422 



UEI'OHT OF OFFIOK OF EXPF:KIMENT STATIONS. 



s(>ods of Niirioiis (•(•onoiiiic plants fof the station. lit- also made two 

 trips ill coiiipany with Prol". V. S. Karlc, one to La (aniiclita and one 

 to .Mai'icao. to study various plant diseases, as well as \ai-ious short 

 excursions for the i)ui"pos<' of collectin*^ specimens. 



SCOPE OF INVESTIGATIONS. 



Tropical hoiticulture alon^' a iiunil>er of lines has appealed to us as 

 beintr a very iniportant. if not the most important, l>i-ancli of investi- 

 gation that the station could undertake. On account of the lon^- time 

 required for such work to give results, it was decided that it should 

 be commenced at the earliest date. As previously stated, no horticul- 

 turist has thus far l)een secured, and Mr. P)arrett, botanist and 

 entomologist for the stiition, has been designated to look after the 

 work, with the result that, since its inauguration, it has occupied 

 nearlvall of his time. The entomological and botanicid investiiiations 

 have, therefore, been necessarily neglected, although the demand for 

 them, especialh' the entomological, has been as urgent as ever. In 

 .several instsmces insects have completely devoured a considerable area 

 of held corn and cowpeas, as well as small plats of sweet corn, string 

 beans, and other tender vegetables. Plant diseases of a fungus or 

 bactei'ial character have been responsil)le for the total failure of 

 several attempts to grow tomatoes, egg plants, and Irish potatoes. 

 Scale insects of various kinds are prevalent on most of the 3'oung 

 citrus orchards in various parts of the island. 



The following experiments are now in progress: 



Experiment!^ at Porto Rico Experiment Station. 



Ex- i 

 peri- ; 

 ineiit 



No. I 



Kind of iilmit. 



Nature of experiment. 



1 

 2 

 3 

 4 

 6 

 6 

 7 

 8 

 9 

 10 



n 



12 

 13 

 14 



15 



16 



17 



18 



Bananas 



do 



Yautia 



do 



Cas.sava 



Yams 



Cacao 



Leguminous crops 



Vegeta>)les 



Grasses 



Cucumbers 



Tomatoes 



P^iher i)laiits 



Forestry experi- 

 ments. 



Tobacco investi- 

 gation.s. 



Coffee 



.do. 

 .do. 



Test of varieties. 

 Test of fertilizers. 

 Test of varieties. 

 Test of fertilizers. 

 Test of varieties. 



Do. 



Do. 

 Comparative value of. 

 Miscellaneous test of. 

 Test.s of. 

 EtTect of fertilizers on. 



Do. 

 Test of kind.s. 



Treatment of old plan- 

 tation. . 



Seedlings, effect of fer- 

 tilizers. 



Tests of varieties. 



Ex- 

 peri- 

 ment 



No. 



19 



20 



21 

 22 

 23 



24 

 2.5 

 26 



31 

 32 



Kind of i)linit. Nature of experiment. 



(Coffee 

 do 



do 



Citrus fruits 



Orchard tests of 

 miscellaneous 

 tropical fruits. 



Coffee leaf miner. 



Pineapples 



Bananas 



.do 



28 Tea . 



29 Rul)ber. 



30 Changa. 



Florists' bulbs 



Miscellaneous na- 

 tive crops. 



Effect of plant dis- 

 tances. 



With and without 

 .shade. 



Methods of pruning. 



Tests of varieties. 



Extermination of. 



Test of varieties. 



Effect of plant dis- 

 tances. 



Methods of propag.i- 

 tion. 



Test of varieties. 

 Do. 



Methods of extermi- 

 nating. 



Test of varieties. 



Tests of. 



Reports on the major part of the above list of experiments will be 

 foiuid in the reports of Mr. Barrett, under the heads of horticulture, 



