La correspondencia de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 1890-1943, 1903-08-06

clOn Gle dlcha cOmunlcac1On para que
usted Sc sirva insertarla en- Ell digno
periodico que dirige V remitir copia
del mismo al dicho Negociado, sugi-
riendole la conveniencia de emitir su
opinion sobre los puntos de que Sc
trata para benefcio de la isla en- gene
raj que tiene inter6s por estas cosas.
Soy de I'd, S. S.
UN LECTOR.
To the Bureau of Agriculture.
sin as much as the reading of
your Bulletin No 10 which treats of
the cultivation of corn has produced
some doubts in our mind, we beg
leave to ask you some questions for
our information.>
<The pamphlet in question is spea-
king of the sowing, says thus:
<The rows must be fixed at four. feet
distant, ect. -. then continues: ~but
the plants in each row considered of
preference by dlfercot planters rary
considerably.a
<This paragraph leayeus in darkness.
The Bureau of Agriculture does not
express its opinion by recommending
this or that form of sowing. A tech
nical body should not incur such an
omission which it tries to illustrate.
Nothing new is taught us in regard to
corn. ,
eWe would have been very glad to
know of the distance that should exist
between one corn bill and another, and
how many grains should be deposited
in each bill or hole (hoyo), and if the
sowing in rows is the same as we
employ and call de ch0rr0 (by drilling)
and how many centimetres apart should
there be from one plant to another.s
<To what preparation do the people
of the Southern States submit corn on
the eve of its being sown, in order to
avoid its being attacked by the vermin
which does SO much damage here in
our plantations, as the little mouse
known by the name of alTier0, and the
elizzaPd> Qagarto) and in order that
the corn may be born in four or five
days after sowing in an uniform man
ner, or por parGJo as it is called by us,
.jibuf0s, or c0ttHtlyn9elt as they call us
at San Juan.S
<What is called So,ring IL squares in
another question which we feel promp-
ted to ask.s
xIs that so called which has equal
extension on all sides in special
form, in order that the plants may be
parallel, or to make the hole or corn
bill Squdre|S
<As said teaching Centre is trying
to teach us, we will await for infor-
nations
<In regard to the advise he gives us
for the gathering of the crop, expe-
rience has taught US the contrary.~
<Corn kept in bins with the shuck
on lasts infinitely more, without being
attacked by the weevil OF worm, than
shucked.s
xThe ears of corn gathered with the
stalks when we'll dry and placed in
shocks in the open air, exposed to the
sun and rain, last from one year to
another without being attacked by the
weeyil or worn.a
SIn order to obtain the impunity re-
ferred to, the corn has be gathered
when it is, as we call it, (de mol5no)
for the mill, in the third quarter of
February when it is found SO dry that
it is fit for Immediate grinding as soon
as it is brought from the field: that S
why it is called dc m0'ln0.>
<When shuoked, in or 4 months it
is attacked by swarm of small but
terfies and in few days it is CONVEX
ted into dust,9
<Another reflection has been brou-
ght to our mind by reading the above
mentioned bulletin which has left US
in the same ignorance in which we
were left when we read same in regard
to the sowing of the corn.>
Gas the <Bureau of Agriculture
writes in Porto-Rico and not in the
United States, they forgot to state
how many crops can we expect a year
here, and what months the Northern
part of the island must chose, and
which the Southern part, in order to
be able to obtain an abundant and
sure crop or that it may not be lost
through excess of rain, or lack of it,
at the time the spike spronts, which
is the most dangerous time
We beg leave to ask another ques-
ton, as we want to learn.
Our ancient and usual measure is
the .fanega, composed of y aznaudes
each almud contain y cuarttUos (quar-
ts). admitting that each of the later
contains the weight of a pound, the
.fanega would amount to 144,2
<Is it the same .faltega mentioned
by the Bureau of Agriculture?a
<If it is the same, we find that "a
fanegas would give at IA pounds
each, the sum of 48 quintals, So DO
unds each.4
How are we to pour out the BtsH-
fttr0 de Larb0nO one pound of which.
we are told, is enough to saturate
snch an nnnrnnns amount Of norr1n