ISLAND DEPENDENCIES 



ISLAND DEPENDENCIES 1691 



for 5 cents a pounil and on a good plantation from 300 

 to 400 pounds an acre is an average crop. At the pres- 

 ent price of 15 cents a pound, handsome returns are 

 reahzed. Practically all plantations devoted to this 

 crop are large and under Spanish or Porto Rican 

 management. It is a rare exception when any fertilizer 

 is applied to coffee. As the plantations are rolling and 

 the trees set but a few feet apart, no animal cultivation 

 is given and the only cultural work is confined to shal- 

 low hoeing and weeding. 



There is no crop in Porto Rico which jdelds such 

 regular and satisfactory returns as the coconut palm. 

 Without cultivation or fertiUzing, the trees bear good 

 crops of large nuts which bring first-class prices in the 

 United States markets. The narrow strip of sandy 

 coastal plain, which rarely exceeds },-^ mile in width 

 and for the most part skirts the island, is ideal for 

 coconuts, as the sandy loam affords perfect drainage, 

 which is the principal requisite for this crop. Most 

 of the suitable land has been planted and is in bearing. 

 The trees are planted from 25 to 30 feet apart each 

 way and bear in five to eight years, depending on the 

 fertility of the land. The area devoted to coconuts 

 in Porto Rico is small, and practically all of the prod- 

 uct is exported to the United 

 States, the only demands at 

 home being for drinking the 

 water from the half-mature 

 nuts and for making coconuts 

 oil and its products. 



The temperature in Porto 

 Rico is ideal for vegetable-grow- 

 ing, but injurious influences of 

 excessive rains and prolonged 

 droughts, together with the 

 rather heavy poorly aerated 

 soils, make commercial vege- 

 table-growing practically a fail- 

 ure so far as shipping to foreign 

 markets is concerned. When 

 irrigation is practised, excellent 

 crops of lettuce, radishes, tur- 

 nips, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, 

 cucumbers, and so on, are grown, 

 but usually at a cost so high 

 that export is not profitable. 

 Large quantities of vegetables 

 are grown and sold at a very 



low price for home consumption. The most productive 

 crops and those that can always be depended upon 

 are the starchy root crops including iiame, yautias, 

 dasheens and yuca. These products are not exported, 

 although they are grown by every Porto Rican family 

 on the island where the farm or dooryard is large enough 

 for them. One exception is yuca (Manihot) which is 

 grown by commercial firms and the starch extracted in 

 a modern factory near Bayam6n. 



Bananas are found growing in all parts of the island 

 and form a part of the daily diet of both Porto Ricans 

 and foreigners. They are grown in dooryards, along 

 streams, in orchards, as windbreaks for yoimg citrous 

 trees, as shade for newly planted coffee trees and 

 throughout the hilly coffee plantations. A number of 

 the best varieties, including yellow- and red-fruited 

 kinds, and those for eating raw and for cooking, may 

 be found in plentv on nearly every farm. 



As is true with other West Indian Islands, the 

 mango is the most popular fruit. It is truly the apple 

 of the tropics. Until late years but little has been done 

 to improve the quality of mangoes in Porto Rico, and 

 there are but few of the choice strains growing here. 

 The favorite kinds grow in the Mayagiiez district. 

 The fruiting season continues for several weeks during 

 which time this fruit is one of the chief articles of food 

 among some of the poorer classes. No effort is made to 

 exTwrt the mango. At home they are used only in the 



fresh state except that fully grown green fruit is made 

 into sauce which resembles apple sauce very closely, 

 both in appearance and flavor. No orchards of native 

 mangoes are cultivated, as the trees grow wild and pro- 

 duce well with no care. The federal experiment sta- 

 tion and a few commercial fruit-growers are introducing 

 and distributing superior varieties from other countries, 

 notably East India and the Philippine Islands. These 

 imported varieties are thrifty and the fruit of a very 

 superior quahty. 



The avocado tree requires a well-drained soil and 

 prefers one of a rich neutral loam. It does not grow 

 well on all parts of this land and reaches its heaviest 

 production on the west end of the island near Isabella 

 and AguadiDa. The fruits are so plentiful, however, 

 that those of highest quaUty may be purchased in 

 markets at 1 or 2 cents each during the few weeks 

 of harvest. Among other fruits that may be found in 

 quantity in the markets of the island are mamey, 

 anona, caimito, nispero, papaya and guayaba. 



Among the agricultural industries, cane- and tobacco^ 

 growing and animal-production are important under- 

 takings. Most of the cane is grown on the low coastal 

 plain which reaches around a large part of the island 



5?"^^? 



1984 



A pineapple field in Porto Rico 



and in some places is several miles in width. In these 

 areas the soil is well adapted to the industry and as 

 the temperature is even and never low a good yield 

 can be depended upon each year. In 1901, the exports 

 of sugar were less than 70,000 tons; in 1911 they were 

 nearly 323,000, and during 1912, 367,000,— five times 

 greater than they were eleven years ago, — and they 

 are still increasing, having advanced 10 per cent during 

 the past year (1913). The external sales of this product 

 yielded .$31,500,000 against less than $5,000,000 in 1901. 



Tobacco is grown to some extent in all parts of the 

 island, though most of the Porto Rican output is grown 

 in the vicinity of Cayey, Caguas and Gurabo. In these ■ 

 sections an excellent product is grown and it is the chief 

 industry. Quoting from the report of Governor Colton 

 for 1912, — "The output of cigars was more than four- 

 teen times greater than in 1901, since which year it has 

 continuously increased until the sales of 1911-12 reached 

 281,000,000", an increase of 10,000,000 over the preced- 

 ing year. Of these 170,000,(XK) were consumed upon the 

 mainland and 111,000,1)00 in Porto Rico." 



Great interest is shown by the people of the island 

 in promoting scientific agriculture and agricultural 

 education. Institutions engaged in this work are 

 the Federal Experiment Station, an Agricultural Col- 

 lege, a Sugar Producers' Experiment Station supported 

 by the sugar-growers, and a Board of Agriculture. 



C. F. KiNMAN. 



