The Washington times., 1901-09-02
RESOURCES OF PORTO RICO.
Future Commerce in Fruits Now I'm
known in This Country.

o. F. Cook, tropical agent for the Bo-
| tanical Division of the Agricultural De-
| partment, who has just returned from a
| trip of inspection to Porto Rico, prognos-
/ ticates future in fruit canning for that
| island. Astounding in the most delicious
fruits. few of the varieties are known
outside the islands on account OF their
perishability, of difficult transportation
at extortionate rates, and other like OBJ
stacles
Almost all of these fruits are suscepti-
bic of manufacturing into jelly and 9TH
er sweets that are easy of shipment, and
which would, on account of their great
deiicacy. command the highest price En-
terprises Of this nature were formerly
practically prohibited by the 10 per cent
tax ON sugar under Spanish rule. With
this removed and transportation i'm
proved the future looks decidedly prom
ising.
What is said of fruits may also apply
to few tropical vegetables. Guava Jelly
is famed the world over. and other con-
serves would be just much i'll demand.
Fruits are to be had for almost nothing.
and one of those most in demand is the
grosella. of exquisite flavor which makes
dainty preserved sweet. Another is
the guineo. entirely too delicate for trans
portation. yet rare delicacy in a pre-
served state. Other fruits, a few only of
which are known to people of the United
States. are the nispolas juicy and sweet:
corazones, also sweet; and a small wild
berry almost like our strawberry but
with m,re the flavor of the rasp-
berry. Mangoes. tamarinds and bread
fruit are well known. while in one
part OF the island delicious malaga grapes
are raised. and so adapted to the climate
that three crops may be gathered each
year.
orange culture for the island. While the
most neglected. they are by far the finest
fruit of Porto Rico. They are large, Juicy
sweet. and of exquisite flavor. Very little
of the lucious fruit is shipped on ac-
count of the high rate of transportation
an6 bad roadways. Though oranges are
seen everywhere they flourish hest in
the mountainous districts, and during the
months of January, February and March
are at their best. They bear shipment
remarkably WELL and can be bought in
some districts for cents a hundred. while
an American is said TO have bought a
shipload for 81 a thousand This makes
them cheaper than American apples
Some of our enterprising citizens have
discovered the future in this line and are
cultivating groves from which in a few
years they Will make large shipments.
After investigating the matter. Mr.. Cook
and other American scientists, have dis
covered that coffee can be grown without
shade in the island. OF the prospects for
this years crop OF coffee. Mr.. Cook says
1t is the best for1nany years. This fact
will do much to reassure the growers, who
have had series of bad seasons caused
by the war. the hurricane. and low prices
FOR the berries. ll.f
Another line Investigated In a prelimi-
nary way was the devastation of the
great groves from which nearly all of
the palms for weaving purposes are Sc
cured. Though MI. Cook trip was mere
ly preliminary 1t resulted in reassuring
him of the prospects of the island. and
will enable him to handle the botanical
researches in the future with great ease
and understanding.
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