table items, and sardines and sausage make up a large part of the exports of canned fish and meat. Cuba is by far the United States' largest market for condensed milk, and, in addition, takes several million pounds of evaporated milk. The exports of canned milk to Cuba have increased enormously since 1913, when only 6,467,000 pounds were exported to the island. The exports in 1923 amounted to 28,574,000 pounds, of which 24,987,000 pounds were condensed and 3,425,000 pounds evaporated. Powdered milk exports amounted to 163,000 pounds. LEADING EXPORTS OF FOODSTUFFS, 1924 Statistics on exports of foodstuffs from the United States to Cuba during 1924 are available for a few of the leading commodities. EXPORTS FROM UNITED STATES TO CUBA, 1924 A comparison of these figures with the more detailed statistics. for preceding years shows an increasing trade in most of these commodities. The largest gains over 1923 are shown by hams and shoulders, bacon, eggs, lard, wheat flour, and canned milk and fruit. Rice was the only commodity to register an important decrease. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF COUNTRY Area and population.-The area of Cuba, including adjacent islands, is 44,164 square miles, or a little less than that of the State of Pennsylvania. The population, according to estimates of the National Bureau of Census, amounted to 3,123,000 on December 31, 1922. The density of the population was 70.7 to the square mile. About 70 per cent of the population are whites, 26 per cent colored, and 4 per cent unclassified immigrants. About 45 per cent of the population lives in towns of over 1,000 inhabitants. The area, population, and density of population of the six Provinces of Cuba are shown in the following table. The population figures are the official estimates for 1922: AREA, POPULATION, AND DENSITY OF POPULATION OF CUBA Topography.-The topography of Cuba is rough and irregular. The most mountainous regions are near the northern coast in the western part of the island and near the southern coast in the eastern end. The highest mountains are found in the latter region. From the middle of the Province of Santa Clara through Camaguey Province the land is level, forming extensive plains, known as "sabanas," covered with natural pasturage. This section was formerly devoted to cattle raising, and large parts of it are still used for this purpose. Coast line.-Cuba has an extensive coast line, estimated at about 2,174 miles. The coast line is broken by many indentations and, as a result, there are numerous excellent harbors. The north coast is, in general, high and hilly, whereas the south coast is low and swampy. Cuba has some 200 rivers, but they are short, narrow, and of little depth. The largest river is the Cauto, in Oriente Province, which empties into the Gulf of Guacanayabo north of Manzanillo. It is 155 miles long and is navigable for 55 miles. Climate. The climate of Cuba is warm and damp. The narrowness of the island and the prevailing trade winds, however, prevent excessive heat. The rainy season extends from May to October, while dry weather "la seca" prevails during the rest of the year. About 78 per cent of the rain falls during the so-called rainy season. BASES OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY Sugar production Since there are no official data on the acreage devoted to agricultural production in Cuba, it is impossible to make a comparison between the leading crops from the point of view of land utilization. (The 1919 Cuban census estimated the acreage devoted to sugar at "not less than 2,203,680 acres.") The relative importance of sugar and tobacco can be determined, however, from the export statistics. During the period 1919-1923, sugar comprised 88.5 per cent of the value of total exports, excluding money, from Cuba. The most important factor in determining Cuban prosperity is the price obtained for sugar. The prices prevailing during the grinding season (December to August) are of particular significance, since it is during this season that the planters are paid for their crops. The statistics in the following table cover the more important aspects of sugar production in Cuba during the pre-war year 1912-13 and the postwar years 1919-20 to 1923-24. The importance of the price of sugar in determining the value of the crop is shown in the foregoing table. Since the war Cuban sugar production has consistently surpassed 3,500,000 long tons per year, whereas the production in 1912-13 was less than 2,500,000 long tons. Sugar production in 1923-24 amounted to about 4,060,000 long tons. Sugar is produced in every Province in Cuba, but Oriente is the largest producer and, together with Camaguey, accounts for well over half of the total production. TOBACCO Although of minor significance as compared with sugar, the production of tobacco is the second most important factor in the Cuban economic situation. Manufactured and unmanufactured tobacco made up about 82 per cent of the total value of exports, excluding money, from Cuba during the five-year period 1919-1923. Thus, sugar and tobacco together account for about 97 per cent of the total exports from Cuba. Exports of unmanufactured tobacco from Cuba in 1923 were valued at $25,335,000 and manufactured tobacco at $10,516,000. Tobacco is likewise raised in all the Cuban Provinces. The finest Cuban tobacco is that known as Vuelta Abajo, grown in the Province of Pinar del Rio. OTHER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION Fruits. Other agricultural production in Cuba is of distinctly minor significance. There are, however, a number of crops which deserve mention. The production of fruits and vegetables ranks next to the cultivation of sugar and tobacco. The principal fruits produced in Cuba are bananas, pineapples, oranges, grapefruit, and coconuts. These fruits are all exported to a considerable extent, the United States being the only market. Pineapples comprise the principal fruit exports, followed by bananas and oranges. A number of other fruits are produced on the island, but they are, for the most part, of only local significance. The value of all fruits exported from Cuba in 1923 was $4,674,211, of which pineapples accounted for $2,556,830 and bananas $1,452,180. Practically all of the fruit exprted from Cuba went to the United States. Vegetables. A considerable export trade in winter vegetables has been built up between Cuba and the United States. Vegetables are raised in Cuba between December and March or April, and thus come into the United States before the domestically-produced vegetables come on the market. The principal vegetables entering the export trade are tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, egg-plant, squash, and cabbage. In 1922 the exports of vegetables, other than a small quantity of potatoes and beans, from Cuba amounted to 31,087,825 pounds, valued at $1,061,487, of which all but 44,588 pounds went to the United States. Cacao and coffee.