46 FOREST CONDITIONS OF PORTO RICO. 



stated, is that of reforesting a deforested region. That trees will grow 

 rapidly and readily is shown by the many snperb specimens of culti- 

 vated trees seen around the houses, and especially the shade trees 

 planted along the highways by the late Spanish Government. One 

 interesting phase of the Spanish road-building experiments was the 

 planting of avenues of trees along the macadamized highways as far as 

 they were constructed. (See fig. 9.) These trees have grown with 

 remarkable rapidity, and are now shedding a grateful shade over what , 



would otherwise be sunny stretches of highway. Many deforested 

 mountain slopes and summits which have been abandoned as agricul- | 

 tural land could be rapidly reforested. Such a proceeding would be 4 



profitable even for fuel, considering the high prices of that article upon 

 the island. 



The rough limestone hills of the south coast of the island are well 

 adapted to the cultivation of logwood and fustic, which have been 

 introduced into so many of the West Indian Islands, and now practi- 

 cally run wild. The growing of oranges will be one of the future 

 resources of the island, and much land will naturally be converted into 

 orange groves. 



We have here the problem of extensive tree culture upon a beautiful 

 island once densely covered with forests, but which has been robbed 

 of them through three hundred years of exhaustive cultivation of heavy 

 plantation crops, in which alone, under the old political conditions, 

 values were procurable. The conditions are altogether favorable, and 

 the visitor to Porto Rico ten years hence should see the now cleared 

 slopes of the numerous barren mountain sides covered with many 

 productive trees. 



