The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-09-15
ISLAND o. PORTO RICO
TAs HeItinE Loveliness of It's Trenae.
LaHdacnDe

Frederick A. Ober. late commission.
eR in Porto Rico OF the Columblan Ex-
position, contributes TO the Century an
article on The Island Of Porto Rico"
Mr.. ODER says: In the extreme north.
east rises the highest peak Of the cen.
tral cordillera. in the LuquillO Sierra.
known as Eel YunQue.- or the Anvil"
variousIy estimated at from thirty -six
hundred TO fOrty-fiye hundred feet In
height. The hills are OF lesser eleva,
ton toward the west and southwest.
but the whole north-central country ia
rugged and uneven. Between tbs
spurs from the main range lie inRu-
merable secluded valleys. where the
soil is Of great fertility. The impress
sive features of the landscape are she
rounded SUBMITS Of the multitudinous
hills. which leave the coast in con-
stantly rising pillows that finally break
against the cordillera vertebra: yet all
are cultivable. and cultivated to their
very crests. though the higher noun
tain peaks are forest clad.
More than thirteen hundred streams.
K Is said. Of which number perhaps
forty or fifty attain 10 the dignity OF
rivers, rise In the hills and seek the
coasts, most OF them running northerly.
though the best harbors are In the
west and south. But Notwithstanding
the great river flow. portions OF the
Island in the southwest are afflicted
With drouth at times. owing to the
precipitation of the northeast trades
against the northern hills.
The higher hills are clothed In the
exuberant and diversified vegetation
Of the tropical forest. where tree-ferns
flourish, and great gum-trees and
mountain palms tower alOft: al lower
levels are the cedar and mahogany,
walnut and laurel, with many others
noted for their useful woods. Through.
out the island are found those trees
and shrubs valuable for their gums. as
the mamey. gualacum, and copal, while
the list of medicinal plants includes
most Of those, invaluable TO our phar-
macopoeias, which tropical America
has given " the world. These are the
silyestres. natures wild children; but
of cultivated plants there is no species
peculiar 70 tAe tropics that does not
flourish here. In the littoral levels, be-
tween the mountains and the sea,
grows the sugarcane. when may be
cultivated up 70 an altitude Of three
thousand feet. 1t was introduced here
from SantO Domingo, having been
brought to America either from Spain
| or the Canaries. The annual Yield of
sugar Is estimated at about seventy
thousand tons.
In these fertile lowlands. also. tohac-
co does exceedingly well. and the an
nual production Is said to be quite
seven million pounds. 1t may be cul-
| tiyated on the hills. but the true noun
tain-lover is the coffee. which does not
do well below six hundred feet, and Is
at its best thousand feet above the
sea. 1t was first brought here from
Martinique, in 1922, and now Yields
to the extent of seventeen thousand
tons annually. Maize, the true Indian
corn, is indigenous. as is the yucca, the
/ AoOt STAN VI me- anu UDLn
grow everywhere, as well as the pine
lnplo, which Is more reliable and more
universal than the peach OF our north
I, temperate zone. Cotton and rice are
found at nearly all elevations, the lat
ter, which Is the chief food of many
laborers, being what is known as the
mountain variety.
Bananas and plantains are wonder
fully prolific, bearing fruit In ten
months from planting. The plants vir-
tualiy last sixty years, being equally
long-liyed with the cocoa palm, which
prod uces nuts in six or seven years.
and thereafter during the space Of an
ordinary life, Its yield being reckoned
at hundred nuts year. The annual
production of bananas Is given as two
hundred millions, and of cocoanuts
three millions. The entire range of trop-
tcal fruits is represented here. such az
the guaya. lime, orange, aguacate, sap
odilla, and avocado pear: while all sub
tropic vegetables may be raised. includ-
ing those of the south-temperate zone,
such, for instance, as are grown In
| Florida.
! The mineral kingdom has not been so
axhaustively exploited as the vegeta-
Die, but more than traces have been
found OF copper, coal, and iron, as
well as vast deposits Of salt. The riv-.
ers at one time ran to the sea over
beds of golden sand, and from the
streams to-day las In the neighboriug
island of Santo Domingo, where the
first American gold was discovered.
the natives wash out nuggets, by the
crude processes of that distant day
when Agueynaba went prospecting
with his false friend Ponce de Leon. 4
There are no native quadrupeds here
larger than the agouti and the arma-
lillo, but birds are relatively numerous,
with few Of fine song, and some OF
brilliant plumage. All domestic fowl
dc well here, and the great pastures of
the northwest and southeast support
vast herds of cattle and horses, which
suffice not only for the needs of The
island, but are exported to all parts of
the West Indies, being held IN high es.
teen.
There are no poisonous reptiles to be
feared. but insects Of questionable
character are too numerous for com.
fort. This Island indeed. we're Para.
disc without them: even with them, the
inhabitants seem TO experience little
trouble. The worst OF these are the
scorpions, centipedes. tarantulas
wasps, mosquitoes some species OF ants
ticks, chigoes and fieas. The heat Of q
tropical climate like tina. of Porto Rico
| which, though rarely exceeding 80 de
grees, Is continuous, IL conducive to the