402 



REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



MARKET. 



Low prices for coffee are responsible in part for the present depres- 

 sion to the industry in Porto Rico. Every effort should be made to 

 introduce the coffee into the States on its merit under the name of 

 "Porto Rico." The coffee is of excellent quality and when known it 

 will undoubtedly replace a part of the fancy trade that is now supplied 

 by Mocha and Java. This can be brought about by organization and a 

 systematic handling of the product. 



SUGAR. 



The production of sugar in Porto Rico is at present in a very 

 flourishing condition, and considerable capital from the States is being 

 invested in lands and in the construction of large "centrals." It is 

 estimated that the amount of export sugar for 1901 will reach 100,000 

 tons. 



The area of land suited for the production of sugar is capable of 

 being more than doubled, and by the introduction of better machinery 

 for the extraction of the sugar and better methods of cultivation of 

 the cane, it is safe to say that the output of sugar by Porto Rico will 

 reach a maximum of about 300,000 tons annually. 



Quantity and value of sugar exported from Porto Rico during each calendar year from 



1887 to 1896, inclusive. a 



• Table from Bulletin 13, Section of Foreign Markets, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



The above table shows that the heaviest exportation of sugar occurred 

 in 1887; that it steadily decreased for a number of years thereafter, 

 reaching a minimum of about 95,000,000 pounds in 1893, with a value 

 of less than half that of the 3^ ear 1887. The average exportations for 

 the first five years are considerably greater than for the last five. In 

 addition to sugar, molasses has also been exported to an average value 

 of about $500,000 annually. At the present writing there are many 

 old sugar estates that have been abandoned, the lands turned 'out to 

 pasture, and the buildings in a state of ruins. These estates were 

 mostly limited in extent and equipped with old machinery, which was 

 not at all suited to carry on high-grade manufacturing of sugar. The 

 lands were often too wet to give good results, and this, together with 



