BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-10-02
Agricultural Experi-
ments Begun.
Stations At Rio Piedras, Ma
yaguez And Utuado.
Exclusive Interview With MIR. Frank
D. Garnder, United States
Agent. In Charge.


A reporter of the BoLETIN called upon
Mr. Frank d. Garnder, u. s. Agent in
Charge Of Agricultural Experiment Stations
ia Porto Rico, and the following review of
the progress of the work and its present
status was made by Mr. Gardner. The great
interest manifested by all plantes in the
work and the many requests made to the
BoLETIN for information, suggested to us
the adyisability oftaking Mr. Gardnel's state
ment word for word, and for that purpose an
expert stenographer accompanied our report
or, and the statement that follows is Mr.
Gardner's informal report of the agricultural
situation as it stands to day.
The appropriation for the establishment of
to Rico made by the Federal Government
became available July lst, 1901. 1t was
the idea of Congress and of the Secretary of
that if the app; opation should
be made available for the construction of
buildings, the paying of salaries, for the
purchase of nescessary live stock, imple-
nenis and apparatus, that the people of
Porto Rico should provide suitable land on
which to place the experiment. station. The
authorities at Washington, however. evid-
emily failed to attract the attention of the
lnsular Legislature to this fact, and as q
result no such provision has been mado.
Upon arriving here spent sometime in
visiting various parts of the island, familiar
izing myself with its people and its agricul-
tural conditions, possibilities and Feeds in
order that 1 might be the better able to
Judge of suitable location for the station,
and to begin active experimental work on a
more intelligent basis. Realizing the i'm
portance of making permanent location
at the earliest possible date / endeayored to
interest the municipalities to the extent Of
furnishing suitable land for the purpose,
and while the response was quite general
and much interest was shown, yet found
that as q rule their financial condition would
not permit them to undertake the purchase
of suitable site. Quite liberal offers were
made by Ponce, Mayagues, Guaysma and
Fsjardo, but l have found it advisable to
reject all Of these offers because in some
ways tkey have not been desirable for the
purpose.
The permanent location has therefore
been abandoned for the present and work
will at once be commenced at three points
on temporary basis, namely at Rio Pie.
dras, Mayagues and Utuado. At Rio Pie
dras the land has already been secured for
the growing Of annual crops and the propa.
cation Of such necessary stock as will be
needed when the permanent location is Sc
cured.
A building t0ill be rented at Bio Piedras
as station headquarters. At Msysguez, the
old ssagronomicar station, consisting of an
eight room building and seven acres of land
cow in charge of the Quartermsster's De-
partment will be turned over to this Depart.
ment for use as an agricultural experiment.
station. A man will be pnt in charge aud
agricultural experiments begun at the ear.
iiest possible date. In the barrio Mameyes,
Utuadc, work has already been begun on the
plantation OF w. j. Van Lea-hoff, and under
ais direction in the selection of seed coffee
and the preparation of seed beds for the
propagation Of young trees.
AS soon as the present coffee crop is
gathered we will begin an experiment in
the improvement of a portion of an old grove
ny heeling, pruning and reducing the shade,
cultivation, and whatever practical treat
ment will give promise of results. Rio
Piedras will will be the headquarters for the
present and we will plant very large
aumber of specimens of such vegetables as
we believe can be successfully grown on the
island. find that outside Of the staple
c .ops, sugar, ccffee,. tobacco and the few
minor crops, very little is known e1perimen.
ally as to what can be grown in Porto Rico.
Q lite number of Americans have tried
many things during tie past two years on
che island, but the failures outnumber the
successful attempts by a large majority.
work can scarcely ever be
carried out successfully by the individual and
it WILDE thepurpose tf the experiment station
to do this for the people.
Nothing can be of greater Importance to
the island than the development of its agri
cultural resources, and it is believed that
tho experiment station will prove an impor-
tant factor in this work.
The chief requisite to the success of the
station will be the interest and loyal sup.
port of the people, and it is hoped that the
Insular Legislature at its next session will
not hesitate to provide the necessary land or
funds for the purchase of the necessary and
suitable land for Q permanent location.
Permanent Improvements in the way Of
building and the planting of orchards cannot
be commenced until suitable permanent
location can be found. AS far as the pres
snt appropriation will permit the services Of
trained espsrts in the various lines will be
secured TIE force for the present year
will probably consist Of special agent in
charge, . horticulturalist, . botanist, al
,lerk, farm foreman and the necessary la.
Dor. 1t will be sometime before anything
san be published rearding results OF our i
work, but it is the idea of the Department to |
publish at an early date bulletins on methods |
lsed elsewhere which may be spplica-
Die to Porto Rico. All publications will
10 for free distribution to the people. It Is
desirable for the station to have . mailing
ist and it is advisable for all people inter
sted TO send their names in at once and
lave them placed on said list in order thatl
hey may secu,e publications as soon as
ssued.