OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 701 



fiscal year to accept a position with the Insular Board of Agriculture. 

 Mr. J. W. van Leenhoff, for 10 years in charge of the work at the 

 coffee substation, La Carmelita, resigned, and the work at that place 

 has been terminated. 



The relations of the station with the people of Porto Rico are most 

 satisfactory, if the increased correspondence, station visitors, etc., are 

 any criterion. During the past year a number of planters spent sev- 

 eral weeks at the station studying improved methods of agricultural 

 practice. 



In accordance with the provision in the law, during the year coffee 

 investigations were made a more extensive part of the station work. 

 The lease on the land under experiment on the coffee estate. La Car- 

 melita, was about to expire, and it has been canceled and the work 

 moved nearer the station, where a 95-acre coffee plantation has been 

 placed at the disposal of the station for experiments in renovating 

 an old plantation, studies on coffee diseases, insect pests, coffee im- 

 provement, etc. The introduction of the higher-priced coffees into 

 Porto Rican culture has been continued, and some of the Java va- 

 rieties are coming into bearing. Some 3-year-old trees have borne 

 at the rate of 800 pounds merchantable coffee per acre, while the 

 average of the island is only about 200 pounds per acre. Experi- 

 ments are in progress on the most effective and economical means of 

 improving the productivity of coffee plantations, studies on a root 

 disease, a leaf -spot disease, a spotting of the fruit, etc. A trial of 

 various adhesives to be added to Bordeaux mixture to prevent its 

 being washed off the foliage by the torrential rains is in progress. 



A number of coffee diseases of minor importance are being investi- 

 gated, as are some of the fungus and other troubles of cacao, coconuts, 

 and bananas. The diseases of citrus fruits have been taken up for 

 study, especial attention at this time being given to gummosis. It is 

 expected that cooperative work on orange scab and end rot of the 

 fruit will also be begun soon. 



The horticultural work has been considerably extended, extensive 

 experiments being in progress on stocks, fertilizers, and cover crops 

 for citrus fruits. Special attention is being given to the introduction 

 and propagation of the better varieties of mangoes, more than 40 

 varieties having been introduced from various tropical countries. Of 

 these, 12 fruited this year, and the station should soon be in a position 

 to tell which varieties are best suited to Porto Rican conditions. 

 The pineapple industry is developing rapidly, and since the bulletin 

 on pineapples was issued in 1909 the question of shade and legimii- 

 nous cover crops has been given definite consideration. Work is 

 under way on the improvement of those crops of the island that are 

 known to the mass of the people. These include yams, yautias, sweet 

 potatoes, pigeon peas, beans, etc. Some attention is being given to 

 ornamental trees and shrubs, and hardwood and nut-bearing trees. 

 Thousands of trees have been distributed through schools and plant- 

 ers, and the work seems to be rapidly gaining in appreciation. 



The work in animal husbandry has been considerably broadened, 

 and it now includes horse breeding to improve the size and con- 

 formation of the horse, breeding for work oxen, breeding of dairy 

 cattle, as well as the introduction and breeding of hogs, sheep, and 

 poultry. The surplus stock is sold to planters, and the demand is 

 always in excess of the supply. The investigations on the mineral 



