18 AGRICULTUKAL EESOUECES, ETC., OF POETO BICO. 



they were qaoted at $600 (gold.) par acre for all the land in coflfee- 

 bearing plants. Probably $150 to $200 would be nearer a true aver- 

 age. Many coffee estates were sold on long time at these high prices 

 to planters. Small payments were made at the time of the purchase, 

 and the unpaid amounts were secured by mortgage at 12 per cent 

 interest. The records of mortgages in Porto Rico show $15,664,971.69 

 uncanceled mortgages on country property in 1898. By cai-eful com- 

 parison of this with statements by bankers, it appears that the mort- 

 gage indebtedness of coffee estates at that time was about $8,000,000. 

 The total acreage of coffee reported for assessment was 122,389.76 

 acres, which would make the indebtedness on coffee lands equal to 

 $65.46 on every acre in cultivation. If 30 per cent of the estates were 

 not mortgaged, as appeared evident, but were owned by capitalists, 

 then the mortgage indebtedness on the remainder must have been 

 $93.51 per acre, an amount altogether too large for a farmer to safely 

 carry. The mortgage is purposely attached to the lands in coffee, 

 for in coffee estates they are the only income-producing property. 

 Under these conditions coffee planters were compelled to face a great 

 decline in prices, owing to increased competition in the markets of the 

 world and special changes in the Porto Riean market arising from 

 change of flag. 



Under such burdens the coffee planters entered upon the season 

 of 1899 and secured such advances as they could to make the crop. 

 August 8, 1899, a destructive hurricane visited all portions of the 

 island, sweeping away many buildings and a large portion of the 

 coffee crop, tearing up the trees used for shade for the coffee, and 

 greatly damaging the coffee plants. This left the coffee planters with- 

 out means to continue work, because it destroyed credit as well as 

 property. Had the planter possessed the capital to go immediately 

 after the storm and clear away the debris, restore the buildings, and 

 straighten up the coffee plants, the damage would largely have been 

 limited to the partial loss of a crop; but not being able to do this, the 

 loss in most cases amounted to the practical destruction of the planta- 

 tion, which it will require five years to restore. In tropical countries 

 the growth of grass, weeds, and vines is very rapid, converting the 

 uncultivated coffee plantations in a few months into a jungle and . 

 destroying the trees. 



From 70 to 76 per cent of the coffee plantations are now seriously 

 injured, and the value of all coffee lands has declined. In case of the 

 abandonment of this large percentage of coffee plantations these lands 

 will become nonproductive, except the slight value in grasses and 

 brush. This will reduce the export products of the island, as coffee 

 constituted about seven-tenths of the exports of the island, during 1895, 

 1896, and 1897. In 1896 it amounted to 68,780,000 pounds and brought 

 $8,505,666. Abandonment would mean death to manj^ laborers, who 

 could find no other immediate employment. If not to be abandoned, 

 vigorou s steps should be taken to restore old plantations and set new ones. 



Can this be done profitably? Planters claim that it now costs 9 cents a 

 pound on an average to make and market a crop of coffee ; that if former 

 methods are to be continued and Porto Rican coffee is to be sold 

 in the United States in competition with the Rio, it is better to 

 abandon coffee planting in Porto Rico. But it is not necessary to 

 continue former methods. The average product per acre should be 

 increased three or fourfold, which would reduce the cost of production 

 below 5 cents per pound. The best coffee in the world should be pro- 

 duced. Such coffees ought to average 14 to 20 cents per pound. This 

 result could be accomplished at a nominal expense by the United States 



