Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-09-27

Porto Rico. Then there are trees and
shrubs valuable for their gums. as the
NANNY. copal and the great trees Of
the high forests. the exudations from
which are used as incense.
Plants, the bark, wood or fruits OF
which are used in dyeing and tanning
are the mulberry, wild ginger, anatto,
indigo. myrrh. mangrove and dividivi
or caesalpinia. All these grow practi'
cally in u wild state, as also do the
castor bean, cotton and rice
The forests contain trees which have
been sought for centuries as precious dye
and cabinet woods chief among which
are the logwood and mahogany, the
former growing in the littoral forests,
particularly in the islet Of Vieques and
the latter on tho hills To these must
be added the fragrant cedar. such as the
Cuban cigar boxes are made from, the
laurel, walnut. oak, locust and many
others The mahogany Of Cuba. Santo
Domingo and Porto Rico is held in
higher esteem than that from Honduras
and logs have been shipped in times
past worth 81. 600 each landed in Lon
don.
We send abroad annually &c. 600, 600
each for indigo and cabinet woods,
which this island can supply for many
years to come. basing future estimates
upon what il has produced in the past
For raw silk the chief Of our govern
ment bureau Of statistics, Mr.. Austin.
says we send away s25. ZOO, 900 an.
nually In the sheltered valleys Of Por
to Rico's mountains the mulberry finds
congcnial home. and the silkworm
likewise.
But these are merely "byproducts. >
The real staples Of the island have not
as yet been touched upon. These arc to-
bacco. sugar, coffee. Of which the island
produces, roughly estimated, 1000
600 pounds Of the first, 20, 600 tons Of
the second and II, 900 tons Of the third
According To the Spanish Established
General del Comercio Exterior" pub.
lished in 1897. Porto Rico exported
t6i6. 500 in tobacco, 81. 7I7, s9l in sugar
and IS. 1S9, 7SS in coffee So it would
seem that coffee is the great staple.
Peculiar conditions Of soil, climate and
altitude are necessary to the production
Of perfect coffee, and these are not
found in combination everywhere, even
i'll the tropics According TO our bureau
Of statistics. In 1896 We imported $50,
SOS, 900 pounds Of coffee, Of which near.
~ 1000. 900 pounds came from Brazil,
80, 900, 900 from Venezuela, IS. 600, 600
from Central America, "a, 900, 900 from
Mexico, about 10000. 900 each from
Colombia and the West Indies and 80.
900, 900 from "all other countries.
Arabia, the ancient home Of the arc
matte berry, is not mentioned, and but
u small quantity came from Sumatra
and none from Java
The coffee Of Porto Rico ranks with
the best. and. though this may seem a
reflection upon our tastes, that Is the
reason it goes abroad and is not com
mon in our marts The finest coffee
plantations. and there are more than
ZOO in all in Porto Rico are III the
interior and the southern and western
portions Of the island, located, as
rule, above an altitude of 600 feet,
where the heat of the lowlands is not
felt, where tree ferns and bamboos wave
their luxuriant fronds, where streams
tlow through tree shaded valleys and
where the diseases of the ittoral region
rarely penetrate.
The coffee tree is a tender plant, requir-
ing ut first shade and protection from
the winds, and these are afforded by
planting rows of bananas and plantains
for the first and windbreaks Of large
trees for the second. Coffee will begin
to bear in about three years and con-
time to increase its yield for dozen
years thereafter. lasting perhaps gen.
Grafton Planted at a distance Of 90 or
80 feet apart, the spaces between the
trees may be utilized for vegetables.
such rs eddoes. yars and sweet posa-
toes. while the sheltering banana plants
themselves will yield a crop of fruit the
second year, but should not be allowed
to remain after the fourth year
A cultivation which has received
comparatively little attention in this
island is that of the cacao, the tree pro-
ducing the chocolate bean, but condi-
tions here are most favorable for its pei.
feet growth, and, like coffee. il flour
ishes in the hills and moist valleys.
For every pound Of chocolate used in
the United States we have to send
abroad. That its manufacture. il not
its cultivation, is profitable, we have
but to read the advertisements Of various
dealers to ascertain. French and Dutch.
as well as American packers Of choco-
late, have made fortunes, and the de.
mand for 1t constantly increases. 1t Is
indigenous to the American tropics, as
its name, derived from the Aztec
Chocolate" indicates
The cacao attains height Of 90 or
so feet, comes to maturity at Ibout the
same age as coffee and yields album
dainty 1t may be grown on rocky hill
Sides where nothing else excepting
coffee perhaps could get foothold. and
delights in the warm, moist valleys Of
the coast region. At least one island in
the West Indies. that Of Grenada. has
been raised from poverty to compare
tive aflluence by the abandonment Of
sugar ~ an exclusive cultivation and
the substitution of cacao
The same locations are also favorable
70 the growth Of all the native spicee.
as well ~ those long since introduced,
such a. cinnamon, nutmeg and pimento
Vanilla will grow in the damp forestA
and ginger, oitron and arrowroot may
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