THE CUBA REVIEW. 27 



out cultivation. In every province of The harvest is in October. Usually the 



the island there is more or less coffee cultivation of other products will cover the 



growing, but there is at present but lit- cost of cultivating the coffee plants arid 



tie intensive culture. after a few years the harvest will bring in 



Coffee Culture. §"00'd Profits. 



A small patch of ground about two _ „ .^ j 



hundred feet, would be sufficient to produce Duty on Coffee Increased. 



enough cofifee to supply a family of eight The petition of the Agrarian League 



persons. Mountainous or hilly regions and and other economic institutions to raise 



a fertile soil, loose and fresh, are the re- the duty on cofTee, has been granted by 



quirements for producing a good crop. The Governor Magoon. 



tender shoots are easily injured by dry The paragraph of the tariff referring 



weather and heavy winds, so it is desirable to this article is now changed to read 



to plant them in a shady place, well shel- as follows: Paragraph 286, cofifee, roots 



tered from storms and rains. Therefore, of chicory and chicory, (a) in grain and 



the plantations .are generally devoted to raw, $18 per 100 kilos, (b) roasted, in 



other products, and the plants are raised grain or ground, $22.50 per 100 kilos, 



between orange, banana or other trees. The This change in the tariff has been 



plantations begin to produce the berries made at the recommendation of both 



within three or four yeary, and within seven the agriculture and treasury depart- 



years the crop is usually very flourishing. ments, but the increase is confined to 



The little plants bloom from December to coffee either in grain or ground with the 



May, and the berry takes from seven to object of protecting the Cuba roasting 



eight months to ripen and develop fully. and grinding mills. 



SUGAR REVIEW. 



Early Weak Prices in Beet and Centrifugals — Enormous Fruit Crop Causes a 

 a Heavy Distribution of Stocks — Remunerative Values to Rule. 



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



Our last review was written on July 14, when Centrifugals were quoted at 4.36c. 

 basis 96 test, since which date considerable weakness developed in the markets of the 

 world. 



The decline began in Europe where Beet sugar prices dropped from lis. 3d. to lis.,, 

 followed, on July 20, by sales here of Centrifugals at 4.27c. and on the 24th by a further 

 break to 10s. 7^d. for Beet and 4.17c. for Centrifugals. Later in the month, during a 

 short spurt in the demand for refined, prices recovered somewhat and 4.25c. was paid for 

 a moderate quantity of Centrifugals, but weakness soon set in again carrying values down 

 to 10s. 0%d. for Beet and 4.125c. for 96 test Porto Rico Centrifugals and 2.69c. c. & f. for 

 95 test Cuban su'gar, equal to 4.08c. to 4.11c. landed for 96 test, which are the correct 

 quotations at this writing. 



In the meantime, holders of Javas reduced their views to about the parity of the 

 local market and, the American refiners made heavy engagements of these sugars for 

 July and August shipment, some being secured, it is believed, at around lis. c. & f., equal 

 to 4^c. landed, fortifying their position for two months or more ahead. 



Our special cable advices from Batavia reported heavy exports from Java during 

 July, amounting to 239,000 tons, against 173,041 tons for same month last year; these 

 include 152,000 tons with United States options, insuring a good supply for our refiners 

 in September, which is the month of largest distribution of refined sugars. The news of 

 these engagements, indicating that our refiners need not call on Europe for further 

 supplies of Beet sugars for some time, upset the calculations of operators in Europe and 

 proved a great disappointment to them, this being the principal cause of the weak market. 

 Other causes are the small demand for refined sugars, the larger visible stock than expected 

 and the improved prospects of the growing beet and cane crops. 



Beet sugars of the new crop for October-December delivery, have been quoted until 

 recently around IDs. to 10s. 6d., but are now down to 9s. 6^d., the parity of 4c. for 96 

 test Centrifugals. The knowledge of this lov;^ quotation for distant sugars tends to 

 encourage buyers of both raws and refined to hold off just as long as they can and to 

 carry as little stock as may be possible to tide them over the intervening time, until new 

 crop sugars are available. 



Grocers throughout the country loaded up heavily, when markets were rising 

 during the first half of the year, as sho'wn in the increase in the deliveries, compared with 

 same time last year, but many of them have not yet fully closed out their stocks and, this 

 accounts for the small demand for refined which is complained of at present. However, we 

 are now receiving from all parts of the country, special reports on the fruit crops, which 

 confirm the expectation of an enormous outturn and, as the local stocks of dealers give 

 evidence of soon being exhausted, there is every reason to expect an exceedingly heavy 

 distribution of refined sugars in September, perhaps beginning before the close of August. 



