Evening journal., 1900-03-15
PORTO R|CO'S CONDITION.
What a Government Agent
Says About 1t,
CULTURE OF BANANAS
A Wide Range Of Tropical Products
Coffee culturs-No Man should Go
There Who Has No capital-The
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 arti-
cles which have been published. there
was still very little definite informa.
tion available concerning the agricul-
tural conditions and economic plants
OF that island.
At present very little in the way OF
plant products is exported from Puer-
to Rico out side Of coffee. sugar and
tobacco. All other crops are desig-
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 OF by the Introduction Of su.
perior seed Much OF the fruit and
vegetables sold in the markets OF
Puerto Rican cities Is of very Inferior
quality and quite unsuitable for ex.'
port The Department viii assist the
more enterprisfrg farmers both
Americans and Puerto Rioans. in ex-'
periments, which many of them have
already undertaken, in order to .tind
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 $500, 100000 forl tropical plant
products. part OF which could be
furnished by Puerto Rico. Instead
however, OF entering upon, too many.
suggestions at once. Il Is desirable to
settle uDon a few OF the more promis'
ing crops and encourage the produc.
tion Of these articles on scale sum.
cient TO give them a recognized place
in commerce. For bananas. for In
stance. we paid In 1898 over $1,000
900. mostly in Jamaica and Central
America. In Puerto Rico the banana
has scarcely been considered ms a
source Of income or an article OF ex
port. II 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 unstable. The variety
almost exclusively imported into the
United States is not generally culti-
waited. AS the conditions for com
mercial banana growing are very fav-
orable II may be expected that at
tempts In this direction win soon be
made. II Is necessary. however. that
at least five hundred acres be put
under thorough cultivation for the
product OF less land can hardly be
marketed 10 advantage Unless a
company with ample capital will lin-
dertake the experiment, IL can be
made only through an organized effort
by the landowners Of some favorable
locality. ~ t
In the meantime Il 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.
heen the chief product of the island.
and Is. perhaps that in which the
greatest expansion is possible. over
3iS,000,00 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 splndling; IN
order TO keep them alive heavy shade
ia necessary. and this is continued
throughout the life OF the plant. This
together with the overcrowding and
lack OF proper care. brings the aver
sRe crop down TO one.third or less o
what might be obtained through bet
ter methods Of cultivation There Il
also 4 large amount OF land suitable
Hnr hut Ia, -
ed, 80 Il is not unreasonable to be
lieve that II this industry were proper
ly developed Puerto Rico might sur
ply At least half OF the enormou
quantity consumed by the Unite
States. our imports ia 1898 bein
valued at over $4,000. 600.
There are. however. few American
interested in coffee growing, and tn
capitalists who have canvassed Pue
TO Rico for profitable investment
have been giving little attention I
the possibilities OF coffee doubtles
because Of the depressed condition
the market the result of overprodu
tion Of inferior grades In Brazil an
elsewhere. The superior quality
the Puerto Rican article has hoveve
long been recognized in the Europes
market. and there IL every probabili
that an Increasingly large amou
will be required in the United State
For men without capital or expe
ence in the industries of tropic
COMMITTEES, there are no openings
Puerto Rico. but with the improl
ment Of means OF transportation the
VIII be much to encourage the sett
ment of farmers Of sufhcieut emit
prise and intelligence to carry. on
versiheo farming and profit by I
advantageous local conditions.
But from information gained frS
the most reliable sources we mi
take exception 10 some Of Mr.. Coo
statements. He says the soil and
mate n exceedingly diverse This
hardly so. The soil IL simply divid
into upland and lowland and is !,
diversified than that Of any New u
land state. The climate is hot. and
one that the average citizen OF I
United States can Withstand for
long period.
Mr.. Cook also says the island is
thickly populated. and here. perha
he may give a wrong impression.
Is abont as thickly populated rs
state of Connecticut which IN
Americans would consider a fai