The soil of Cuba is simply a marvel of richness, practically unrivalled in any other part of the world. Except occasionally in the case of tobacco, fertilizers are not used. Crops have been grown on the same ground without an atom of fertilization for over a hundred years. This superb soil gives the Cuban sugar planter an enormous advantage over his competitors in other countries. For instance, in Jamaica, one to two hogsheads of sugar is considered a good yield, but in Cuba, three hogsheads are the average. The introduction of modern machinery, which is very expensive, has done much to drive out the small planters, and the tax imposed by the Spanish government almost trebled the cost to the planter. In times of peace, the sugar production of Cuba averaged a million of tons a year, but this is nothing like what the island might be made to yield under a decent government and proper enterprise. It has been estimated that if all the land suitable to the growth of sugar cane were devoted to that industry, Cuba might supply the entire western hemisphere with sugar. Mr. Gollan, the British consul general, says: "Until a very recent date the manufacture of sugar and the growing of the cane in Cuba were extremely profitable undertakings, and the reasons for their prosperity may be stated as: "1. The excellence of the climate and the fertility of the soil, which allow of large crops of good cane. The rainfall, about 50 inches, is so distributed that irrigation is not a necessity, though it would in many cases be advisable. "2. The great movement toward the centralization of the estates which took place in the early eighties, planters having understood the value of large sugar houses and overcome their difficulty in this way. "3. The proximity of the United States, affording, as it does, a cash market for the sugar." To show how the sugar trade has been injured by the Cuban uprising, the following figures are of interest: Description. Tons in 1895. Tons in 1896. Exports 832,431 235,628 Stocks 135,181 36,260 ---------- ---------- Local consumption 967,612 271,888 50,000 40,000 ---------- ---------- 1,017,612 311,888 Stock on January 1 (previous crop) 13,348 86,667 --------- ------- Total production 1,004,264 225,221 The decrease in 1895-96 was 779,043 tons, equivalent to 77.574 per cent.