43 



])rico of aV)oiit 1(U cents per pound, this Ix'ini: due to the favorable 

 tarilf conditions with that country. 



In order to obtain the hio;hest prices for our cofTee in the United 

 States we must be able to compete with the fine jjrades of Java cofl'ee, 

 and with this end in view the cofl'ee experiment station is now ijrowini]: 

 line coffees from all ]}arts of the world. Sami)les of these and the result 

 of their crossbreediuir will be sent to the United States market, and 

 after due consideration of their different (jualities, selections will be 

 made and the plantino; of the selected varieties recommended tt) t)ur 

 cofTee throwers, and if ])ossi})le seeds or seedlinirs will be ]>laced at their 

 disposal. At the same time, experiments are under way to increase 

 the production per acre, which now averatjes about 350 pounds as 

 against far larfjer outj)uts in other countri(>s. 



The interior of Porto Rico seems ])cculiarly a(la])ted to ])roducin<2; 

 the finer grades of cofTee, and it would seem that those varieties that 

 brino; the top prices in the United States are the kinds toward which 

 we should turn our attention. To grow such cofl'ees would mean a 

 very material increase in the prices received. In this connection the 

 station is ex])erimentino: with difTerent methods for increasing the 

 yield and improving the quality of the ])roduct. This work is not only 

 along the lines of better cultural methods, but tests methods of 

 ])runing, kinds and amounts of fertilizer, crossl)reeding, etc. 



The cofTee experiments consist of: (1) Introductitni of new varieties, 

 of which groves of the following have been planted: Abeokuta from 

 St. Lucia, Alta Verapaz from Guatemala, Haitian, Ilarrar from 

 Abyssinia, hybrids from Ceylon, Kona from Hawaii, Liberia from 

 Java, Maragogype from Java, Maragogype from Guatemala, Mauritius 

 from Java, Menado from Celebes, ^Iulti])le Seed from Porto Rico, 

 Padang from Sumatra, Philippinean, Prcanger from Java, Robusta 

 from Java, Stenophylla from Java. Although among the foregoing 

 several desira1)le ones will probably be found, they re])resent only a 

 small number of the varieties of the world. It is recommended that 

 steps be taken to secure a complete collection of the difTerent high- 

 grade cofTees of other countries, so as to be able to determine the best 

 for Porto Rican conditions. 



(2) Selection of varieties of desirable quality for the market of the 

 United States and distribution and reproduction of same. Some of 

 the introduced varieties will bear their first crop during the coming 

 year, and it is hoped that in a short time it will be possible to deter- 

 mine their quality when grown in Porto Rican soil. As soon as desir- 

 able selections can be made, cofTee seeds or plants will be distributed 

 in various sections of the island among representative ])lanters. 



(3) Improvement of Porto Rican cofliee by different methods of cul- 

 tivation and by crossbreeding with other desirable varieties. Up to 

 the present 2,269 Porto Rican trees have been planted in seventeen 



