26 



THE CUBA REVIEW. 



SUGAR IN MARCH. 



Crop 500,000 Tons Less. The Net Results of this Year's Smaller Crop and Higher 

 Prices Very Much Below Last Year's High Crop and Lower Prices. 



Specially written for The CUBA REVIEW by Willett & Gray, of New York. 



March proved to be one of the most important months of the sugar campaign 

 year, inasmuch as it 'developed conditions which led, and are leading still, to a series 

 of advancing values for sugar suoh as have not existed for many years. 



The month began with a Cuba crop estimate of some 200,000 tons linder last year, 

 and ended with the crop estimate of 500,000 tons less than last year, ,a result that ■ is 

 scarcely to be comprehended in a crop of the average size of Cuba. A beet crop in 

 Europe of 6,000,000 tons might vary 500,000 tons in a year up or down without causing 

 special comment, but for Cuba to do so on an average crop of 1,200,000 tons is a 

 surprise. 



However, it is proving to be a fact and the results are something abnormal in its 

 influence all over the sugar world, and such a loss of crop to Cuba is a serious draw- 

 back, for with all the advance made in sugar value over previous years, the net results 

 of the smaller crop and higher prices is very much below the net results of the previous 

 high crop and, lower prices. Could the crop result have been foreseen at the time the 

 planters were accepting 40 cents per 100 lbs. below the parity of the European markets 

 it might have been possible for them to have changed the actual final results very 

 largely in their favor by a little delay in selling. 



Bygones cannot be remedied. The remaining crop unsold will help the few holders 

 somewhat, but the February-March business settled the results beyond recall. 



OX-CARTS BRINGING SUGAR CANE TO THE MILL. 



