as it is, a comparatively small area is devoted to this crop, which is deficient in both yield and quality. this is fully accounted for by the haphazard method of cultivation. in very rare cases is any other cause responsible for the poor results.
tests, made at one of the experiment stations, of several parcels of the seeds usually bought for planting, showed that from forty to sixty per cent. were sterile, whilst the remainder were far from uniform in size and vitality. by using such seeds the farmer is wasting half the ground planted and paying six dollars per hundred pounds for the half that germinates. under such circumstances he can hardly raise a crop from rented ground that will sell at a profit. instead of attempting to do so, he grows enough to feed his few head of stock and takes no note of the cost.
the use of good seed is one of the urgent needs in cuban farming, but so long as de{240}pendence is had upon imported seeds, which invariably degenerate in the new environment, no appreciable improvement can be looked for. nor would a campaign of education in seed selection, such as has been carried on in various parts of the united states, be economically feasible. the most direct and effective remedy will be found in the establishment of one or more seed farms, run on modern methods, with modern machinery. such enterprises would not fail to return large profits on the money invested in them.
the national and other experiment stations have not been established long enough to permit of wide effect from their efforts. in their immediate vicinities the improvement in farming due to their influence is marked and there is every reason to count upon its extension. the most interesting of these stations is that maintained by the cuba railroad, under the direction of dr. paul karutz. it covers about six acres of land, immediately contiguous to the hotel camaguey.
here may be seen an acre of cotton, all the plants healthy and vigorous, and most of them bearing more than one hundred and twenty pounds each. a model citrus fruit grove, with
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hotel camaguey.
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mulched trees, and velvet beans growing between, will encourage those who still have faith in the citrus fruit industry of cuba. an acre of peanuts, in remarkably good condition, yields a crop of fourteen hundred pounds. broomcorn, cassava, arrowroot, jute, and many other commercial plants, may be seen in different stages of growth and development.
experiments with corn are constantly in progress, with the object of producing a serviceable seed by crossing cuban, united states, and argentine varieties. three new varieties have been secured, each having long ears, large kernels, and thin cobs. the station is distributing small parcels of this seed-corn to such farmers as show an inclination to improve their crops.
failure has fallen upon the efforts of a large proportion of the thousands of americans who have taken up farming in cuba. this has been due to a variety of causes. the chief of these has been insufficient money to make a fair start. too often the settler comes out with little more than enough to pay for his land, build a modest dwelling, and buy a few pounds of seed. he is forced to depend upon his own labor solely, with inadequate mechanical equipment, and the{242} land must support him from the first crop, or he is faced by starvation. in other cases, where the immigrant has money enough to buy good land and proper farm equipment, he approaches the task in complete ignorance of the peculiar conditions of agriculture in cuba, and often with the additional handicap of preconceived ideas that are entirely wrong. he plunges into the cultivation of certain crops without any previous study or experience, and regardless of shipping and market conditions. sooner or later he awakes to his mistake, but seldom before the loss of time and money has seriously crippled his resources. many failures are to be attributed to the widespread tendency among american settlers in cuba to take to fancy farming. they are fired with the desire to do something out of the ordinary and to produce something that no one else is growing. it is usually the pure amateur who is afflicted with this mania, which always costs him dearly. he generally ends as a man whose sole possession is a theory.
there is no question about the assured success of the man who may undertake farming in cuba with the proper equipment. he must have ample capital,—that is to say, enough{243} for all calculable requirements and a little over. he must defer serious work until he has made a thorough study of the conditions. he should then devote his efforts to the production of the surest crops, those entailing the least hazard in cultivation, and for which there is a permanent market with a steady demand. if, furthermore, he uses intelligent methods in the cultivation of his land, he can not fail of success.
after all, so much depends upon the character of the individual. one man will force success under conditions which completely crush another. here you will find a flourishing farm, due to the natural aptitude of the owner for his work. on the other side of the fence, a misguided individual, with better opportunities than his neighbor, is making a miserable mess of it, because he is entirely unsuited to the job. the literature of certain land companies is responsible for the presence of many amateur farmers in cuba. one of these pamphlets assures the reader that he may safely embark in farming in cuba without experience or knowledge, and after the first year the land may be depended upon to yield him a handsome income. this statement is supported by figures showing profits realized from the{244} cultivation of certain staples, but no mention is made of the fact that these results were produced by corporations operating with advantages from which the individual farmer is precluded.
