Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-09-01
FERTILE PORTO RICO
THE ISLAND IS AS BEAUTIFUL AS 1T
IS PRODUCTIVE.

Mr. Frederick A. Otter, late commits
sioner in Porto Rico Of the Columbian
exposition, contributes 70 The Century
an article on 1.-THE Island of Porto
Rico" Mr.. ODER says:
In the extreme northeast rises the
| highest peak of the central cordillera
| in the Luquillo sierra, known as 'tEl
| Yunque," or 1.-THE Anvil" vaFioUsly
| estimated at from 8, 600 to 4, 500 feet in
height. The hills are of lesser elevation
| toward the 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-
! n1its Of the multitudinous hills. which
leave the coast in constantly rising bill
lows that finally break against the cor
dillera vertebra: yet all are cultivable,
and cultivated TO their very crests,
though the higher mountain peaks are
forest clad.
More than 1900 streams. it is said,
of which number perhaps 40 or 80 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. aud 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 copal, while the list of
medicinal plants includes most of those.
Invaluable to- our pharmacOpaRias.
which tropical America has given to
the world. These are the silvestres, ma
lures wild children. but eff 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 8. 900 feet. 1t was intro
duced here from Santo Domingo, hav-
ing been brought to America either
from Spain or the Canaries. The annu
nj yield of sugar is estimated at about
20. 600 tons.
In these fertile lowlands also tobacco
does exceedingly well, and the annual
production is said to be quite 1000. 600
pounds. 1t may be cultivated ON the
hills, but the true mountain lover is the
coffee, which does not do well below
Good
above the sea. 1t was first brought here
from Martinique in 1872, and now
yields to the extent of IL, 900 tons an
nually. Maize. the true Indian corn, is
indigenous. as is the yucca. the aborigi-
nal "staff of life" and both grow ev
erywhere, as well 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.
Bananas and plaintains are wonderful
l. prolific, bearing fruit in ten months
from planting. The plants virtually
last 90 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. its yield being reckoned Gt 100
nuts "a year. The annual product of
bananas is given as zoo, 600, 600 and of
cocoanuts ), 900, 600. The entire range
of tropical fruits is represented here,
such as the guava, lime, orange, aqua
cate, sapodilla aud avocado pear. while
all subtroplc vegetables may be raised,
including those of the south temperate
zone. such, for instance, as are grown
in Florida.
The mineral kingdom has not been
so exhaustively exploited as the vegeta-
BILE, but mere than traces have been
found of copper. coal and iron, as well
as vast deposits of salt. The rivers at
one tiIne ran to the sea over beds of
golden sand, and from the streams to-
day (as IN the neighboring 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 of |
brilliant plumsge. All domestic fowl
do well 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 |
Indies, being held in high esteem
There are no poisonous reptiles to be |
feared. but insects Of questionable char |
acter are too numerous for comfort /
This island indeed were a paradise ,
without them; even with them the ,
inhabitants seem to experience little !
trouble The worst OF these are the !
scorpions, oentipeds. tarantulas. wasps, |
mosquitoes. some species Of ants. ticks. /
chigoes and fieas- The heat Of a tropical I
climate like that OF Porto Rico. which.