144 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The results with grasses and forage plants indicated that Bermuda grass is a better 

 lawn grass under the prevailing conditions than gramma grass. Teosinte and John- 

 son grass gave promise of good growth for forage purposes, ('urn was destroyed by 

 bud worms, which feed on the newly formed leaves in the terminal bud. Native flint 

 corn seemed more resistant than yellow dent, while sweet corn failed entirely. Kafir 

 corn, sorghum, and broom corn proved more resistant than corn. Of many kinds of 

 vegetables from northern-grown seed, only cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, 

 and radishes were in a measure successful. 



Report of tin- entomologist and botanist, 0. W. Barrett (pp. 429-450). — The collections 

 of economic plants which have been assembled 1 >y the station are enumerated and 

 briefly noted. A banana plat of about 3 acres was established, and in planting it was 

 observed that the "name," or short portion of the stem base with a corm-like root- 

 stock, was preferable for dry soil; that the "tallo," or 3-ft. section of stem with root, 

 gave best results in wet soil; and that the "pichon," or 2 to 3 ft. sucker or offshoot 

 from the stem base, was most convenient for general purposes. Each of these meth- 

 ods after 8 months had produced about the same number of offshoots. Drying the 

 roots in the sun for several days was found to injure the vitality of the plant and con- 

 siderably retarded its sprouting. The plants growing in a heavy, red, moist clay 

 with apparently little humus have thus far made the best growth. The varieties oi 

 Yautia, yams, miscellaneous native and imported crops, bulbs and fiber plants, cas- 

 sava, rubber, and cacao, which form part of the collection, are listed and briefly dis- 

 cussed. A forest plat of native and introduced species has been established, and a 

 list of the species set out is given. Propagation experiments with native fruits have 

 been begun and the various species tested in this connection are mentioned. 



The discussion of the entomological work for the year consists largely of notes on 

 the various insect pests, including cutworms, coffee insects, insect enemies of citrus 

 stock and miscellaneous fruit trees, and a number of other injurious species. At 

 the station the nests of white ants were soaked with kerosene and burned, and this 

 method of eradication was much more effective than arsenic treatment. Notes are 

 also given on plant parasites and fungus diseases. 



Report of the coffee specialist, J. W. Van Leenhoff (pp. 450-454).— Coffee plants were 

 transplanted from the seed beds into nursery beds, of which some were treated with 

 nitrate of soda, muriate of potash, lime phosphate, hone meal, stable manure, and 

 Porto Rican bat guano applied alone and in different combinations. On the beds 

 treated with bat guano, or the same mixed with other fertilizers, the plants grew 

 twice as fast as in the other beds. The bat guano, which is obtained from caves in 

 the island, was analyzed by the Bureau of Chemistry of this Department, which 

 reports the following result: Total phosphoric acid, 12.93 percent; total potash, 0.96 

 per cent; total nitrogen, 3.32 per cent; ammonia, 4.03 per cent; moisture, 13.86 per 

 cent; loss on ignition, 52.33 per cent. 



The plants developed well the following year and are now used in establishing 

 experimental fields by the stump-planting system. Progress is also reported on 

 experimental work in the improvement of an old coffee grove. The total crop of 10 

 acres before any experiments were made amounted to 3,387 lbs. of coffee ready for 

 market. The cost of harvesting and marketing the crop was $2.1 1 per 100 11 is. After 

 the harvest the 10 acres were divided into plats; and experiments in green manuring 

 with leguminous crops, distance tests, renovation of the trees by cutting them down 

 to stumps to cause new growth, and different methods of cultivation have been 

 begun. Experiments in progress with new coffee consist in testing Porto Rican 

 coffee and shade trees, and improved varieties of coffee and shade trees. Young plants 

 grown from seed from the Hawaiian Islands and Ceylon have already been set out, 

 and distance experiments have also been started in this connection. 



Report on observations in Porto Rico, F. S. Earle (pp. 454-468).— This report treats 

 of the horticultural possibilities of Porto Rico and of observations on plant diseases 



