1900. 



AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



179 



however is only a little larger than the Isle 

 of Pines, which is a very small and un- 

 known part of Cuba. Although it is a 

 separate island I call it a part of Cuba be- 

 cause it belongs to the Department of 

 Havana. The Isle of Pines alone is 160 

 square miles larger than the state of Rhode 

 Island. Cuba is as large as the State of 

 New York. It is almost four times as 

 large as Holland and three times as large 

 as Switzerland. It is 73 miles long and 

 from 90 to 20 miles wide and contains 

 over 45,000 square miles. The English 

 island of Barbadoes contains only 166 

 square miles and supports a population of 

 170,000, almost i, ooo per square mile. If 

 Cuba is capable of supporting only half 

 that number she will hold over 20,000,000 

 of people. Java is only a little larger 

 than Cuba. It supports 20,000,000 and 

 is still under-populated, although more 

 densely peopled than Belgium. Cuba is 

 in need of people of the white race 

 people from Southern Europe. Pros- 

 perity in the Tropics is dependent upon 

 workers. They must exist in proportion 

 to the natural resources of the country. 

 The great influx of peasants from Spain 

 is of great benefit to the island. The 

 Portuguese are unexcelled workers in the 

 Tropics. These people can stand an im- 

 mense amount of heat, and can work in 

 the tropical sun to much better advantage 

 than the negro. The statements that the 

 white man cannot live and be healthy in 

 the Tropics is a great mistake. The con- 

 dition of Cuba has been unsanitary, but 

 the climate aside from man's interference 

 is on the whole more healthful although 

 not as varied and perhaps not as pleasant 

 as a temperate climate. One must sweat 

 in the Tropics to escape lethargy which 

 leads to unhealthfulness. When the 

 population becomes more dense, and na- 

 ture less bounteous, men will have to 

 work for the necessities of life. The sren- 



o 



eral tone and healthfulness of the country 

 will then be better. The statement that a 

 high state of civilization cannot be reached 

 in a tropical climate is contrary to the 

 records of history and archaeology. The 

 main difficulty to-dav ; -i the American 

 Tropics is under-popu..:i. jn and in conse- 



quence a scarcity of labor. Planters were 

 searching in vain for laborers in the to- 

 bacco fields last spring. Fortunately for- 

 estry requires a small amount of labor per 

 acre in comparison with agriculture. 



Cuba is well located. It is the largest 

 of the Greater Antilles -It is near to the 

 Mexican and American coast. It com- 

 mands three important gate-ways, the 

 straits of Florida, the Windward Passage, 

 and the Yucatecan Channel. The con- 

 struction of an inter-oceanic canal would 

 add much to the importance of the island. 



In riding through Cuba one is not very 

 favorably impressed with the appearance 

 of a large part of it. Cuba looks forlorn 

 and devastated. Bloodshed and oppres- 

 sion have not affected her fertile soil. The 

 deep rich red earth is resting, waiting for 

 the influx of new blood and new ways. 

 It responds to the slightest touch of culti- 

 vation. Its possibilities are indeed un- 

 known and almost limitless. In addition 

 to many native West Indian trees, there 

 are many more in other tropical regions \ 

 of the globe which might be profitably in- . 

 troduced. One of the greatest benefits 

 ever conferred by Great Britain in her 

 colonial work was the introduction of 

 seeds of many trees from the East Indies 

 into her West Indian possessions. 



I have no doubt also that many of our 

 northern species will grow well in Cuba. 

 In fact it is more than likely that several 

 of our northern tree species will not only 

 grow but grow better than in their native 

 land. The Poplars, Chestnut, Locust, Wal- 

 nut, Willows and other trees of other coun- 

 tries may flourish in its fertile soil. They 

 will grow in southern Italy. Why not in 

 Cuba? In fact Cuba is peculiar in this 

 respect. Northern crops such as potatoes 

 grow well by the side of pine-apples and 

 other tropical products. Here is an ex- 

 cellent field for experimentation. For this 

 purpose a botanical garden and experi- 

 mental station are necessary. The sooner 

 the better, for every year means much to 

 the prosperity of this island. In this re- 

 spect we should emulate the Dutch in 

 Java and the English in India and Jamaica. 



I say " we " because I believe and hope 

 at least that American influence has come 



