22 



BULLETIN 354, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of the Luquillo. The forests of Porto Rico differ from those of the 

 other islands chiefly in the absence of any pine growth. Santo 

 Domingo, now least changed from its original pre-Columbian con- 

 dition, still has fully 85 per cent of its land area under virgin forest. 

 Probably at least 50 per cent of Cuba is wooded, not far from 30 per 

 cent being virgin forest. Santo Domingo has a population density 

 of 33 per square mile, Cuba 46, and Porto Rico 325. There is little 

 wonder that Porto Rico is nearly deforested. 



The assertion of a completely forested Porto Rico does not mean 

 that there were no open lands at the time of Columbus's first visit. 

 There were in fact even then more or less extensive clearings surround- 

 ing each native village. These clearings were continued and extended 

 by the white settlers that they might cultivate sugar cane, ginger, 



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Fig. 6.— Porto Rico. Pre-Columbian distribution of forest formations. (Diagrammatically shown.) 



and other crops, and provide pasture for cattle brought from Spain. 

 The clearing proceeded more rapidly on the north than on the south 

 side of the island and was likewise confined for the most part to the 

 lowland. Until nearly the middle of the nineteenth century the 

 interior mountain forests were probably but little disturbed. The 

 gradual ascendency of the coffee industry over that of sugar and 

 tobacco, which culminated during the closing years of Spanish rule, 

 undoubtedly strongly influenced. the development of the interior. 



Of the once extensive virgin tropical forest there now remain only 

 isolated remnants scattered over the island in its most mountainous 

 parts. The best known and most famous of these, and the largest 

 as well, still covers a considerable portion of the Luquillo Range. 

 While it has for upward of half a century been gradually encroached 

 upon, progress has been slow. The abruptness of the slopes and the 

 size of the trees have made timber exploitation by native methods 