it is difficult to hold the publicity man down to a consistently honest story. he must be an enthusiast to serve his employers well and, with perhaps the best intentions in the world, he shuts his eyes to the disadvantages which pertain to farming in cuba as well as to farming in any part of the world, and expends his eloquence solely on the roseate aspects of the situation. the literature of the best of the land companies is deceptive inasmuch as it draws a picture of the results attainable under the most favorable conditions, and not those which the average settler will experience. on the other hand, if the officials of such companies are approached, or even the publicity man himself, a fair and honest statement can usually be obtained.
it is not intended that anything in the foregoing should convey the impression that all, or even a majority, of the land companies in cuba are untrustworthy. many of them are fulfilling their obligations to the utmost and several{245} are exceeding them, with a generosity that must meet with deserved reward in time. no matter how reliable the company, however, the prospective settler will do well not to purchase land until after he has seen it and had a chance to compare its situation and other conditions with property offering elsewhere. the man who can not spare the time and money to look round before making his investment has not sufficient means to justify his embarking in the contemplated enterprise. the information to be gained on the spot, although it must be accepted with discrimination, is worth more than a cart-load of literature.
unless the intending settler has the capital and experience to justify his “going it alone,” he had better attach himself to a colony. this will give him social and economic advantages which he might not be able to secure otherwise. there is a string of colonies from one end of the island to the other. a leisurely tour through these could not but largely repay an observant man, and would qualify him to make intelligent selection of a location for his own venture. he would gain much useful information regarding crops and methods of cultivation. he would learn from instances of failure{246} what to avoid, and from instances of success would get examples to be followed. too much stress can not be laid upon the advantage of this plan of “projecking around,” as uncle remus calls it, before settling down. several american farmers, whom the writer has met, attribute their prosperity largely to having proceeded in this manner.
without assuming the responsibility of giving advice, it may be said that the opinion is quite widespread, and apparently well-grounded, that oriente will be the seat of the greatest agricultural development in cuba. there are in this province a number of flourishing colonies, under the direction of well-capitalized and well-managed companies. whether or not a settler takes up land in one of these developments, he will be wise to look them over before making a decision as to his ultimate location.
the prices of land in cuba vary according to the character of the soil, the location, the size of the tract, its situation, and the terms of purchase. thus, land may be had at from three to one hundred dollars an acre.
there is room for a great deal of deception in selling land to persons at a distance and
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a road in the province of oriente.
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some agents and colony promoters take the fullest advantage of this fact. a prospective purchaser should, unless he is dealing with a corporation whose reliability is beyond question, have the titles to the land offered examined by a capable attorney, and should get a certificate from the registrar of property in the district in which the property is situated as to the encumbrances that may exist against it. this precaution should always be taken before making a payment. the cost will be but a few dollars, but the outlay may save a great deal of subsequent worry and trouble. verbal assurances on these points can only be accepted with hazard. a promise made to remove a cloud upon a title is often avoided after payment has been made. trouble may be obviated by depositing the required sum in a bank to be paid over to the seller when the purchaser’s lawyer has declared his satisfaction with the transaction. on no account should quit-claim deeds be accepted, nor payments made on lands in cuba, without the execution of the proper legal documents. at least as much care should be exercised in buying cuban property as would be considered necessary to a similar transaction at home.{248}
it is extremely hazardous to make deposits and undertake obligations on the strength of a simple paper promising to convey property after the completion of a certain number of instalment payments. there are concerns offering cuban lands for sale which have defective titles, only an equity interest, or perhaps no more than an option.
land titles in cuba are generally good and no money need be lost on account of them if proper care is taken in the preliminaries of purchase. a transfer costs more than it does in the states, but there is absolute security in it when properly executed. no real estate agent whose intentions are honest will object to a full investigation of the title he offers. there are many reputable agents in habana and other cities, who have spent years in the study of cuban properties. it will generally be better for the inexperienced purchaser to deal with one of these, and pay him his legitimate commission, than to do business directly with the owner. the real estate agent can often give valuable information and advice. in this matter, as in that of location, the important point is to investigate first and be sure of connecting with a desirable man.
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map of the city of habana
