28 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



TOBACCO AND SUGAR. 



Results of Experiments. 



For growing tobacco in Cuba the prin- 

 cipal conclusions arrived at after many 

 years' experimental work, are as follows: 



a. — That phosphoric acid is most 

 needed in the growing of tobacco in the 

 red soils of the Partido District, and 

 preliminary experiments in the province 

 of Pinar del Rio indicate the same need 

 there. 



b. — That considering the cost of stable 

 manure, entirely too much is used in 

 some places. 



c. — That a chemical manure of a high 

 content of phosphoric acid and potash 

 can substitute a portion of the stable 

 manure with profit to the crop and im- 

 mense saving of money. 



d. — That cow-peas and velvet beans 

 grown on land intended for tobacco will 

 furnish, in connection with a light dress- 

 ing of stable manure, practically all the 

 nitrogen needed for the crop, and that 

 it is a waste of money to buy much 

 nitrogen in form of chemical fertilizers. 

 Regarding cultivation we have success- 

 fully used cultivators drawn by mules 

 for the cultivation of tobacco. There is 

 a popular prejudice in Cuba against the 

 use of an animal working in a tobacco 

 field, also against the use of any kind of 

 tool like a plow, since they are said to 

 break and bruise the tobacco and other- 

 wise injure it in passing through. This 

 is not well founded as we have amply 

 demonstrated. 



Plants are usually set from say 8 to 15 

 inches in Cuba, and when we desired to 

 set them 10 inches apart we found that 

 mules step too fast for this, the men 

 could not handle the plants with suf- 

 ficient rapidity. The mules were sub- 

 stituted by oxen and then the plants 

 could be set at the required distance. — 

 From the report of results of experi- 

 ments between 1905 and igog at the 

 Cuban Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion. 



In brief, we find that a chemical fer- 

 tilizer containing a high percentage of 

 phosphoric acid and potash, with but 

 little nitrogen, gives good results. As 

 nitrogen is the most expensive element 

 in fertilizers, this will greatly reduce the 

 cost of tobacco production. In place of 

 throwing the water on the fields from 

 cans, we run it on in a stream. To be 

 successful, a good sized stream is re- 

 quired, but it is much easier of applica- 

 tion and more economical and efficient. 



San Manuel Estate Sold. 



It was learned recently that the Cuban- 

 American Sugar Company has acquired the 

 San Manuel Sugar Estate, in Santiago 

 Province, adjacent to the Chaparra Sugar 

 Estate. The transaction involves something 

 like $1,200,000. The San Manuel Estate 

 consists of about 55,000 acres. 



In connection with the deal recently con- 

 summated, there has been just organized 

 under tlie laws of New Jersey the San 

 Manuel Sugar Company, which will take 

 over the San Manuel Estate. This new 

 concern is to be simply a constituent part of 

 the Cuban-American Company, the holding 

 corporation. 



It is stated on authority that development 

 of the properties recently acquired will be 

 made largely from the earnings of the com- 

 pany, and that the existing capitalization 

 will not be increased for this purpose, out- 

 standing stock of which now amounts to 

 $12,750,000. 



The constituent companies owned and 

 controlled by the Cuban-American Sugar 

 Company consist of the Chaparra Sugar 

 Company, situated in the Province of Santi- 

 ago ; Unidad and Constancia Sugar Com- 

 panies in Santa Clara; Tinguaro and Nueva 

 Luisa Sugar Companies, situated in Matan- 

 zas; Mercedita Sugar Company, in Pinar 

 del Rio, and Gramercy Sugar Company and 

 Refinery, in Luisiana. 



President Hawley, of the Cuban-.A.merican 

 Sugar Company, takes a hopeful view of 

 present and prospective conditions in Cuba. 

 "Lands are still cheap there," he said re- 

 cently, "and while labor is well paid it is 

 capable and abundant. The sugar industry 

 itself, which is the greatest factor in the 

 island's life, is on a new basis, consumption 

 has overtaken production, and Cuba is prac- 

 tically alone in the cane sugar countries ca- 

 pable of further large development, and very 

 broad and generous conditions exist there 

 for a state of unusual progress and pros- 

 perity." — N. Y. Journal nf Commerce. 



Sugar Central Changes Hands. 



The reported sale of the Central Armenia 

 has been confirmed and the purchasers, says 

 the Havana Post, are two well-known men 

 of Havana, E. L. Sanborn and J. R. 

 Bullard. 



Central Armonia is located at Bolondron, 

 in the southern part of the Province of 

 Matanzas, and its lands border on the 

 tracks of the United Railways. 



The plantation contains about 4.500 acres 

 of land, of which some 1,800 are planted to 



