107 



Since the American occupation there has been a steady increase 

 in the acreage under cultivation, and, owing to the generally good 

 prices obtained in the fiscal year just passed a marked impetus 

 has been given to the raising of sugar, coffee, cattle, tobacco, 

 cotton, citrus fruits, pineapples, cocoanuts, &c. 



Land suitable for agricultural purposes has increased at least 

 20 ^ in value during the past year, and hardly an acre of ground 

 within a radius of 15 miles of San Juan can now be purchased for 

 less than $100. In the country districts, within easy access of 

 the railroad or macadam roads, fairly good land will average $40 

 per acre ; and in the interior and in places remote from transporta- 

 tion, grazing land can still be purchased as low as $5 to $10 

 per acre. 



Much credit is due to the United States Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station for its practical demonstrations of what crops can 

 be grown to advantage in Porto Rico, and of the most modern 

 methods of cultivation. This information is made public by 

 bulletins issued by them from time to time. 



There has been a marked increase in the importation of modern 

 agricultural implements, which admit of the cultivation of larger 

 tracts of land with little additional labour. 



Fertilizer is also used much more extensively than in former 

 years, and in order to guarantee the quality of the same, the last 

 Legislative Assembly of Porto Rico passed an Act to regulate the 

 registration and inspection of commercial fertilizers, fertilizer 

 materials and chemicals in Porto Rico. This law makes it a 

 misdemeanour to sell for offer or sale in this island any fertilizer 

 or fertilizer material which does not conform to the formula given 

 on the tag attached to the package. 



As a further incentive to agricultural pursuits, the Legislative 

 Assembly appropriated the sum of $10,000 for the development 

 of the fibre plants of the island, this sum to be expended under 

 the direction of the Governor in the purchase of fibre or other 

 product grown by planters on the island, the purchase and opera- 

 tion of machinery for the preparation of such products for market- 

 ing, or in such other ways as in his opinion will best tend to the 

 demonstration of the possibilities of growing and marketing such 

 products upon a remunerative basis to persons engaging in such 

 work. 



In order to afi'ord every possible protection to coff'ee, cotton, 

 and citrus fruits, the last Legislature also passed a law to guard 

 against the importation of plant diseases or insects harmful to 

 plants. This law provides that no coffee tree or plant, or any 

 portion thereof, or the seeds of same (except roasted coffee for 

 domestic consumption), and no rooted citrus plants or cuttings, 

 and no cotton seed, seed cotton, cotton lint, loose or in bales shall 

 be brought into the island of Porto Rico from any state or 

 territory or other country whatsoever, without having attached 

 thereto in a prominent and conspicuous place, a certificate under 

 oath signed by a duly authorized state or government entomologist, 

 stating that such trees, plants, roots, seed hulls or seed, and any 