-Cacao and coffee are probably the next most important agricultural commodities produced on the island. In spite of the fact that Cuba was once one of the world's largest producers of coffee, less than 40 per cent of the coffee consumed in the country is now produced therein. The competition of sugar production has been the principal cause of the decline in coffee raising. Large quantities of coffee are imported from Porto Rico. Cacao is grown in conjunction with coffee. There is usually an exportable surplus of this commodity, although the amount varies greatly. In 1922, for example, the exports of cacao from Cuba, most of which went to the United States, amounted to 3,330,573 pounds, valued at $225,000. In 1923, on the other hand, the exports amounted to only 19,175 pounds, valued at $7,720. Henequen.-Cuba is favorably situated, both as to soil and climate, for the production of henequen. The cultivation of this fiber has been expanding of late years, and it is believed that it will play an increasingly important part in the productive wealth of the island. About 4,000 tons of henequen, valued at $213,000, were exported by Cuba in 1923, all of which went to the United States. LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY Livestock raising is the third most important industry in Cuba, being surpassed only by sugar and tobacco production. According to the livestock census taken in the latter part of 1923, there were 4,981,000 cattle in Cuba. The number of swine was not given, but hogs are raised throughout the island. The native Cuban cattle are small but thrifty and healthy. Although there has been a negligible introduction of purebreds, cattle have been imported in large numbers from Texas, Florida, Venezuela, and Mexico. In addition to the intermingling of these cattle with the native stock, the latter have been crossed extensively with zebus, one-fourth zebu blood being considered a good standard. These cattle are used both as work animals and as fat stock for slaughter. Domestic supplies of cattle are not sufficient, however, to meet the demand for meat. The hogs raised in Cuba are principally of the razor-back strain. Domestic supplies of pork are augmented by imports of pork products and live hogs for slaughter from the United States. Each community has at least one municipally owned slaughterhouse. The equipment and size of the abattoirs depend largely upon the size of the community which they serve. In the smaller towns the slaughterhouses are merely sheds, with no modern sanitary equipment. THE DAIRY INDUSTRY In view of the fact that Cuba is the United States' largest market for condensed milk and one of the largest for butter and cheese, the dairy industry of the island is of particular interest. There are a number of large modern dairies south and west of Habana which furnish a large part of the city's supply of fresh milk. The dairies which supply the city of Habana with milk are regulated by a comprehensive law passed in 1915. These regulations correspond in general to those in force in the United States, with certain minor variations on account of the semitropical climate. Not less than 12 per cent dry matter, including not less than 3 per cent fats, is required for milk that is to be marketed. Addition of common salt, at one time a common practice in Cuba, is prohibited. Three grades of milk are recognized: "A," certified raw milk; "B," ordinary raw milk; "C," pasteurized milk. "A" grade is in small demand and sells for 25 to 30 cents per quart or more. The bacterial count must not be over 10,000 per cubic centimeter for this grade. "B" grade, which is in the greatest demand, sells for 12 to 15 cents per quart and may contain bacteria up to 250,000 per cubic centimeter. it must carry a label advising that it be boiled before use. C" grade, pasteurized milk, does not have a large sale. The price is about that of certified milk. The foregoing regulations apply at present only to the Province of Habana. The statement is taken from a bulletin published by the Oficina Nacional de Relaciones Comerciales internacionales on October 1, 1923. The figures apply to that date. Number of (country) dairies in the municipal district of Habana. Daily milk production, quarts. 232 3, 235 9, 665-11, 600 Cow stables in Habana (city). 35 Number of cows kept in stables.. 321 Quarts of milk received at Habana from Provinces of Habana and Matanzas.. 71, 770-85, 932 Daily consumption of condensed milk in Habana (cans) 48, 000 37 Number of establishments selling milk, Habana 233 394 Cafés serving milk. (Milk is also sold at 14 cigar factories, 8 hotels, 40 groceries, 5 bars, 9 restaurants, and 10 "stands.") Number of ice cream factories. Number of vehicles used in transportation of milk. (Most of these are handcarts with two or more ice-packed cans.) Number of vehicles used for vending ice cream.. 482 128 332 The best-liked breeds of milch cows are the Holstein, Guernsey, and Alderney, but many other strains are found. Pasturage for milch cows is available for but a few weeks during the spring. Some of the grain and hay fed to cattle is grown on the island, but a large part of these feeds are imported. The United States supplies most of these feeds, but a considerable amount of corn is obtained from Argentina. Butter manufacture is of comparative unimportance for the reason that the price of whole milk is high, and the demand is greater than the supply. The manufacture of cheese, on the other hand, is well established and growing, particularly in the stock-raising areas of Camaguey and Oriente Provinces, where the market for fresh milk is somewhat restricted and the oversupply can not be utilized in any more advantageous manner, since fuel is too expensive and transportation and other factors make impracticable the operation of condensaries. The Cuban cheese is well made and is no longer confined to the white "curd" types but is approaching the better varieties of ripened cheese. They are all apt to be of skimmed milk, however, and sell from 10 to 20 cents a pound lower than the American cheese of similar grades. The imports of condensed milk, butter, and cheese are discussed in a later section on Cuban imports of foodstuffs. OTHER INDUSTRIES The poultry industry. Since Habana is by far the largest market for poultry and eggs, the poultry business is concentrated largely in the Provinces of Habana and Pina del Rio. There are not more than three poultry farms in the vicinity of Habana on which standard stock is bred, and the usual source of eggs and poultry is the numerous flocks of native fowls which are kept on truck farms and even within the city limits. The practice |