AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES, ETC., OP PORTO RICO. 21 



should be. It is a much more healthful article of food than unripe 

 bananas, and if supplied in abundance to the peasants of the coffee 

 district there would be greater health and vigor. 



Bananas are ordinarily produced in great abundance, because they 

 furnish the shade of the young coffee plants. They are also grown 

 for food without reference to coffee shade. They constitute the 

 principal vegetable food of the laboring classes. The banana pos- 

 sesses some advantages. The product per acre on rich land is enor- 

 mous, yielding in some cases as much as 60,000 pounds of fruit. In 

 well-cultivated orchards it is possible to have fruit most of the year, 

 though it is more abundant at certain seasons. The fruit should be cut 

 before it is ripe and hung in a dark place till mellow. Some place it 

 in a dirt house till mature; others simply cover it Avith dirt. In most 

 tropical countries the ripening is neglected and the fruit is eaten in 

 an immature state. It is usually cooked. A dwarf varietj^, known 

 as Guineo fruit, about 4 inches long, is greatly prized. The skin is 

 very thin, meat yellow and highly flavored. I observed a good many 

 stems that had failed to mature more than half a bunch of bananas, 

 probably the result of a deficiency in fertility or moisture, or both. 

 A little knowledge and care would easilj^ remedy this defect. When 

 a line of fruit steamers is established to Porto Rico bananas will 

 constitute an important part of the exports. 



VEGETABLES. 



A visit to the markets does not give a favorable impression of the 

 capacity of Porto Rico to produce vegetables. The cabbages for sale 

 are very inferior in size and quality. Many are not more than 4 

 inches in diameter, and not solid heads. The tomatoes usually range 

 from 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Root crops are in proportion. 

 Watermelons offered are inferior in size and quality; the lettuce is 

 small and bitter. An inspection of the gardens or fields where these 

 vegetables are produced affords an entirely different vicAv of the gar- 

 den problem. Vegetables are planted on land long in use, imperfectly 

 tilled, without fertilizer, and turned over for further care to Provi- 

 dence. The seeds in many instances are sown broadcast. Gardeners 

 from south Florida, located near San Juan, showed good results. 

 Their vegetables were not only of good size, but of excellent quality. 

 One gardener near Rio Piedraa delivered in San Juan several loads 

 of watermelons each weighing 50 pounds or over. His produce 

 brought high prices. The following vegetables can be successfully 

 raised : 



Vegetables which can be raised in Porto Rico. 



Beans. Kenep. Peppers (green). 



Beets. Lettuce. Peas. 



Cabbage. Lentils. Pumpkins. 



Cassava. Lechosa (species of musk- Radishes. 



Carrots. melon) . Sesame. 



Celery. Muskmelons. Squash. 



Corn (sweet). Okra. String beans. 



Corn (field). Onions. Tallote. 



Cucumbers. Potatoes (sweet). Turnips. 



Eggplant. Potatoes (Irish). Tomatoes. 



Garlic. Peanuts. "Watermelon. 



Gourds. Peppers (tabasco). Yams. 



ORANGES, LIMES, AND LEMONS. 



Porto Rico is well adapted to the growth of the orange. Here the 

 tree is hardy, healthy, a rapid grower, a marvelous producer, and 



