PORTO RICO EXPERIMENT STATION. 411 



CACAO. 



The requirements of cacao are so similar to those of coffee that it 

 should do well on the island. Plants of it are found here and there, 

 and, as a rule, are doing well. It may become an import crop in the 

 course of a few years. 



FIBER PLANTS. 



The two principal fiber plants are the maguey and the emajagua. 

 The former is a species of agave, or century plant, and the leaves often 

 attain a length of 8 or more feet. When blooming it sends up a 

 flower stalk to a height of 30 feet or more. The fiber is much used 

 in the making of rope, belts, hammocks, etc. The latter is a shrub 

 and the fiber part is the inner portion of the bark. It is much used 

 for making coarse ropes and baskets. There are other fiber plants on 

 the island which are not much used, and it seems very likely that the 

 abaca, a species of banana from which the manila hemp is obtained, 

 would thrive and become a profitable crop for the island. 



Twenty or more years ago some cotton was grown on the island, 

 and remnants of it still remain in the form of occasional small cotton 

 trees. During the past year a certain cotton company in the States 

 has been experimenting with cotton in various parts of the island. 

 They have planted every month in the year and have arrived at favor- 

 able conclusions, but have not made public the results of their investi 

 gation. My personal observation leads me to believe that the best 

 season to plant is June or July, thus having the cotton mature in the 

 early part of the dry season, which usually begins with December. 

 The beginning of the dry season, however, is rather uncertain, and 

 may be delayed by weeks or even months. 



There are many other plants of economic value, some of which are 

 native and others which might be introduced that would be valuable 

 crops for the people of the island, but space will not be taken for fur- 

 ther mention of crops. 



MINOR CROPS. 



Minor crops, such as rice, corn, potatoes, yams, beans, peas, toma- 

 toes, melons, and a variety of other vegetables, are grown in a limited 

 way for home consumption. There is room for great improvement 

 with practically all of these crops. Just where the trouble now lies 

 is difficult to say. Little seems to be known in regard to the time and 

 manner of planting. In the markets one finds quite a variety in the 

 line of vegetables, but practically all are of very inferior quality. 

 Tomatoes are very small and wrinkly, and in the States would be 

 thrown away. Potatoes grown here are small, and must be imported 



