8 



produced for many years are sliowino; increased plantincjs, and several 

 crops inti-oduced since the American occu])ation are yielding a profit 

 and are being extended. While the area of Porto Rico is compara- 

 tively small, the climatic conditions, due largely to rainfall, are quite 

 variable. This will result in the ])redominance of some crops in cer- 

 tain localities. The conformation of the land also has somewhat to do 

 with this matter. At present all low grounds that are at all adapted 

 are devoted to the growing of sugar cane. It will be necessary later 

 to rotate crops on these lands in some systematic way. In such case 

 it is probable rice will be the main crop together ^vith some legume. 



COFFEE. 



The interior is still and will continue to be largely devoted to coffee 

 growing. Although the prices have not been favorable to the pro- 

 duction of this crop, they are growing better, and when the American 

 palate learns to appreciate the peculiar flavor of the Porto Rican berry 

 it is probable that the price will be further enhanced. As will be seen 

 by the report of the expert in charge, the experiment station is carry- 

 ing on extensive experiments with coffee. These experiments are 

 along several lines as introducing those coffees that bring the highest 

 prices in the States markets, and also increasing the yield and improv- 

 ing the quality of the native product. Some of our importations, as 

 Java and other coffees, will bear their first crop during the year 1905. 

 It will then be possible to determine the quality of these coffees when 

 gro^^^l under Porto Rican conditions. We have demonstrated that 

 both the yield and quality of the Porto Rican berry can be greatly 

 improved by better cultural conditions. The average production 

 per tree in Porto Rico is much under 1 pound, while some of the new 

 trees in the station grounds that are just coming into bearing are pro- 

 ducing over 2 pounds per tree. This has been brought about by select- 

 ing good seed for planting in seed beds and by setting in the field only 

 the strongest and most vigorous plants; also by pruning and thor- 

 oughly cultivating the trees until they come into bearing. 



Some of the introduced varieties have fruited this jea,T, and it has 

 been possible to test in a preliminary waj- the relative merits of some 

 varieties of Philippine and Hawaiian coffee. These varieties are 

 believed to be inferior to the Porto Rican varieties, but some choice 

 Ceylon varieties retain their characteristic flavor when grown under 

 Porto Rican conditions. This is considered very encouraging, as it 

 seems to indicate the possibility of growing varieties that bring the 

 highest prices in the world's market without loss of their peculiar 

 flavor and other qualities. It is hoped that it will be possible to report 

 on a number of high-class Mocha and Java coffees next year. 



This investigation is awakening wide interest among the coffee 

 planters who are adopting improved methods of culture. It has been 



