New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1898-08-17
FERTILE PORTO RICO
THE ISLAND Is AS BEAUTIFUL AS it
d IS PRODUCTIVE.

Mr.. Frederick A. Ober, late commis-
sioner in Porto Rico Of the Columbian
exposition, contributes to The Century
an article on ttThe Island Of Porto
Rico" Mr.. Ober says: s
In the extreme northeast rises the
highest peak Of the central cordillera
in the Luquillo sierra, known as Sci
Yunque," or "The Anvil variously
estimated at from 3, 600 to 4, 500 feet in
height. The hills are Of lesser elevation
toward the west and southwest, but
the whole north central country is rug
ged and uneven. Between the spurs
from the main range lie innumerable
secluded valleys, where the soil is, of
great fertility. The impressive features
OF the landscape are the rounded SUM
mits Of the multitudinous hills, which
leave the coast in constantly rising bill
lows that finally break against the cor
dlllera vertebra; yet all are cultivable,
and cultivated to their very crests,
though the higher mountain peaks are
forest clad.
More than /, 800 streams, it is said,
OF which number perhaps 40 or SO at
tain to the dignity of rivers, rise in the
hills and seek the coasts, most Of them
running northerly, though the best har-
bors are in the west and south. But
notwithstanding the great river flow
portions Of the island in the southwest
are afflicted with drought at times,
owing to the precipitation Of the north
east 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 noun
tain palms tower aloft. At lower levels
are the cedar and mahogany, walnut
and laurel, with many others noted for
their useful woods Throughout the
island are found those trees and shrubs
valuable for their gums, as the Nancy,
guaiacum and copa1, while the list of
medicinal plants includes most of those,
invaluable to our pharmacop@ias,
which tropical America has given to
the world. These are the silvestres, ma
lures wild children, but of cultivated
plants there is no species peculiar to
the tropics that does not flourish here.
In the littoral levels, between the
mountains and the sea, grows the sug-
ar cane, which may be cultivated up to
an altitude of 5000 feet. It was intro
duced here from Santo Domingo, hav-
ing been brought to America either
from Spain or the Canaries. The annu-
al yield of sugar is estimated at about
10000 TONS
In these fertile 1owlands also tobacco
does exceedingly we'll, and the annual
production is said to be quite 1000, 900
pounds. It may be cultivated on the
hills, but the true mountain lover is the
coffee, which does not do we'll below
600 feet and is at it's best l, 900 feet
above the sea. It was first brought here
from Martinique in 1922, and now
yields to the extent of $4,000 tons an
hually. Maize, the true Indian corn, is
indigenous, as is the yucca. the aborigi-
nal "staff Of life, and both grow ev-
erywhere, as we'll as the pineapple,
which is more reliable and more uni
versal than the peach of our north tenn
perate zone. Cotton and rice are found
at nearly all elevations, the latter,
which is the chief food Of many labor.
ers, being what is known as the noun
tain variety. --~- $780, ~..s, ~--~~-- .---~,
Bananas and plaintains are wonderful
~ prolific, bearing fruit in ten months
from planting. The plants virtually
last 60 years, being equally long lived
with the cocoa palm, which produces
nuts in six or seven years and there
after during the space of an ordinary
life, it's yield being reckoned at 100
nuts a year. The annual product Of
bananas is given as 400, 600, 900 and of
cocoanuts 5000, 900. The entire range
Of tropical fruits is represented here,
such as the guava, lime, orange, aqua
cate, sapodilla and avocado pear, while
all subtropic vegetables may be raised,
including those of the south temperate
zone, such, for instance, as are grown
in Florida. ..- H..
The mineral kingdom has not been
so e1haustively exploited as the vegeta.
BILE, but more than traces have been
found of copper, coal and iron, as we'll
as vast deposits Of salt. The rivers at
one time ran to the sea over beds OF
golden sand, and from the streams to.
day (as in the aeighboring island Of
Santo Domingo, where the first Ameri-
can gold was discovered) the natives
wash out nuggets by the crude proc.
esses of that distant day when Aguey.
naba went prospecting with his false
friend, Ponce de Leon.
There are no native quadrupeds here
larger than the agouti and the armadil.
10, but birds are relatively numerous,
with few Of fine song and some oil
brilliant plumage. All domestic fowl
do we'll here, and the great pastures Of
the northeast 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
t Indies, being held in high esteem.
There are no poisonous reptiles to b
feared, but insects Of questionable char
|. acter are too numerous for comfort
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