Evening journal., 1900-03-20
PORTO RICO'S CONDITION.
What a Government Agent
Says About 1t,
CULTURE OF BANANAS
A Wide Range OF Tropical Produois-
Coffee culture-No Man Should Go
There Who Has No captal-Thc
Climate and the People.

Climate and the People.
Mr.. o. F. Cook. special agent in
charge Of the Department OF Agricul- !
ture. has returned from Puerto Rico |
and has made a preliminary report to |
the Secretary. Notwithstanding the |
numerous books and magazine artl- !
cles which have been published. there |
was still very little definite informa-
ton available concerning the agrlcul.
turnl conditions and economic plants
Of that island.
AT present very little In the way OF
plant products Is exported from Puer-
10 Rico out side OF coffee. sugar and
tobacco. All other crops are desis
mated minors" and these being con-
sidered unworthy OF the serious at.
tention Of the planters their cultiya-
tiOn is generally left TO he desultory
efforts OF the poorest and most ignOr.
ant of the population AS a result
there has been little attempt at the
Improvement Of varieties either by Sc
lection or by the introduction OF SUI
perior seed Much Of tho fruit and
vegetables sold IN the markets OF
Puerto Rican cities is of very inferior
quality and quite unsuitable for eX-
port The Department will assist the
more enterprising farmers. both
Americans and Puerto Ricans, in ex-
periments. which many OF them have
already undertaken. IN order TO find
out what new crops suitable for our
markets can be grown there
AS already pointed out IN Secretary
Wilson's annual report, we are paying
over 5000 0O0, 600 for tropical plant
L proTngfn pnaf ~ trrIfnh ,nrtIT Ia
! furnished by Puerto Rico. Instead
however Of entering upon too many
/ suggestions at once, 70 is desirable TO
settle upon a few OF the more promis-
| ing crops and encourage the prodnc-
tion OF these articles on a scale sufn-
cient TO give them recognized place
/ IN commerce For bananas. for In
stance. We paid in 1898 over $4,000
COO mostly In Jamaica and Central
America. In Puerto Rico the banana
has scarcely been considered as q
source of income or an article OF ex.
port. It has been planted principally
for shade In the coffee plantations
and as one variety was as good as
another for this purpose, most of the
bananas are unsalable. The variety
almost exclusively imported into the
United States is not generally culti-
vated AS the conditions for COM
mercial banana growing are very fav-
orable, it may be expected that at
tempts In this direction will soon be
made. Il is necessary, however, that
at least FIVE hundred acres be put
under thorough cultivation, for the
product Of less land can hardly be
marketed to advantage. Unless a
company with ample capital will un-
dertake the experiment, Il can be
made only through an organized effort
by the landowners of some favorable
locality.
In the meantime It is Of great i'm
portance that the existing industries
Of Puerto Rico be improved Sugar
lands are receiving attention from
American capitalists, and large factor
les with the most modern facilities
are being built. Coffee has however.
been the chief product of the island
and is. perhaps that In which the
greatest expansion is possible over
S13.O00.000 worth Of coffee has been
exported in a single season from
Puerto Rico in spite OF the fact that
methods OF cultivation are of the most
primitive character. Instead OF seed
lings grown in nurseries, those which
sprung up by chance in the heavily
shaded plantations are used. These
are already weak and spindling; In
order to keep them alive heavy shade
4 is necessary. and this is continued
throughout the life of the plant. This
together with the overcrowding and
lack of proper care, brings the aver
age crop down TO one-third OF less of
what might be obtained through bet
! ter methods of cultivation. There Is
also a large amount of land suitable
I for coffee culture. but not now plant
ed. so it is not unreasonable to be
lieve that If this industry were proper
! ly developed Puerto Rico might sup
ply at least half of the enormous
; quantity consumed by the United
! States. our imports in 1898 being
! valued at over $4,000 600.
There are. however. few Americans
interested IN coffee growing. and the
capitalists. who have canvassed Puer
? ro Rico for profitable investments
have been giving little attention tC
the possibilities of coffee doubtless
because OF the depressed condition o
the market, the result Of overproduc
ton Of inferior grades in Brazil ant
. elsewhere. The superior quality o.
the Puerto Rican article has, however
long been recognized in the European
market. and there ir every probability
that an increasingly large amount
win be required in the United States
For men without capital or expert
: ence in the industries OF tropica
countries. there are no openings il
! Puerto Rico. but with the improve
ment of means Of transportation therl
will be much TO encourage the settle
. ment of farmers Of sufficient enter
prise and intelligence to carry on dl
verslfled farming and profit by th
, advantageous local conditions.
. But from information gained from
I the most reliable sources. VIC mus
! take exception to some of Mr.. Cook
/, statements. He says the soil and eli
. mate Is exceedingly diverse. This
/ hardly so. The soil is simply dividel
I into upland and lowland. and is les
diversified than that of any New Ene
!. land state. The climate is hot, and no
one that the average citizen of tn
Uuited States can withstand for
/, long period.
Mr.. Cook also says the island Is no
=. thiclIly populated, and here, perhaps
{, he may give a wrong impression.
is about as thickly populated as tn