The Porto Sugar has been raised in Porto Rico since the early years of 



Rican the sixteenth century, but there was no notable development 



Industry Q ^ Q industry until after American occupation. During the 

 past eleven years the maximum output was 449,000 tons in 1916-17, and the 

 minimum output was 308,000 tons in 1914-15. For the present crop year it is 

 estimated that the total production will be approximately 385,000 tons. 



While some Porto Rican sugar is produced at relatively low cost, the 

 major portion is produced at a cost considerably in excess of that prevailing 

 in Cuba and certain portions of the West Indies. Climatic and soil conditions 

 vary widely. On the south side a large part of the product must be raised 

 under irrigation, while on the north side the character of the soil and the 

 excessive rainfall necessitates large expenditures for tiling and other drain- 

 age. Much of the Porto Rican land has been devoted constantly to sugar for 

 centuries and successful production now requires extensive use of commercial 

 fertilizers which adds much to costs. Porto Rico is thickly populated and 

 the available tillable land is so limited that it apparently is not possible to 

 undertake an extensive system of crop rotation in place of the application 

 of fertilizers. In various official investigations the inefficiency of Porto Rican 

 labor as contrasted with that of the other regions has received extensive 

 comment. Much of the Porto Rican production is possible only because of 

 the tariff bounty. 



Gathering cane on a Cuban sugar plantation 

 15 



