The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1901-08-20
IN PORTO RICO
Great Agricultural Possibilities
- on the Little Island.
BEE CULTURE VERY PROFITABLE,

Little Attention Pnid 60 Cultivation
of Fruits-Rice - Imported, white
Island Gould De Made to Produce
surpIus-seven per Cent of rop-
uIntion Are Renters.
Reports received at the war depart
ment in Washington from Porto Rico
give interesting Information as TO the
agricultural possibilities of the little Is
land says the st. Louis Globe Demo
crat. The official statement indorsed
by Governor General Allen includes
the following:
According to the latest statistics,
there are 30,O2l farms in this island of
an average size Of 45 acres. More than
three-fourths of the superficial area is
included within the farms and nearly
20 per cent of the entire area OF the IS
land under actual tillage. OF all the
farms fully 03 per cent are TILED by
their owners. and of these II per cent
are white and 30 per cent are colored.
Seven per cent are renters. The large
farms are generally owned by the
white farmers and the smallest ones by
the colored. The principal crops Of
sugar. coffee and tobacco are cultlvat-
A aud produced by the white farmer,
Thic the colored farmers devote them
selves to the minor crops.
Doubtless the maguey. which Is In
digenous to the island, could be culti-
vatcd with considerable profit. Its
products are the pta. or sisal hemp,
which is manufactured into linen,
ropes. nets and hammocks; also pulque,
an Intoxicating liquor much used in
MEXICO During the Spanish DONNA.
tion IL had been observed that the ex.
portation Of beeswaX amounted to con
siderable proportions. This would indl'
cate that bee culture could be made a
very profitable industry here. With the
Italian bees and American hives added
10 the accessories of the business In
use on the continent the flowers of the
coffee plant and the refuse of the sugar
mills could be laid under contribution
and, combined with the sweetness oil
thS myriads of natural flowers which
deik the landscape from the peak oI
Iphque to Cape San Francisco, tons o
the most delicious honey would be pro
duced and yield golden reward to th'
industry of the bees and the skill of tn,
bee farmer. II is useless to mention
moasses and rum. the incidental prod
ucts of the sugar cane, though the!
themselves are sufficient to pay all eX
penses of the sugar planters and leav,
the returns from his sugar as clea
gain.
The so called minor crops, which em
brace corn. rice, beans. potatoes ant
the like. are raised solely for hom
consumption. a large amount of rice
which forms the principal food Of tn
poorer people. Is imported every year
IL is unnecessary 20 import pound o
rice. tthe island being capable OF pro
duciAg more than enough for the use o
all % its million Of people.
Very little attention has heretofor
been given to the culture of fruits
though excellent oranges, bananas
pantains, mangoes. aguacates, guavas
grapes, lemons. zapotes, manages, mis-
peros, cocoanuts and other tropica
fruits grow wild in the greatest Fro
fusion Proper culture would lmprov
the Guality and enlarge the yield. an
witb cold storage transportation tn
markets of New York and all the cor
tinental cities could be stocked wit
them the year round. A ten acre orang
grove when once in bearing gives
comfortable income sufficient TO SUI
port a family In the best country styl
of Virginia or Ohio.
Manufactures In this island. asid
from the production of sugar molasse
aud rum and the making of cigars an
cigarettes, with a few hats and ha,
kets are almost unworthy Of mentor
There are four factories for the mai
ing of matches. Soap, shoes and ba
runl are produced in small quantto
aud entirely for domestic use. Any
thing like the production on a larg
scale is utterly unknown. The poss
biliti6s are great. Cotton can be grow
here economically and In great abuI
dance. Labor Is very cheap II cap
tal were invested in cotton factories
some place convenient to shipping, III
enterprise certainly would flourish. {
course oil mills should be built In col
nection with the cotton gin and mil
t0utilizc all the products o! the cotto
plant. Tho same oil mills when NJ
engaged in making cottonseed oil coul
be used for extracting the oil frc'
cocoanuts, Of which the sandy lanC
along the pIayas and beaches produC
the greatest abundance"
Sire VIII Inspect Paraders' shoes.