River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1899-10-19
FLORA OF PORTO RICO.
Almost Ma virgin Forests--A SUCCESS
ton That Hay he Imported
from the Island.

The wild plant life has suffered by
the prolonged and all-peryading culti-
walton the island has received. Each
part of the island not absolutely uneul-
tivatable, even steep decliyities, has
been cultivated again and again, and
even now slopes are carefully prepared
for crops which are sleeper than any
thing probably thus used in the states.
They are so inclined that a loosened
stone will roll down hundreds of feet
and the cultiyator hoes at nearly the
level of his head.
The wild plants have little chance ex-
cept on lands which for various reasons
may have been neglected. In such
places Jungle and woods rapidly cover
up the traces of cultivation, and few
years change field into forest. There
are many places that look like forests
that are in a high state of cultiy alton,
for many of the crops of Porto Rico re-
quire shade when young and wind
breaks when older. These crops may be
grown in natural forest from which
all unnecessary trees and brush have
been removed, or, more often, the man
who owns the place makes planted
forest out of trees of certain species
suited TO protect the plants. Thus ii
happens that the island is much more
generally forest covered than its highly
cultivated condition would indicate.
Coffee is the crop most cultivated in this
way.
The palms are few in kinds and in in
dividuals. The commonest are the CO.
Goa and the cabbage palm. The former
loves the salt air from the ocean, but
on this insular area it can be found at
the greatest distance from the sea,
here not more than 20 miles or so. The
palm trees furnish thatch, standards,
joists and siding for the native huts of
the country, and the cabbage at the
apex of the cabbage palm is used for
food, though each cabbage costs palm
tree.
There are, besides, some scores of use
full timber trees in the island, but they
do not often occur in trunks large
enough for the sawmill. The total mum
Der of such trees on the island must be
considerable, but they are scattered,
as likely 10 be in villages as in the coun-
try. Besides, the wood is often too hard
and the trunk too irregular and unsym-
metrical for convenient use in the mill.
The virgin forests are very few, per-
haps none strictly virgin. There are in
the mountains some areas that have the
appearance of virgin forests, but they
do not have many large trees, and pos
sibly do not date from many scores of
years back. The island of Culebra, a
small island lying to the east of Porto
Rico and belonging to it, is said to be
covered by virgin forests. There are
several species of tree ferns on the is
land, always occurring at some distance
from the coast, and on the northern
slope, so far as observed. They rarely
surpass 20 feet in height.
Meadows have to be made, and for
this purpose crab grass and festuca,
or fescue grass, are used. The former
makes a good, strong grass for the
meadow, and also makes an abundant,
excellent high green hay. The hay
could be imported into New York at a
less cost than the inferior hay from up
in the state, and could be brought into
the market still fresh in the winter and
early spring. The fescue is better
grazing grass, and grows with great
rapidity and to a great height when it
can support itself on shrubby vegeta-
ton. Cattle Craze on it up to the bris-
ket, and in protected places along the
fences it is often seen from ten to. IS
feet high.-Mark w. Harrington, in
Science