406 



REPOKT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



TOBACCO. 



Tobacco has for many years ranked third among the export crops 

 of the island, and at the same time has supplied a comparatively large 

 home demand. It is the exception to find a Porto Rican man who does 

 not smoke, and many of the women, especially of the middle and lower 

 classes, also enjoy the cigarette and cigar. The manufacture of tobacco 

 into cigars and cigarettes is probably of far greater magnitude than 

 the manufacture of any other single commodity on the island. 



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



1887 to 1896, inclusive. a 



» From Bulletin 13, Section of Foreign Markets. 



The above figures for the ten years 1887-1896 show a decline in 

 the exportation of tobacco. Previously the manufactured tobacco was 

 practically all consumed at home, but at present there is quite an 

 export trade with the States in cigars and cigarettes, and a larger per- 

 centage of the total product is now manufactured than formerly. 

 While the annual amount of tobacco exported has declined, the price 

 per pound has increased from an average of about 14 cents in 1887 to 

 18.4 cents in 1896. 



The crops for 1900 and 1901 are in large part still on hand, a fact 

 which tends to keep the price down and gives no incentive for increasing 

 the acreage. The 1900 crop consisted of about 15,000 acres, which 

 yielded only 300 to 600 pounds per acre. While tobacco of good qual- 

 ity is grown, }^et there is a lack of skill in curing and fermenting it, 

 and the people are in special need of instruction along these lines. 

 The lands recognized as being best for tobacco are largely along the 

 Rio La Plata. Of the tobacco districts, Comerio leads with an area 

 of 2,000 acres, Camu}^ follows with an area of 1,039, and other impor- 

 tant districts are Cidra, Naranjita, Yauco, Isabela, Aibonito,and Caguas, 

 in the order named. 



The preparation of the land for the seed beds usually takes place 

 in August and September, and the seeds are planted from a month to 

 six weeks later. The plants are transplanted to the fields in December 

 and January, and require eighty to ninety days to come to maturity. 

 The first crop of tobacco is therefore harvested in March or April. 

 Suckers at once start from old stumps, and in from four to six weeks 



