AGRICULTLTRAL iU'PKUl'RIATION BILL, 1U24. 49 



(he Islnnd. Tlie htatlmi built llii- first tlippitm tiiuk iii I'lirtu Kko . •!«* 



its 1IS4- fn-i- to all wli<» \v<iui<i liriim ili«ir nitti)'. S«» >»»<(•«•>»« fill wtt^ •■ 'ft 



ill iiiipnisiiiK the (-«iiiiliti(>ii of the tattli* tliai llu*r<> ur«' now iimn- ttiuii 1<A> 

 |>ulilt«- uml iirlvati' ilipplim tiiiikH in llit- l8laii(i. t-'nllnwIiiK thi- «-U*HiiiiiK iiii uf 

 tirks oil lilt' Ktalioii. (lair.v iiiM'stlKiiHoiis iiHV«> liifii liiki'ii up ami by tli«- um* 

 ol put-)' bitnl <;ii«>nis4',v sii'i-s till' milk pi-oilm tion uf tin* Htalion bt-nl liii> Imi'Ii 

 ;;n'atl\ iiitims*-)!. Similar work i> iif«'<l«'ii liitou^'lioiit tin* ivlnml to pnMlu<-f 

 lar;;ci- ami bett«*r milk siipplit'M. 'i'li<* I'litomolo^iMt Ih i-ontliiuiiii; Htii<li«>s on tli«> 

 llfi' history t>f tlu* tick umlcr I'orto Uico coutlitloiiM, ami lh«* .M-arM' data have 

 Ikh'ii t-olliH-tiMl oil tlii'ir beliavior uudt'r varlouH conilltloiiH. \iv Ik also luukliiK 

 II study of iIh' iuMTt t raiismissioii of tin- yellow striiK- disease of sn;;.ir ijiim*. 



Tlu" clu'iiiists liiivc found. s<» fur as a siimlt' si-asons work Is i-oiKt-riifd. ilmt 

 amiiionium siilphatt' iisiil as a fi'rtlli/.«M- ri'dtKcd tlit> sui-ros*- and purity of 

 sumir I'auf : also, that tin* so-raU»*d straight lu-ad dlsruw of rkv .s diu* to 

 «'X«n«sslve list' of iiitro;:i'iious fiTtlllzfrs ou iMK^rly «lraim'«l s<»il.s. TU«* 

 horti4-iilturist and plant bri't'dcrs an* iictivcly cnpipMl In the production of 

 iii'U strains and varii'tM's of i'<-«iiiomi<- pliints, and s<iiik' v»'ry liiiiKtit;iiit results 

 liav«' Itffii stM'iirt'<l. TIh' i-xiK-rlnu'iit with vanilla, wldih seeiiuil s«i proiiiisiuK. 

 has b«H>n ^:lven up on account of the presence of a root ijlsc-ase that destroyetl 

 nearly all the plant iii>;s at the station. This diseast* and seal* of citrus frultH 

 iitH'd invest iirat. on. but the station has no plant path<do;.'ist to mnke the studies. 

 .\s a result of the station's work with vaiiilhi. three coiiiiiiercial phintinys 

 have b«»en made in I'orto Kico. I'orto Klcu shijis to the mainland L,'ra|»«fruit 

 and oran;:es to the value id" more than .S"_'.(HH».(KMI annually, but re<-ently large 

 los.ses have been exiH>rlenced and consiilerable atteutiou is hpii^ niven to some 

 of the problems connected with the packing' and shiiipinn of litrus fruit, data 

 having be4'ii collected locally, on the vcs.sels, and in the New York markets. 

 It is believed that means fiu' avoidinir some of the los.s*>s have been found and 

 a bullet n on the subject is in course of publication. 



With the fall In the price of sii^nr an Interest has become manifest In rice, 

 and the station has resumed and exteiiU'^l its investlpitions with this crop, 

 rnfortunately the station .s not e(iu pped with a<hM|uatt' irri;:ation ta<'ilitie."* 

 for proper work witli lowland ri<e. .\ test was made of a number of varieties 

 and sati.sfact«)ry yields were indicated for some of them. A strain "f Ib'tidnras 

 ritv ^owu as an upland cn>p ylelde*! 1.8(.H) pounds i»er acre. 



GV.\M ST.VTION. 



The «Juam station, with its reduced income, has had to jireatly contract some 

 of its lines of work. The a^onomist and horticulturist and the extenshai agent 

 r<'si;:iied. and their places can not be tilletl because of a lack of funds. This 

 leaves but one .scientifically trained man at the station. He acts as tllrei'tor 

 of ilie station, disbur.ses the funds, and keeps the expi-rimeiits ;:oiii^. so far as 

 he is able t(» do so. The stati<»u is poorly etjuipped for economical management 

 on account of a lack of implements machinery, and work animals, and this 

 entails a large amount of h:ind labor whi«h must be employed throughout the 

 year. Again, on account of tlie limited area of the station at I'iti and the 

 impossibility of .securing suitabN' land near by. much of the work with live 

 stock is carried on at <'otot. some S or !<• miles away. Tlie statii>n has made 

 an etTort to Improve the live st«K-k of the Island, and at the b»'glniiiiig of the 

 year it liiul S Ayrshire. 1 .lerse.v. .">;{ graile. and 17 native cattle in Its herds. It 

 also hail .'io grade goats and s imre-bred and grade Herkshire pigs, and it 

 iiijuntaiiis a fitK-k of about l<Mi clii< kens for breeding purposes. A new breetl of 

 poultry has been matle by crossing the Ithode Island on a native strain, and a 

 liardy ratv of bird has be«"n obtained that is greatly superior to tl;e native ones. 

 It also has some pure-bre«l Morgan horses. These auiiuals are all use.l to 

 grade up the island's live stock, and there is a growini; demand throughout the 

 island for better stock. <>n account of transportation dithculties this is the 

 only available source of brttHling stoik. and grade animals are dispo>ed of for 

 bre«'ding purpo.ses the station keepiiit: the pure-bred ones. With .so many 

 animals a lar^'e ainotint of time and labor is required for providing pa.stures 

 ami forage. In addition to the breeding work, some feeding experiments are 

 in progress to determine the value of available feeils. such as copra meal, 

 beaus. etc. 



.Sin*-!' till' departure of the agronomist and horticulturist the work alonir ihosi' 

 lines has been greatly reduced, and it now ctmsi.sts of small-plat experiments 

 with various tropical crops and the maintenance of the «»rchards already 



