26 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



The declared exports from the Cien- 

 fuegos consular district, including the 

 agencies at Sagua la Grande, Caibarien and 

 Nuevitas, during 1910 were valued at 

 $36,318,447, against $28,290,203 in 1909. 

 This increase was due to the high prices 

 of sugar and to increased shipments. 



The total amount of sugar shipped 

 from this port in 1910 was 267,066 tons, 

 exceeding the shipments from Habana 

 (211,823) by 55,243 tons, thus making 

 Cienfuegos the largest sugar-exporting 

 port in Cuba. 



The unprecedented drought resulted in 

 almost a total failure of the tobacco crop 

 for 1910 in this immediate neighborhood. 

 Although the prospects were good at the 

 start, in many places not more than one 

 cutting could be made and in others this 

 even was impossible. What little leaf 

 was gathered, though better than the pre- 

 vious year, was not the best, as the output 

 was defective in most places. Taking into 

 consideration this small crop, which 

 yielded little tobacco fit for the American 

 market, and its defects, the prices were 

 not very bad, but still insufficient to pay 

 the cost of production, and therefore a 

 loss to the planter. 



In reference to this year's crop, the 

 plants sufifered from the same causes as 

 last year. The drought was more intense 

 than last year ; in many places the seed- 

 ling did not survive it, and in others only 

 one cutting was possible. This foresha- 

 dows another lean year for the Mani- 

 caraguan planters and consequently for 

 the merchants who advanced funds in an- 

 ticipation of a crop. 



Building activities were greater in 1910 

 than at any previous time, over 300 build- 

 ings being constructed, the greater part of 

 a substantial character. 



The pumps and the waterwheels pur- 

 chased in the United States for use in the 

 sewerage pumping plant have been placed 

 on their foundations. This completes the 

 sewerage system for the city, excepting the 

 disposal of the sewage, which has been 

 changed by agreement between the con- 

 tractor and the government, allowing the 

 state to construct the disposal system. 



The drainage system was completed, 

 and turned over to the state by the con- 

 tractor. The original contract price was 

 $3,080,000, but several extensions to subur- 

 ban settlements will greatly increase this. 

 Factories for the manufacture of soap 

 and candles, matches, fruit canning, grist- 

 mills and many small industries for the 

 manufacture of household articles which 

 are now brought from Habana, are ready 

 to commence work with the advent of the 

 water. 



A new lumber yard and sawmill is to 

 be established and also an additional coal 

 deposit, thus breaking up two monopolies 

 in this city. 



Cienfuegos also entertains great expecta- 

 tions from the opening of the Panama 

 Canal. It will be a calling point for the 

 majority of vessels approaching and leav- 

 ing the canal, owing to its advantageous 

 geographical location and its magnificent 

 and spacious harbor. 



All Cuba is well aware of these natural 

 advantages, and all discerning eyes are 

 turned toward Cienfuegos. The growth 

 is phenomenal, the number of inhabitants 

 of this municipality having increased from 

 70,416 on January 30, 1909, to 75,147 on 

 July 30, 1910. 



The number of vessels entering the port 

 of Cienfuegos during 1910 '>vas 305 (260 

 steam and 45 sailing vessels), of 775,346 

 gross tons and 497,747 net tons. Of the 

 total, 8 steamships of 15,125 gross tons 

 and 14 sailing vessels of 9,632 gross tons 

 were American. 



Importations in 1910 totalled $7,084,346, 

 of which $3,836,028 worth came from the 

 United States. Exports aggregated $15,- 

 914,552, $13,386,097 of which was for 

 sugar. 



SANTIAGO S MARKED IMPROVEMENT 



Trade in general was more active in 

 1910, as shown by the satisfactory increase 

 in imports and exports and the increased 

 activity of industrial enterprises. There 

 was a substantial gain in the total volume 

 of agricultural business, new lands were 

 brought under cultivation, and the average 

 price of arable lands materially increased. 

 It is doubtful if any other country has 

 shown so great progress industrially and 

 economically in so short a time as has eas- 

 tern Cuba since the close of the war for 

 independence. 



Experiments with irrigation for cane are 

 being tried in the Guantanamo district, 

 and promise to give greatly increased 

 yields. The climate of Cuba is such that 

 about half the year the rainfall is abun- 

 dant and at times even excessive, but dur- 

 ing the remaining half it is so dry that 

 all growth is arrested, so that artificial 

 watering should prove beneficial. Water 

 for irrigation is not available in all of 

 the districts where cane is grown. Com- 

 mercial fertilizers are being employed to 

 some extent with satisfactory results, 

 though as yet there is no great demand 

 for them owing to the immense quantity 

 of new and virgin land available, the 

 general practice being to abandon an old 

 planting when it is no longer profitable. 



The production of bananas is second in 

 importance among the agricultural indus- 

 tries of this section of Cuba. There are 

 three districts where bananas are grown 

 for export — Saetia, on Nipe Bay; Sagua 

 de Tanamo, on Tanamo Bay, and in the 

 region about Baracoa. The plantings at 

 Saetia and Sagua de Tanamo are on low-- 



