roRTo Krro i-^xtkuimknt station. 



451 



Porto Ric'jiii l):it <4"Uiim), :ill ;ip})lied alone aiul in ditrereiit mixtures. 

 'I he results of these diti'ereut treatments were tiiat all the beds treated 

 with l)at uuauo or with mixtures of same with other fertilizers jifave 

 splendid results, the plants growing twice as fast as those in the other 

 beds. Other mamires or fertilizers seemed to have very little or no 

 effect. The bat guano was obtained from deposits in caves, of which a 

 large numl)er exist in the island of Porto Kico. 



An analysis of same, as made by the Bureau of Chemistr3-, I'nited 

 States l)e])artment of Agriculture, is given l)elow: 



Per cent. 



Total i)lios|)h<)ric aci.l 12. 93 



Total potiu^h 96 



Total nitrojiiMi ( nitrates, present) equivalent to 3. 32 



Aiimionia 4. 03 



Muif^^ture .13. 86 



Loss on i<rnitioii 52. 33 



Ij) October and ^.ovember all the i)lants, after they had been gradu 

 ally uncovered, were standing in the full suidight, and at the end of 

 November were sufficiently accustomed to the suidight to l)e trans- 

 l)lanted to tlie lield. Not having yet obtained control of the desired 

 lands, it was decided to leave the plants a year longer in the beds, 

 during which time they developed into tine -looking plants and are now 

 being used for planting in the experimental tields or for supplying 

 planters who are coopi^ating with tlui station, the stump-planting 

 svstem beino- used. 



IMPROVEMENT OF OLD COFFEE GROVE. 



As already mentioned in a former report, 10 acres of old cott'ee 

 lands were di\ ided into 10 stjuare plats of 1 acre each and nund)ered 

 from 1 to lo. (PI. XXIII, tigs. 1-4.) The crop produced on these 

 plats ]»eforo any experiments were made was ascertained, with the 

 following results: 



Prodacl i)f 10 Kcrr.s of Porto liican coffee in tlie hnrrlo Ano)i, didricf of I'once, 



Porto Rico, 1902. 



Tin; har\est(Hl berries were measured by almudas to a total of 55S>.25, 



for which the pickers Avere paid T cents pcM- alinuda, or a total of ^80.15. 



This (juantity [)roduced 3,3ST pounds of coffee ready for market, 



therefore — 



1 pound berries about eipials 0.22 pound ready for market. 

 ! ahniida bcrrie.s about eipials (J pounds ready for market. 

 I liter berries about f(]uals 0.30 pound r^'ady for market. 



