PORTO RICO EXPERIMENT STATION. 407 



another crop is ready to harvest. This second crop is much inferior 

 to the first one, and is largely used for filler purposes. In many instances 

 even a third crop is harvested, but it is very poor in quality and of 

 little value except for cigarettes. 



While some tobacco of excellent quality has been grown in Porto 

 Rico, it is not known in United States trade. Formerly much of this 

 class of tobacco was exported to Cuba, and part of it was undoubtedly 

 shipped from there to the States. 



Tobacco is a quick crop and one which should play an important 

 part in giving early financial relief to the people of the island. By 

 the introduction of improved methods it should offer good opportu- 

 nities for investments and bring prompt and large returns on the 

 capital invested. 



The United States Department of Agriculture proposes to send two 

 tobacco experts to the island to spend the greater portion of the next 

 fiscal year in investigating the tobacco industry. They will begin 

 with the planting of the crop and conduct experiments relating to all 

 phases of the subject, from the beginning to the finish. These experi- 

 ments will deal with the curing and fermenting of the product as 

 well as the growing. This is an important work for the people of 

 the island, and will begin with the next crop season. 



CITRUS FRUITS. 



While coffee, sugar, and tobacco are practically the only crops of 

 export, many others are grown in a small way for home consumption. 

 Many of these minor crops are not grown in sufficient quantities to 

 supply the home market. Rice and potatoes, which are imported in 

 large quantities, might well and profitably be grown to a greater 

 extent at home. There is also great need of more diversity in the 

 export crops. With so few crops for exportation a failure in one 

 means a great reduction in the income of the people. The injury to 

 the coffee industry by the cyclone of August 8, 1899, is a striking 

 example, and illustrates the need of other export crops. The great 

 reduction in the coffee receipts has caused untold suffering. Thousands 

 of poor people who formerly were employed on the coffee plantations 

 were thrown out of employment, there being nothing else for them 

 to do. Many were supported by the coffee planters in order to tide 

 them over until the groves should again come into bearing. 



The production of citrus fruits will undoubtedly make a desirable 

 and important addition to the export crops. Oranges, Limes, and 

 lemons are grown in a small way in nearly all parts of the island, and 

 indicate that by the introduction of improved methods there will bo a 

 very good future for this branch of fruit culture. At present there 

 are no groves planted with regularity, pruned, and cultivated. The 

 trees are planted, a few here and there, about the buildings of the 



