28 THE CUBA REVIEW 
stance, important growers who own their own lands and through hired labor plant, 
cultivate and harvest the fruit, packing it in their own packing houses and selling it 
through either their own or selected agencies. In other instances, by far in the majority, 
the growing is done by parties whose connection with their product ceases after its sale 
to the owners and delivery at the packing houses. In many cases of this character, 
the packers advance to these growers funds with which to carry on their agricultural 
operations, these funds being repaid at the time of the pineapple harvest. The fruit 
when bought in the field is paid for at so much per dozen, the price varying according 
to the average size and quality of the fruit, as also with the conditions prevailing in the 
principal markets to which the fruit must be shipped. At different periods prices for 
pineapples delivered at the packing houses have varied from twenty-four cents to as 
high as fifty-five cents per dozen, the latter price, however, being for the very best grade 
of fruit at a period of high market prices in the North. Our packers here market through 
agencies established in the North or through the commission houses situated in the points 
to which the pines are shipped. 
During the early days of the pineapple industry, the names of Milidn Alonso & 
Company, Berragorri & Prieto, Moreno Lépez and A. Califat were those of firms of 
importance, while at the present time among Cuban factors and arranged somewhat 
in order of importance are the Godinez Brothers, the Pine Box & Lumber Company, 
José Peréz, Dardet & Company, A. Califat, Modesto Ledon, Bartolo Ruiz, Lépez Pereira, 
and one or two others. All of these carry on the business as we have already indicated, 
the majority of them packing the product purchased from the actual growers. Sales of 
the products thus packed are effected through the northern firms the West Indies Fruit 
Importing Company, Saitta & Jones, McCormack, Hubbs & Company, Mills Brothers, 
Manniello Brothers and Mayson, and others, the West Indies Fruit Importing Company 
controlling by far the largest output from the Island. During the early days of the 
industry before the production had passed 700,000 to 800,000 crates per year, the busi- 
ness was quite profitable. Low prices for sugar, however, and the profits derived from 
pineapples, caused an increase in plantings, until the total crop reached about 1,250,000 
crates. The short marketing period, covering only two to three months, caused this 
quantity to prove greater than could be profitably accepted by our northern markets, 
with the result that prices fell off and profits practically disappeared. With the increased 
prices of sugar, however, brought about by the recent war, many of our unprofitable 
pineapple fields were plowed up and planted to cane, resulting in a smaller total pro- 
duction, this for the past three or four seasons having run between 800,000 and 1,000,000 
crates. An improvement in price has been the result, so that the selling prices during 
these recent years have varied from $3.50 to $7.00 per crate, as compared with an average 
expense seldom greater than about $2.00 per crate, leaving a handsome margin of profit. 
Judging, therefore, from the experience of these past few years, it would seem that the 
industry can look forward with promise to the future, provided that plantings are not 
increased to yield a total crop of more than about 1,000,000 crates. 
The home consumption of pineapples in Cuba is relatively small. Canning is carried 
on to only a very limited extent, and the extraction of the juice for use in the making of 
soft drinks is very limited. A factory at Bainoa and two or three factories of less im- 
portance in and near Havana compose the consuming field in this line. For home con- 
sumption a limited quantity of fruit is obtainable the year round, as out of season fruits 
ripen practically throughout the year, but for commercial work of any character the 
season is limited to that between about April 15th to July Ist. It is quite possible that 
the discovery of some method by which the fresh juice of the ripe pineapple in its original 
flavor could be preserved indefinitely would result in a further local demand for this 
fruit, that would enable the area in which it is planted to be largely increased with profit 
to the growers. 
