42 



REPORT OF THE COFFEE SPECIALIST. 

 By J. W. VAN Leenhoff. 



The investigations with coffee have been continued under the 

 agreement mentioned in previous reports. 



In those parts of the Tropics where the cUmate is especially agree- 

 able to the North American or European, coffee, as a rule, grows best. 

 This condition prevails in a liigli degree in the mountain districts of 

 Porto Kico; no finer climate can be found in the world. The tempera- 

 ture ranges between 60 to 85° F., and while during the rainy season, 

 September to December, rain falls continuously up to 20 inches per 

 month and the weather conditions are less pleasant, yet this is out- 

 weighed by the weather conditions of the eight remaining, and espe- 

 cially the first four, months of the year. The total rainfall for the 

 year is 100 to 120 inches. 



Coffee can be profitably grown on nearly all kinds of soils, provided 

 they do not retain water. The mechanical conditions of the soil are 

 to be considered before the chemical composition. Virgin forest soil 

 is the best, and it can still be had at about $10 per acre. 



Up to a few years ago the cultivation of coffee was generally con- 

 ducted in a very primitive way. Since that time, however, the 

 establishment of a coffee experiment station has brought about 

 more modern ])ractices — as, for example, the introduction of seed and 

 nursery beds, which are now found everywhere in the important Ponce 

 and Utuado coffee districts where a few years ago only volunteer plants 

 were used. 



There has been a pronounced improvement in the coffee industry 

 of Porto Rico. The crop for the season of 1905 is much larger and 

 there has been an ai)preciable advance in prices. The insular gov- 

 ernmeait has established a commercial agency in Xew York for the 

 purpose of introducing the Porto Rican coffee to the best trade m 

 the States and also to serve without cost as a selling agency for oiu- 

 planters. 



A kind of bitter taste and, possibly, weaker strength w^ere given as 

 reasons preventing the introduction of our coffee into the markets of 

 the United States at remunerative prices, as the first-class trade there 

 is accustomed to the fine Java coffees. In those countries of Europe 

 where a large and fine looking bean is appreciated, our first-grade 

 coffee finds a good market. These markets demand a large, clean, 

 green bean, polished and colored, which latter processing has caused 

 much complaint in the United States. 



The larger part of last year's crop of the experiment station sold at 

 13 cents per pound delivered in Ponce for shijunent to European mar- 

 kets. Second grades were shipped in large quantities to Cuba at a 



