The times., 1899-01-11
THE CROPS IN PORTO RICO.
First Bulletin Received by thr
Weather Bureau.

First Bulletin Received by thr
Weather Bureau.
The Weather Bureau yesterday received
the first weekly bulletin issued by the
Porto Rican section of its climate and
crop service. Early last Fall Secretary
Wilson gave instructions to proceed with
the organization of a climate and crop
service in the Island of Porto Rico. and By
the close of the year twenty meteorological
stations. equipped with instruments of the
Weather Bureau standard had been estab-
iished. with a corps of special climate and
crop correspondents.
The success which has attended the ef-
forts Of the department is very gratifying
to the Secretary, and the work OF estab-
fishing a similar service in the Island of
Cuba is well advanced. Twenty-Five sets
Of meteorological instruments. together
with other necessary material. are nov on
their way to Havana, which is to be the
headquarters Of the Cuban section of the
climate and crop service of the United
States Weather Bureau.
In very short time weekly climate and
crop bulletins for the Island of Cuba will
be issued from Havana These publica-
tons are printed in Spanish and trans,a-
tion of the bulletin for January of the
Porto Rican section follows:
Cofee.-The harvest ended carly in De
cetnber and produced average OF four
duintals per cucrda. On the coast near
Cuaylma the WELD was scanty owing 10
the want ot rain and to the interruptions
caused 10y tha In the district Of CagIas it
was better than usual and in the department Of
ArecibO il was very bad account of the ban
dts The future crop looks well; the weather is
favorable and there is nothing injurious TO the
plants worth noting
Sugar Cane.-The cutting is approach
ing. experimental cutting having already been
finished 1t is believed that the yild will he
much less than the average. In Guayama il is
hoped that it will be better than usual. IN
Arecibo it is good: in liurEacao and Casuas less
than in other years.
Tobacco.-ln Caguas the plants are developing
favorably account Of frequent showers The
crop will be gathered ard it is calculated that
the yield will I've four Ggintas per cuerda.
Rice.-The quantities sown in Corozll Were spall
but the WELD is coed. Harvest ended in DeceIn-
Der: Yield four qHiniIls per cuerda.
Minor pFoduCts-The harvest in Corozll was
extremely abundlnt.
Correspondents of various stations make
the following remarks:
Huuacao.-on a we'll known plantation the
yields less than in former years account OF
drought and insects.
Guayama.-The coffee plant may be said to have
here two of cultivaton-the cold, or clevat-
ell zone. which produces large berry Of darI;
:.
which furnishes a small berry of lighter color, but
with n richer aroma.
GuGabo.-Tlie greater part OF the cane is o! the
second crop. according to approximate calcu-
iaton the plantation nearest the city will yield
from LOCO to 200 hogsheads.
Caguas,-1his year the pl5nting Of tobacco was
only about one-hIlf Of last years acreage. Mer-
chants dealing in leaf tobacco have large stool;
in their storclIouscs from last year, and the cre.i
tor planter j. sustained by them a usurious
rate Of interest, the production being regulated
corlinG TO their whims. The sugar cane that is
being ground today to supply the needs of the
planter produces syrup OF seven or eight de-
grecs Of sweetness: in the Spring this rises 10
nine ten degrees The which is ground
this month belongs to the long growth-sixteen
to twenty months from seed time TO maturity.
That which is left until March April, ii the
plants he young, has from twelve to fourteen de-
grcoS of sweetness. The want OF more perfect
machinery for pressing the juice from the cane
diminished the yield on many plantations.
Hato-Grande o San Lorenzo-The seed beds Of
tObacco are sOwn principally in September, but
some planters them in August lest the
''changa' OF grasshoppers oblige them to
re%ow. The transplauting takes place from
the middle of November till the middle of De
eemhcr. which Is the best season for this work.
There some who continue sowing until Janu-
aTy, but they expose themselves to the rISk OF
small crops II they hold oYer till May. Those
who in time to gather in their crops from
the end OF March to the beginning OF April Sc
cure leaf Of superior quality.
Observation-Disclosures in this country is Ian
gui ishs and decayng on account of the little
protection afforded to it by the old regime the
numberless faxes which burden it, for the want
perhaps OF scientific methods; the difficulties OF
transportation in the interior and for other rea-
sons too numerous to mention. The establishment
OF climate ard crop service will undoubtedly
contribute toward giving new and vigorous life
10 the island since land essentially agricJl-
turll cOnld not flourish if the progress Of its
agriculture continues to be so impeded
CorUal.-Thc reason for sowing 50 little rice Is
that the cangIs (gras9hoppers) destroy the plaht5
when they Young.
Morosis.-DOn Manuel Barber estimates that in
hforavs there at present $50 cuerdas of cof-
fee 50 OF sugar and 90 of tnhacco and that the
yield averages I7O or 800 quntals when ready 10,
thr market.
Cau,uy-C Codec heads the list in this section.
There is very little sugar cane here. In general
the bandits have stripped the plantations in thi-
district that cannot hope fOr good yield
OF any crop.
The cuerda mentioned in the reports Is
an old Spanish measure OF length equal to
S25 varas The vara has different values
but that in Porto Rico is said to be equiv
alent to 50. $50 inches. Therefore the Por-
to Ricar cuerda is 30 i26 inches. or 22.Si9
feet The square cuerda will, therefore,
correspond to about 522 square feet
The quiEtal is 100 Spanish libeas. or
about lnl - English pounds avcirdupos.
\ harvest of four quintals per cuerda is
about the same as go quinta,s, or 200
mounds I'm the erre