leached out from many of the soils, but may be readily 

 restored by applying coral sand, which is chiefly carbon- 

 ate of lime, and in the best possible form for soil improve- 

 ment. 



When plowed deeply, our soils are exceedingly reten- 

 tive of moisture, as evidenced by the fact that cotton and 

 various other plants thrive in a wild condition where no 

 rain falls except once or twice per year, and then only 

 to the extent of one or two inches. Moreover, good crops 

 of alfalfa and forty bushels of corn per year have been 

 produced with two inches of rainfall without irrigation. 

 One of the most important points in soil cultivation, 

 which has been demonstrated by the sugar planters, is 

 the great value of deep plowing. Some of our soils are 

 commonly plowed to a depth of two or three feet, and 

 are thus put in condition to hold and store the rainfall 

 for the benefit of the crop. The soils are easily kept in 

 good tilth and great fertility by deep plowing, suitable 

 crop rotation, and the application of fertilizers to replace 

 special elements of plant food removed by the crops. 



On account of the porous nature of the underlying 

 rocks in most localities, the rain may penetrate to great 

 depths, but a large part of this water supply is recovered 

 by means of artesian wells, which have been developed 

 as extensively and as skillfully here as anywhere in the 

 world. 



UNLIMITED VARIETY OF CROPS. 



On account of the range of altitude on the different 

 islands, we have conditions suitable for the growth of 

 almost all the agricultural crops of the world. While 

 at present sugar is the main crop, there are also large 

 plantations of coffee, rice, sisal, rubber, fruits, forage 

 plants, etc. Various kinds of hay, alfalfa, matting plants, 

 tobacco, corn, cotton, wheat and other cereals, sorghum, 

 Manila hemp, Sansevieria, and other field crops are found 

 in thriving condition in various parts of the islands. In 

 the production of fruits, there is practically no limit, 

 either in the fruits of temperate climates at higher alti- 

 tudes, or of tropical fruits at lower altitudes. The fruits 

 and nuts actually grown at the present time, include,* 

 pineapple, banana, mango, orange, citron, lemon, man- 

 darin, pomelo, shaddock, lime, grape, avocado, fig, cocoa- 

 nut, vanilla, strawberry, roselle, papaia, mangosteen, 

 kumquat, loquat, monstera, sour sop. sweet sop, custard 



