394 



REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION. 



Porto Rico is almost purely an agricultural country. Statistics 

 show that of the exports during many years past 95 to 96 per cent 

 were agricultural products. The chief exports are coffee, sugar, 

 tobacco, and live stock, in the order named. The following table a 

 shows the important exports of commodities exceeding $50,000 in 

 value for the years 1894, 1895, and 1899: 



Exports of commodities exceeding $50,000 in 1894, 1895, and 1899. 



» Gallons. 



b Cattle are not shown separately; includes all animals. 



Of the total exports of the island for the years 1887-1891, inclusive, 

 28.7 per cent went to the United States, 21.4 per cent to Spain, and 19 

 per cent to Cuba, with lesser amounts to various other countries, and 

 for the five years ending 1896, 24.8 per cent went to Spain, with 23£ 

 to Cuba, and 15.8 to the United States. Of the total imports of the 

 island for the years 1887 to 1891, inclusive, 24 per cent were received 

 from the United States, 28 per cent from Spain, with approximately 

 21 per cent from the United Kingdom, and lesser amounts from vari- 

 ous other countries. For the five years ended 1896, the percentages 

 are as follows: Spain, 32£; United States, 24; United Kingdom, 13. 

 Since American occupancy, however, this order of importation and 

 exportation has been very much modified and we find that for the year 

 1899, 40 percent of the imports were received from the United States, 

 with 20 per cent from Spain and 17 per cent from the United Kingdom, 

 and for the same year, 34 per cent of the exports were sent to the 

 United States, with 21 per cent to France, 13 per cent to Cuba, and 

 only 10 per cent to Spain. During the first year of civil government, 

 ended April 30, 1901, 80 per cent of the imports were received from 

 the United States and 64.6 per cent of the exports went to the same 

 source. This shows a marked increase between the trade of Porto 

 Rico and the United States and we can safely predict that it will con- 

 tinue to increase until 90 or more per cent of both the export and 

 import trade will be between the island and the States. During the 

 years 1887 to 1891, the mean annual excess of imports over the 



a Figures from Monthly Summary of Commerce of the Island of Porto Rico, April, 

 1900, War Department. 



