The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-08-17
FERTILE PORTO RICO
THE ISLAND IS AS BEAUTIFUL AS 1T
IS PRODUCTIVE.

Reptiles. but Many Insects.
Mr. Frederick a. Ober, late commits
sioner in Porto Rico of the Columbian
/ exposition, contributes to 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 eordillera
in the Luquillo sierra, known as lei
| Yunque, " or "The Anvil, =" yariously
! estimated at from 3, 600 to A, 500 feet in
| height. The hills are Of lesser elevation
toward the west and southwest, but
| the whole north central country is rug
! gcd and uneven. Between the spurs
from tho main range lie innumerable
secluded valleys, where the soil is Of
great fertility. The impressive features
Of the landscape are tho rounded sum.
mits of the multitudinous hills, which
| leave the coast i'll constantly rising bill
! lows that finally break against the cor
dillera yertehra; yet all are cultivable,
and cultivated to their very crests,
though the higher mountain peaks are
forest clad.
More than |, 800 streams, 1t is said,
Of which number perhaps 40 or 90 at
tain to the dignity of rivers, rise i'll the
hills and seek the coasts, most of them
running northerly, though the best har-
bors are in the west and south. But
Notwithstanding tho great river flow
| portions of the island i'll the southwest
are afflicted with drought at times,
ff ha ik,,t
east trade" against the northern hills.
The higher hills are clothed in the
eNuberant 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 arc 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 pharmacopHias,
which tropical America has given to
the world These are the silyestres, 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 3. 900 feet. 1t was intro
duced here from Santo Domingo, hay
ing been brought to America either
from Spain or the Canaries. The annu-
al yield of sugar is estimated at about
10, 900 tons.
In these fertile lowlands also tobacco
does exceedingly we'll. and the annual
production is said to be quite 1000, 900
pounds. 1t may be cultivated ON tho
hills, but the true mountain lover Is the
Coffee which does not do we'll below
600 feet and is at its best 900 feet
above the sea. 1t was first brought here
from Martinique in li22 and HOW
yields To the extent of / : 600 tons an
nually. Maize, the true Indian corn, Is
indigenous as is the yucca, the ahorigi-
nal staff of life, " and both grow ev-
erywhere. as well MS the pineapple,
which Is more reliable and more uni
yersal 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 us the noun
tain variety.
Bananas and plaintains are wonderful
ly prolific, bearing fruit III ten months
from planting. The plants virtually
last 60 years. being equally long lived
with the cocoa palm, which produces
nuts III six or seven years and there
after during the space of an ordinary
life, its yield being reeloned ut 100
nuts year. The annual product of
bananas is given as goo, 600 900 and of
cocoanuts 3, 900, 600. The entire range
of tropical fruits is represented here,
such rs the guava, lime, orange, aqua
cate, sapodilla and avocado pear while
all subtropio vegetables may be raised,
including those of the south temperate
zone, such, for instance, as arc grown
in Florida.
The mineral kingdom has not been
SO exhaustively exploited as the vegeta
Bile but more than traces have been
found of copper, coal and iron, as we'll
rs vast deposits of salt The rivers at
golden sand, and from the streams to-
day GAS 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 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 tho island, but
are exported to all parts of the West
Indies, being held in high esteem.
There arc no poisonous reptiles to be
feared, but insects of questionable char
acter are too numerous for comfort
| This island indeed were paradise
without them; even with them the
inhabitants seem to experience little
| trouble. The worst of these are the
scorpions, centipcds, tarantulas, wasps
mosquitoes, some species of ants, ticks
chigoes and tleas. The heat of a tropical
climate like that of Porto Rico, which,
though rarely exceeding 30 degrees, il
continuous, is conducive to the breed
ing of insect pests of all sorts,
"Dar isn't much comfort in de re
mahS dat contentment is better dan