BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-10-12
Cocoa, and Its Possibilities IN
Porto Rico.

To any one interested in The agricultural
problem OF Porto Rico, and who is aware Of
the possibilities existing in tropical climates
for the farming of nearly every sort Of
produce, it comes as surprise that cocoa
planting has no place in the list of the is
lands agricultural resources.
There exists DO reason why this should
be SO, except perhaps the lack Of capital.
The soil IN the interior is regarded by ell
Porto Rican historians as being favorable
to the production of the bean. Nor are
there any adverse conditions Of temperature.
To give some idea OF the affinity of temper-
ature that exists between here and o1her
cocoa producing countries, it is only nsces
sary to give the temperatures Of the different
countries. Porto RicO,s mes1 monthly
temperature IS given in Governor Aliens
report of 1901 has been 79o for years il
hardly ever goes Beyond $50 or falls below
5So and the general avsrage is70s. From
Trinidad and Venezuela away down on our
South, which are large producers of cocoa
and whose temperature averages from 75o
to $50, TO the Bahamas group away up on
cur North, another cocoa producing locality,
whose average temperature is 75o to $50,
the same conditions of temperature holds
good. Mr.. O3er in his book, 9s Porto Rico
aud its resources speaking OF cocoa plant
ing says, COCOA trees grow well in a coast
country, but best in the valleys, at an
elevation Of about three to four hundred feet
above sea Level. Governor Allen on the
same subject, says in his report, .sWe can
sell to the world not only coffee ready for
consumers use, but -. chocolate and all
sfo y ,which l4s
vation of cocoa on a large SCALE
A. G. Robinson in his "Porto Rico of to.
day" states, -'that The possibilities OF an exp
ort trade in fruit vegetables, is somewhat
complicated question. - The difficulty
with these is in the line Of competition,
with strongly established concerns drawing
their supplies rom other sources. Now no
such difficulty exists in regard to cocoa.
Manufacturers as a rule are only too glad to
hear of any new Development OF cocoa
plantations, as che consumption of the bean
is rising steadily year By year and it is dou0t-
ful, If the demand for it should continue to
increase on The sairis scale as at present, if
Ia couple of years The supply will be
eRoughto meet the rs QUESTIONS Of tue already
enOrh0us consumption. Tnus it is plain.
ly TO be seen, tnat not only can COCOA be
groEn here, but that its value as an article
of c mmerce cannot be too highly estimated.
La fact 1t BIDS falr to take tue lead of sugar
as staple Of Tropical Colonial produce.
Another thing Is that to those VINO owns
large expansss Of land partly lain out in
coffee, and who would ike to cultivate the
balance Of their ground with some other
paying produce, can do so With cocoa, for
with very rare exceptions, the soil that grows
coffee will grow cocoa. OF course every
where land will be found with a favourable
soil on the surface, and an under strata of
unfavourable soil just fesc feet below.
Nov generally, If allowed TO grow naturally,
cocoa can not thrive IN such soil, owing 70
the tap root, which strikes straight down
into the earth, and meeting with unfavour.
able conditions, witbers away, causing the
tree to die, but experiments have proven
that the root can be trained in such way
as TO keep it always surrounded by favour.
able soil.
The only difficulty Just at present is the |
fact that 40 cheap government virgin land
is available for purchase. The mater OF the /,
government lands has been re,erred to the 1
home Offices Of the local government and |
until some decision has been arrived at
nothing can be done in that direction. Vlr.I
gin land owned by private landholders can
be procured ct from $1,000 an acre up. AL
example Of hoso . man who wishes to invest
his capital 10 cocos plantation without
having to bother himself with agricultural
problems, and few statistics will show how
easy and profitable an enterprise 1t is.
a man With ready cash IL hand, buys