NOTES ON THE FOREST CONDITIONS OF PORTO RICO. 



NATURAL CONDITIONS RELATING TO FOREST GROWTH. 



Porto Rico (see map, PI. I) was originally mantled by forests from 

 the level of the sea to the summit of its mountains. It is doubtful if 

 there was a single foot of its area which was not at some time covered 

 by tree growth, varying in height from the diminutive mangrove bushes 

 which border the seashore, to the gigantic deciduous trees mingled 

 with the fronds and trunks of towering palms, which add height to the 

 loftiest peaks and ridges. To understand the distribution and natural 

 occurrence of these, it is necessary to explain briefly the topographic 

 aud physical features of the island. 



GEOGRAPHIC SITUATION. 



The island is the most eastern and the smallest of the four Great 

 Antilles. Although it nowhere attains the great altitudes of the other 

 Antilles, the island is practically the eastward continuation of the 

 Antillean chain of uplifts, the upward extension of a remarkable sub- 

 merged mountain slope, which, at least on the north side, descends 

 nearly 30,000 feet to the bottom of the Brownson Deep, until recently 

 supposed to be the deepest hole in the world. The island is 95 miles 

 long, 35 miles wide, and has an area of 3,668 square miles. It is 500 

 square miles less in area than Jamaica. Its area is 300 miles greater 

 than that of Delaware. Ehode Island, and the District of Columbia 

 combined, and 1,300 square miles less than that of Connecticut. At 

 the same time, in proportion to area, it is of all the Antilles the most 

 productive, the most densely settled, and the most established in its 

 customs and institutions. It is also notable among the West Indian 

 group, because its preponderant population is of the white race, and 

 because it produces food stuffs almost sufficient to supply its inhabit- 

 ants in addition to its exports to some of the neighboring islands. 



Its outline presents the appearance of an almost geometrically regu- 

 lar parallelogram . nearly three times as long as broad, with its sides 

 following the four cardinal directions. The sea line is nearly straight, 

 and the coast is usually low, especially on the southern side, although 

 there are a few headlands. It is void of fringing keys and deep inden- 

 tations of its coast, such as border Cuba. The coast line is 360 miles. 



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