126 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



He stated that Porto Rico is nearly 1,500 miles south of New York 

 city, and steamers now make the trip in five dayis, but hope soon 

 to reduce the time to four days. It is almost due south from New 

 York, and is the most eastern of the Great Antilles. As regards 

 the topography, the interior is very mountainous, the highest point 

 being about 3,500 feet above sea level; the average height of the 

 interior is about 2,000 feet. It really has no swamp land, although 

 the lowlands are barely drained. The interior is cut up by numer- 

 ous streams, of which there are said to be 1,800 on the island. The 

 soil is fertile, and between the rocks it resembles the prairie soil 

 of Dakota and other Western States. The rocks are of volcanic 

 origin, covered with coral limestone and are rich in plant food. 



Porto Eico is a land of perpetual sumuier, much like June and 

 Jul}' in Pennsylvania. During three months of the year the climate 

 is more like our August and September. Seventy-eight degrees is 

 about the average temperature, and never higher than 9G degrees 

 in August. The air is always tempered by stiff trade winds, almost 

 too stiff for comfort. Sunstroke is «iid to be unknown. Forty 

 degrees is the extreme variation of temperature. 



As to the vegetables of Porto Rico, they have nearly all that we 

 find in our Pennsylvania markets, but, as a rule, I think they are 

 very little used. I was surprised to find that the wealthy people 

 there live almost exclusively on a meat diet. Vegetables are hard 

 to buy, and in two years I never v«aw but one real garden, and in 

 this I saw asparagus. The bean seems at home on the island, 

 though the rainy season is against it. The variety chiefly grown 

 has a red skin. It cooks easily and is said to be much more di- 

 gestible than the white varieties. There are a number of red varie- 

 ties, some large, some small. Of Linaa beans, I never saw any that 

 were very good. They have a curious bean there which grows on 

 trees, some bearing a bushel to tlie tree. Poor people use it as a 

 substitute for coffee. Beets are seldom seen, and carrot® I did not 

 see at all. They grow cabbage, but not the hard, solid heads we 

 have here. Cabbage is frequently brought from the States, aud 

 I am told it has sold as high as fl.OO per head. Celery grows there, 

 but never makes the thick, crisp stems it deos here. Cucumbers grow 

 anywhere on the island. Cantaloupes are good, but not raised to a 

 great extent. 



Sugar cane grows readily, and much of it is chewed by the natives 

 for its juice. Men who work on the plantations almost live on the 

 cane. 



The cassava is a tuber something like n potato. I think it is n 

 good vegetable, and it is frequently used. Calndium esculentum is 

 also used extensively as food. It is usually boiled, but is a rather 

 an inferior vegetable. Cinger grows wild. People use no condiment 



