41 



A very good beginning towards the iinal reclamation of the (Jaiio de 

 Tiburones has already been made. The ditches are quite close together 

 and generally deep enough to carry off the water into the canals. It would 

 perhaps have been better and more profitable to first completely reclaim 

 the land before commencing to plant cane, in consideration of the fact 

 thai, under the conditions obtaining, the operations of planting, culti- 

 vation and harvesting are extremely expensive and would pay only if the 

 yield of suger per acre were very high. The preparation of the land, 

 planting and cultivation had, on account of the very nature of the soil, 

 to be done entirely by hand and with the greatest care. And, with all 

 this expense, the quantity of sugar produced per acre was exceedingly 

 small. We must further consider that the cane, already weakened by the 

 effect of the salt, is much more liable to suffer from the attacks of insects 

 and diseases than healthy cane growing in a good soil. In fact, some of 

 the ratoon cane in the marsh is very heavily infested by the moth stalk 



borer. 



While, for the reasons alluded to, it would probably have been more 

 advantageous not to plant cane until the land was in a condition for 

 growing it successfully, a large area of the swamp, about 2000 acres, has 

 already been planted to cane, and the reclamation work has to be carried 

 on simultaneously with the cane cultivation. Since the summer of 1911 

 good progress has been made in this direction, and the water level has 

 fallen about six to eight inches. Even this improvement has been 

 accompanied by excellent results. The ratoon cane this year presents a 

 much better appearance than the plant cane, although the salt content, 

 according to some analyses made lately, is on the average about the same 

 as last year. But the natural limit in lowering the water level has now 

 about been reached. At the present time the entire difference in level 

 between the center of the swamp and its outlet at the Arecibo River, is 

 only 1.20 meters, or only 10 centimeters per kilometer. This slight grade 

 will hardly be sufficient to quickly drain the marsh. It must, moreover, 

 be considered that the black soil shrinks very much on drying, so that 

 the surface of the soil sinks, thus again raising the w r ater level. It follows 

 that a more effective system of drainage must be installed, as for 

 instance by dikes and pumps. 



With an efficient system of drainage it will be easy to get rid of the 

 salts. It is quite probable that the rains may be sufficient to accomplish 

 this. If the year, should, however, be dry, then irrigation may have to 

 be resorted to. 



After the soil has finally and definitely settled, it may be found 

 advantageous to replace the open ditches by a system of tile drains in 

 order to avoid all the difficulties arising from the close proximity of the 

 ditches; this always provided that the character of the soil permit the 

 use of tiles. 



