The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-04
PORTO RIco's PRODUCTS.
The Truth About the Necessities and
Resources of the Island.

made to the War Department by Brig.
Gen. George W. Davis, Governor of Porto
Rice. That part of the report which deals
with the agricultural products of the island
enables us TO appreciate the necessity OF
giving taem free. or at all events. easy. &C
cess TO the markets of the United States.
The superhcies of Porto Rico is COM
puted at 1865 square miles, which Is the
equivalent of 2,347, $50 acres. The area
under some kind of culture was, at the
GATE when we took possession of tn, island.
ABOUT 100000 acres; upward of $1,000 be-
lls devoted to cane culture, 122, 900 to COT
Zee and some 1900 to tobacco; the rest
was allotted to maize. beans, rice, and ma
i've fruits. Three-fourths of all the land
Is either used for pasture, or wholly unim-
proved General Davis reports that much
Oh the land now in pasture has been turned
10 account in the past for the culture of
cane ana still larger area might be now
employed for the same purpose II the price
Oh sugar were three and one half cents a
pound Not a quarter of the land adapted
to coffee is now devoted to that berry. The
area which might be applicable to tobac-
co. also, is very much larger than that now
utilized for this product: the quality of the
Porto Rico tobacco. moreover, could ba
very much improved.
The soil and climate of the island favor
the cultivation of many tropical products
which are not now grown for export. Other
West India islands now supply 10000 900
punches of bananas annually, yet their soil
Is no better adapted to the growing of this
fruit than is that of Porto Rico. Oranges,
lines, and pineapples, all of excellent quail
ity, might be produced for export, though
at present they are grown only for home
consumption. Porto Rico is as well adapt
ed to the production of sisal hemp as are
Yucatan and the Bahamas. and cacao.
rivaling that of Venezuela, is grown.
though at present only in sufficient quaint
ties to supply local needs. From these az
rieultural conditions it follows that the
only export crops upon which the island
can rely for some time to come are sugar.
tobacco, and coffee, and for reasons to be
given, it is the two former upon which
principally dependence must be placed.
The maximum volume of the islands
sugar exports was reached in 1879, when 1t
amounted to 10. 900 tons The OUTPUT of
sugar for 1893 will, it is computed, approx
innate $4,000 tons, grown on as many acres.
The area of land in Porto Rico adapted
to cane culture is estimated by General
Davis at fourth Of the whole. or about
ooo,O acres. No considerable increase
Of the present crop could be looked for,
unless the price obtainable by the cane
grower for his sugar should be increased
In 1898, sugar, polarizing 96 degrees, gave
the producer almost exactly Is cents
net per pound in American money In
1899. the net returns were slightly better
but sugar imported from Porto Rico into
the United States was burdened with
duty of 1855 cents the pound on the pol
ariseope test of 90 degrees. We're this tax
aoated altogether, the producer would
now receive nearly 1-2 cents per pound
IT, on the other hand, 10 per cent, of the
ON frrtr- CHI
Queer would get about 3 1-2 cents, price !
which would cause an extension of |
the area devoted to cane. The only re- |
striction upon the extension of the sugar |
area up to 500. 900 acres would be a mark ,
ed rise in agricultural wages, which at |
present, range from twenty TO thirty cents |
a day. No marked immediate rise is prob
able, owing to the large proportion of the
agricultural population which is unemploy-
ed at present.
We pass to the tobacco staple. from
which, next to sugar, the Inhabitants of |
Porto Rico have most to gain through free
or easy access to our markets. In the /
year 1897, the last for which statistics /
have been published, The island exported |
D. 255.953 pounds of tobacco, valued at 10 |
cents per pound. Since 1892, the value per
pound has ranged from 10 to 81 cents. The |
Porto Rico tobacco. of course, is of several
qualities or grades: the cheapest, known
locally as ''baliche," is marketed only in
Europe, ans Is worth from to 4 1-2 cents
per pound. The portion thus graded is not
more than one-fourth or e-third of the
total crop. The more valuable grades are
known to the trade as filler" and wrap
per-" their aggregate in a normal crop |
would reach 100000 pounds. In 1897 all
tobacco OF this kind went to Cuba, and
brought, on an average, from 10 to 20 cents
per pound, but the prohibitive duty of IS
per pound on tobacco imported into Cuba,
a duty which went into effect on January
|, 1899. sealed the door 10 the exports of
the leaf from Porto Rico. AS there is no
market for the better grades of Porto
Rico tobacco in Europe, and as the duties
evied on it in the United States have hith-
erto ranged from 80 cents to s1.S5. it fol-
lows that there is at present no market |
for them at all. Should, however. only Is
per cent of the existing duties be levied,
the tobacco culture of the island will be
encouraged though not. OF
course, so powerfully stimulated as it
would be by free trade. letter from
General Davis to the War Department
lated San Juan, February Il, informs us
hat the island has. available for export
surplus Of about 100000 pounds from the
tobacco crops of 1888 and 1899. and that
!
which will not be required for local con-
sumption, is computed at about 1000, 900
pounds. 1t will be noticed that the volume
VI this years crop is far smaller than was
hat of 1897, and, if there were no hope of
'elief from the present Congress, it is
probable that the island would, next year,
'aise only sufficient tobacco for domestic
consumption.
We turn. finally. to coffee which. under
he Spanish rule, was the most important
taple of Porto Rico being valued at more
han twice as much as the tobacco and
he cane products combined. In 1897. the I
xport of coffee from the island was
i, 71O,9sI pounds in volume. which was
alued at L. 222, 599 pesos. the peso being
forth about 40 cents in gold. More than
alf of all the coffee sent out Of the island
rent to Cuba and Spain; the rest to vari c
JUS European countries. The Spanish ;
market is now closed by prohibitive duties, 1
nd Cuba was also barred. until the re- r
ent change of the duty at 5.5 cents in -
old per pound levied in that island on ,
'ortO RiCan coffee. Until reduction was
made, Cuban needs were met by impOrta
ions from Brazil by way of the United :
tates, involving a voyage of more than
900 miles and two rehandlings. Although
he Porto Rican berry is much more highly \
steemed by many coffee users than is the 4
roduct of Brazil, it is unknown in the
lnited States and cannot now be sold
ere at a price which would yield the
more than or cents net per
ound Unless, therefore arrangements f
an be made by which the Spanish mar L
ct can be reopened to this staple it is d
rOnoGuced improbable that the output :
t coffee will ever be largely increased. N
IN the basis OF the present price of the
cry, the value of a normal crop would
OF exceed three-fourths of that Of 1897