The record-union., 1899-01-06

total During these same years Spain
sent to Porto Rico yearly average
of $5,765.317 worth of goods, equal to
81 per cent. of the islands imports,
and against this the United States fur
nished "a per cent. of all that the ISL
anders bought in foreign markets.
For the United States to enjoy the
best advantages from this new market
commerce with our country must be
free, and there must. be prOhibit1ve
duties on the productions Of other coun-
tries.
1t is interesting to consider what this
new possession offers to the American
who wants to invest from five to
fifteen or twenty thousand dollars here.
Agriculture is the basis of wealth: the
prosperity of the year is measured by
the success of the various crops. There
follows the amounts of agricultural ex-
ports during the year 1897 set down in
pesos. The peso is the silver dollar OF
the island. It's intrinsic or bullion
value is about 3S cents gold, and the
rate of exchange is to-day at 100.
That is, you are paid $l.65 In pesos
for an American dollar. This is a
commercial valuation which differs
largely from the bullion value, and
from the arbitrary rate of exchange of
two for one established by the Ameri-
can military authorities in Porto Rico.
The records of the Spanish Bank of
Porto Rico for the last ten years show
that the average rate of exchange dur
ing this period has been at 14O per
cent.
Porto Rico exported in 1897 coffee to
the value of Il, 222, 500 pesos, tobacco
to the value of 1 ,194.31S pesos. sugar
to the value of about 100000 pesos,
black molasses valued at 4O3, $40 pesos,
cocoanuts worth 27,S3S pesos, sugar.
cane rum valued at 81, 900 pesos, and
corn to the value Of 1902. There
can be added to this list II 1852 pesos
worth of hides and 22O,6S0 worth Of
cattle, all of which latter was shipped
to other West Indian Islands. There
were of course various other products
exported but the total value of no
single one amounts to 25,OCO pesos for
the year.
When estimates are made to-day as
to what Porto Rican crops will prove
profitable in the future, it is at once
seen that much depends upon the de-
velopment of the island. such as trans
portation, and the growth of the ISL
ands products in the American mar
ket. In this latter respect it must De
remembered that Cuba will be Porto
Rico's most active rival. 1t can gen.
orally be stated that Cuba will pro-
duce everything that does Porto Rico,
and the former island, if eventually
accorded equal privileges with the lat
ter in the American markets, holds
geographically more advantageous po-
sition than does Porto Rico, and is
capable of a much larger and conse
quently cheaper production
Land is expensive in Porto Rico, this
because the population is dense To-
day, in the face of the expected influx
of Americans eager to buy, prices on
lands are advancing unduly. Inc
measure of land surface here is q
cuerda equal to sixty-nlne yards
square Lands are divided into four
classes. First class lands are those
suitable for sugar. They are found IN
the belt of low fiat land running around
the island between the foothills OF the
mountains and the sea.
In good prosperous times in the past
first class sugar lands have brought as
high as 800 a cuerda; to-day they can
be had for about $50 a cuerda- at
which price they should be drained and
ditched and ready for planting. Such
lands also produce good cattle fodder.
These are the most expensive lands in
Porto Rico to-day, and the cultivation
of sugar, because Of the expensive ma
chinery required to treat the cane, calls
for more capital than any other indus
try on the island.
Second class. lands are those in the
valleys and on the hillsides in the in
terror. They are largely suitable to the
production of coffee, and their prices
vary. If they are already planted with
good bearing trees they are considered
to be worth $50 cuerda.
Young coffee trees need shade, and
lands already wooded are sometimes
preferable for their planting. Land
suitable for coffee planting, though not
already planted, could be bought to-
day for from 10 to % pesos a cuerda.
know of a good farm offered for sale
at 5000 pesos. 1t contains in all 500
cuerdaS, forty of which are already
set out with promising coffee trees. and
100 more cuerdas are suitable for the
immediate planting of others. The bal
ance of the $50 cuerdas are woodland
and pasture, part of which would grow
fruits and vegetables. Work this out,
and we get 40 cuerdas at $50 pesos
each, equal to 5000 pesos; 100 cuerdas
at 10 pesos makes 1000 pesos. and the
balance of $50 cuerdas for 1000 pesos.
This is a very fair criterion of the
values that for such lands pertain to-
day
The black sand loan lying adjacent
to the sugar lands is called third class.
Their values vary. Some are Well
adapted for tobacco culture, and are
expensive; others can be bought for
from 10 to 20 pesos a cuerda. The
value of these lands for the cultiva-
ton Of fruits and vegetables for local
consumption is increased if they are
located near seaports or large towns.
The fourth class comprises the sandy
beach lands. This is where cocoanuts
are planted. Certain fruits grow well
on them, and their prices will vary, :lc-
cording to location and adaptability,
from to % pesos a cuerda.
There is said to be a profitable fu-
ture in the production of minor fruits
and vegetables in Porto Rico. The or
anges of the island are of fine flavor
and juicy, and the pineapples and ba-
nanas are excellent. The exports OF or
anges amounted in 1897 to 2,510 pesos.
and that of pineapples to $40 pesos.
Here is a field that needs development
and the advantages of free trade with
the United States. If in a few years
enough of such fruit is produced to war
rant a line of fruit steamers from here
to the United States, thus insuring
quick and chean transit the, industry