ANNUAL Rl-PORT oP Till- PoRTO RICO ACRICUIJURAL 



pxphrl\ii:nt station por looa. 



By Kkank' D. (ixunNKK, S]>eriiil Af/ent in Clidny. 

 INTRODUCTION. 



The following pii^cs liivc in general terms, the progress of the 

 ■work of the Porto Kico Agricultunil Experiment Stiition for the year 

 ended June 30, 19()3. The appropriation made by the United States 

 Congress for the year was $12,000. For the year ending June 30, 

 1904:, however, this amount has been increased to !^15,()00, and now 

 equals the sum which is appropriated annually to the experiment 

 station in each of the States and Territories. The insular legislature 

 also made an approi)riation of §2,700 for the past year, to be used as 

 follows: Drainage. S800; fencing, ^50(i»; tobacco inve; ligations, §500; 

 cotiee investigations, §500; irrigation, $300; and painting, $loO. 



As stated in the last report, the station did not secui-e possession of 

 its new location until the last week in June, 1902. Considerable of 

 the work of repairing was, therefore, done during the present year 

 and paid for out of funds from the same vear. The setting aside of a 

 considerable area of Government land in the northeast part of the 

 island for a forest reserve, as reconnuended in our last report, has 

 been etiected through the proclamation of the President, dated Jan- 

 uary IT, 1903. and is known as the Luquillo Forest Reserve. It has 

 been placed under the care of the Bureau of Forestry of this fh^part- 

 ment, and is thus the tirst forest reserve to fall under the administra- 

 tion of this Department. 



Mr. C. K. Newton, clerk and stenographer to the station, resigned 

 January 1 to accept a more responsible position as ofiicial stenographer 

 to the supreme Couit of Porto Kieo at San Juan. 1 1 is place has been 

 tilled by Mr. E. C. Howe. Mr. P. A. English, farm foreman, resigned 

 in February to take a place in the Tieasury Department, and his place 

 has ])een temporarily supplied by Mr. E. G. Howersox. An examina- 

 tion has Ihm'ii held for the position of farm su|)erintendent and it is 

 probabh' that an ai)])ointm«Mit will be made to said position in a short 

 time. 



Negotiations have been underway foi' sonn' time in reference to the 

 employment of a horti<-ulturist, but thus far no one lia^ hecn appointed. 

 The horticultural woik has been pushed vigorously, howi-ver. Ity Mr. 

 D. \\'. Barrett, l»ut to the neces.sary neglect of his special investiga- 

 tions in botany and entomology. 



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