BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-07-09
SAN JUAN, JULY 9, 1901.
Editorial Comment.
Some Agricultural And Indus
trial Opportunities In
Porto Rico.
THE GRAPE.

The culture of the grape has never been
Undertaken to any considerable eItent IN
Por Rico, although there seems to te no
500 reason why the conditions are not
entirely favorable to it.
La many ways the climate is similar to
that of southern Californis, with its many
bright days, cool nights and constantly
prevailing bretzes, a region in which grape
growing has attained to marvellous sue
cesa.
In the mountain districts here are ex-
pansive tracts of protected sunny slopes
where vine culture ought TO be successful.
Mellow days of genial heat together acith
fertile soil are essential to the perfection
OF good wine yielding fruit These are to
be found he.e.
SMALL BERRY CULTURE
Certain sp, cies of ind genOus berries are
found in Porto Rico which approach in
quality and flavor the strawberry and
raspberry OF The north. The groaing of
these last much sought for small market
fruits could scarcely be deemed experiment
tai here, both grow almost equally We'll
in all the latitudes OF the United States.
Strawberry beds from which crops could
be exported through the aointer months, as
conll be done in this island, would afford
handsome profits
POULTRY.
Poultry and eggs are 10th highly esteem
el nd very largely used every Gheie 10
Porto Riso. There u.s. indeed, no single
atcle of food, after rice and beans and
tie yam, so much in common use as tic
hens egg.
Yet chicken yards and houses as used
in fho north ara almost Euown tho f,u1c
Iun at large and the loss from exposure to
,a'iCus perilS, as from ether causes, is lhus
yey large.
Practical bree lers w,0 have been here
II a:e expressed the opinion that no better
investment can he foand for limited
number p ssessed Of small capital, than Is
offered here i'll the fie d VI scientific poultry
ia sing.
Incubators are practically unknoaCn
COCOA AND CHOCOLATE.
TIE cocoa tree is native 10 Por'o Rice
and an excellent qu,hty of chocolate is
made at varions IL ces. IL sells at high
prices as the m nnttc ure is limited Much
might he done with his valuable product III
iiful aud experienced hands and after
modern processes.
COFFEE ROASTING.
Save by a few street venders no coffee
is roasted for sale in the island. Fae *
tieme'y lahOri0Us process of preptrl"g 'Qf
+ @ by baud for tbs table after the locsl
letI oil in troublesome and consumes much
t me. y machine maize hr lcl sai dard
excellence and purity shouli iud r-qdy
s.r in the large towns OF he ls'anl. wh lr
the favorable Industrial c'ndtlons mig.
lead to the building up Of prof aoIt
eIp rt trode.
FRUIT DRYING.
The curing of the iud gpnnus frui has
leen undertakel upon IL large plan 10
Jaimac. and elses here in the West Io,l,e ,eS |
with IN ,raed success B sides tie "r.nge
nd the banana, both of which ar. prssery
cd IN most a'tr.ctiye ard pa'atab- FORM !
d.lectaile confect.ops ors m4de fro the /
inors pelishahle varieties wnich cannot
OH rw Sc be shipped, as the gnava, the
Elspero, etc. An excellent opening seeIns
10 fer here in this line.
Very fine jelles aud pastes are aready
made here from the guaya and the ange
hs well rs delicious dulcs from ihe cocoa
Lut.
FISH PR RESERVING.
So prolf fc in edible fish lite are tho bays
and rivers Of Porto Rico that the question
at once ar.ses, aoby profit yielding enter
prise in satirg and drying is not waiting
herein for the touch of capital to qu'cien.
No'hing Il he sort has SO far BEEN done,
but on the contrary tons Of cod fish from
Halifax and other northern ports are an
nually imported for food Small fleets fl
fishers ply the coasts but the catch is mar.
keted fresh.
The native muscle, which has 6ne
favof, might be cultivated in teds as is
done scirh our oyster, and not aone sold
IN tie home market but sent abroal. Tie
lobster and the oys would not ihnve
hare, though introduced, as he waters are
TOO warm, bus the native craw fish, which
are plentiful, are as hardly distingnshaLle
from the lobster in flavor. as the muscle
from tue oyster.