Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-04
PORTO RICO
Growth Of Weeds Equals the Growth
ofthe Crops.
10 RAISE NORTHERN VEGETABLES
Coffee, Sugar and Tobacco the
Islands Main Resources.
" ~ n n T3
RDEN' OF THE RIFF


heard the phrase a good many times here
in Porto Rico. 1t does well enough for the
circulars of land companies and for Fourth
Of July orators, but it gives wrong idea
of the natural resources Of the island.
1t is true that handful of seed may
be thrown over the ground and in a few
weeks a crop will be springing up. But
the weeds also come up pretty fast If
much care is not given to the crop the
weeds will choke 1t. They are quite as
1uxuriant in their growth as are fruits
and vegetables. 1t has always seemed to
me that relatively more labor Is necessary
in filling the soil in these countries than in
the north. because SO much more work is
needed to keep the fields of the garden
from becoming Jungle.
Couee, sugar and tobacco must always be
the main resources of Porto Rico How
ever, there is a chance in a small way for
other products. 1t will take good deal OF
experimenting to determine just what the
products are which can be raised success
fully in the commercial point Of view. After
a time, when the discovery is made that
the whole future of the island Is an eco
nomic one. the Agricultural Department
will be the chief factor in determining how
the industrial resources may be developed
1t can be Of more use than diluted Ameri-
can political institutions.
Truck Gardening I'm It's Infancy.
Truck gardening is almost in its infancy,
as is also farm gardening by individuals.
There are some truck farms near Mayaguez
and some also at Salinas, in the southeast
ern part, while San Juan has several on
the outskirts. Some of these are still part
ly experimental and even ornamental
Usually the visitor Is told that everything
in the way of a northern product can be
raised as well as tropical fruits and vege-
tables. This is only partly true. With
great care it may be done, but not always
with commercial advantage. There is. for in
stance, the tomato. Tomatoes grow to a large
size and look quite fine, but the quality Is
not always good. In raising them a him
drance is also met with greater than in
the north. This is the cut worm, much
larger and moro destructive than the or
binary tomato worm. 1t sometimes de-
stroys whole field of tomatoes in very
short time. 1t is another illustration of
the fact that while the productiveness of
the soil Is great in the tropics, not only
the weeds, but the insects. are more de-
structive than in the colder climates.
Experimenting With Northern Fruits.
An American who has fine place near
Bayamon, a few miles out from San Juan,
has been experimenting with northern
fruits. He tried apples without success.
The fruit withered like crab apple, and
was dry and without acid taste. With
peaches he managed to get a crop or two
year the peach grows drier and smaller.
In the tropicse the guava and the mango
are juicy, even luscious. fruits, and they
suit the palate better than a dried fresh
peach. Mangoes Sliced in fact make very
good substitute for peaches.
There is still a question whether grapes
can be grown successfully in the islands.
The old Spanish decree forbade growing
either grapes or olives because these prod
ucts came into competition with the grapes
and olives OF Andalus1a. On that account
no chance was given to test either industry
on a large scale, Some planters have tried
grape culture in a small way with success.
In Ponce, Robert Graham, the Scotch iron
founder, has in his grounds some fine ar
bors which produce good fruit in album
dance. Whether the culture will paw COM
mercially is doubtful. Some authorities de-
clare that the climate forbids it. Porto
Rico in climate and in many other respects
Is similar to the Island of Hawaii and on
that island the Portuguese have been quite
successful in raising grapes. l have seen
there hundreds of vine-clad cottages in the
hills, which were the unerring sign of Por-
tuguese families
The Native Wine.
Nevertheless 1t is doubtful If grape Gull
ture will be entered upon as a commercial
venture until series of definite expert
ments can be made Several times l have
been told of the native wine or wine of the
country as evidence that grapes were
grown, put never could ma Just where.
The wine itself was fairly good, better than
the cheaper grades of Spanish wine. Senior
Don Rucabado, the great tobacco grower of
Cayev solved the mystery for me. He said
the wine was made from the Erase or ma
tive strawberry. This strawberry does not
look much like the American strawberry.
1t comes nearer the red raspberry in its
color, and in size and taste is something
like the mulberry. 1t Is not so juicy as the
strawberry of the states, yet it is worth
cultiVating.
Northern Products Which Can BE
Raised.
AS a general thing it may be said that
the products Of the north which can be
grown in Porto Rico are onions, potatoes
and Indian corn. One hears it disputed
even whether onions and potatoes Gun be
grown successfully, but the weight of evil
dence Is that this may be done. The corn
is fair In quality and quantity. There are
also some native varieties of peas and
beans. The general fact, however, remains
that the products which must be cultivated
in this latitude are products dependent on
the climate and the nature Of the tropical
soil, and 1t is better to bear this in mind
than to seek to make it over into tenn
perate country, and always it must be kept
in mind that continued productiveness is
dependent on continued cultivation. Even
the bananas fail to bear after a years
neglect. OF course 1t is different with some
fruits, such as the guava and the mango,
but these are not articles of commerce.
While sometimes wild orange tree bears
a Juicy fruit, this is not common. The
more common form is what the natives
call the lemon orange, or sometimes, the
sweet lemon. The taste is bitter and the
fruit is not worth plucking If running
stream is near at hand from which the
thirst may be Quenched.
OF the native products. there is the sweet
yucca or starch plant, which affords the
poems nourishment when they can get moth
ing else. 1 have thought that the yucca
might form a basis in q small way for a
local industry and that capitalists might
establish starch factories. A merchant In
Ponce to whom 1 made the suggestion ex-
planned the difficulty. He told me that
yucca was all right for starch, but that
starch is no longer starch. He said 1t
wasn't much of q tradeasecret that starch
was now made out Of something else. and
that any capitalist who sought to utilize a
genuine starch plant would be unable to
compete with the artificial product.
Castor Beans and Cotton.
In travelling about the island I have seen
a number of castor bean plants, and an
American who was with me and who
claimed to have grown castor beans in
southern Illinois. said that the Porto Rico
bean could be raised successfully. The
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