Evening journal., 1903-10-23
FRUITFROM PORTORICO
A Growers Opinion of the
Islands Oranges.
TO COMPETE IN AMERICAN MARKET

James struthcrs of Bayamon says
This Winter Thousands of Boxes of
Oranges From wiId Trees win 10
shipped TO the United states.
American Growers Arc Developing
Many Groves In upland Valleys.
'Porto Rico will be the orange island
OF the world, its coffee will come to
have the same vogue in the United
States It one time had in Spain. and
its people will be lifted out OF poverty
and Ignorance" This prophecy was
made at the st. James hotel in Wash
ington to reporter for the Washing
ton Star by Mr.. James Suuthers, or
ange shipper and grower Of Bayamon,
Porto Rico. Mr.. Struthers lived in
Washington from 1885 to 1895, for a
part OF that time being engaged in the
produce commission business.
porto Rico" continued Mr.. Struth-
ers. "wrl become a sea girt garden.
The people there are going to find gold
in the golden fruit, just as the people
Of Florida did and as the orange grow
ers Of California do. Cold, which over
whelmed the Florida growers In 1894
and which threatens them In the Pen
lnsula State every winter, is not feared
In Porto Rico. The hurricane danger Is
a small one because the orange lands
are In the upland valleys, wind shell
! farnH nv ItIIa Iat - Anfarl.
cane in Porto Rico did greatest dam
age on the low sugar lands of the coast
and along the water courses. Compare
son between central and southern Flor
ida and Porto Rico as an orange land
Is all in favor OF the latter. A high
percentage, II not a majority. of the
American orange growers In Porto
Rico are from Florida.
"The orange districts OF Porto Rico
have self evident advantage over
southern California for the production
OF citrus fruits. Frost In Porto Rico
Is such a remote possibility that It is
not to be considered. The island Is
well watered and has a hounteous rain.
| fall. Ii Is nearer 10 the markets of
the Atlantic states both In the matter
Of time and charges than California
1t Is four days sail from San Juan e
New York. and Il is an event when o
fruit train crosses from California e
the Hudson river In seven days. PortC
Rico has plenty Of cheap, faithful anc
willing field labor. II is not eficien
labor as yet, but It will become so un
der American instruction and with th'
application OF American field machin
cry and implements. The natives II
the interior OF Porto Rico are veal
because they are underfed, but tn
main reason for their ineficiency l
that there Is no method In their work
and the only tool they know how I
use Is the machete. California's onl
conspicuous advantage over Porto Ric
- Is that OF daily or multidaily shil
e ments, but as the trade Of Porto Rio
d Is developed the steamship compani'
+ viii provide frequent enough sailings.
"As to quality. the Porto Rico orani
is as good as any other or cours
there are good and bad oranges in Il
= island, just as elsewhere. but al
- sure it is reasonable statement tn;
j. the average orange OF Porto Rico
1 superior 20 the average orange grow
In any Of the citrus belts of the Unite
States. But the quality OF an orang
depends largely on the grower. il
can. If he understands orange cultur
and has a favorable climate, make tn
kind Of orange the public wants.
''This winter there will be thousand
Of boxes OF Porto Rico oranges iron
wild trees shipped to the American
market. and they win sell side by sid
with the orchard fruit Of California
Cultivated oranges from Porto Rlc
will make a strong impression on tn
market three or Eve years hence. Man.
groves have been and many are beinl
planted In the island, and yet the in
dustry has scarcely been begun.
'The coffee OF Porto Rico will sooi
make itself felt in the United State
market. There is no better coffee in tn
world outside Of Arabia than tina
grown in our island. Millions Of Amei
leans who believe they drink coffe
three times a day would not know Co
fee If II were poured out to them. Ton
Of chickory. roasted beans and peas ar
being drunk for coffee, while the Port
Rican berries go to waste. Porto Rico
coffee. is strong in tannin. and tn
American palate will not tolerate this
The berry IS shipped green to the Unit
d I'd States and roasted by the Amer
can or light process, which does no
remove the tannin. This astringen
; quality is overcome by the French O
dark roasting process, and plans ar
: evolving TO give Porto Rican coffe
this treatment and build up a deman
for 1t in the United States by the di.
! uibution Of samples.
There are several thousand acre
planted I'm cotton for the first time
twenty-five years. The quality is goo
and the yield fair with proper cult
walton it is destined to be a payin
crop. Sugar is the money crop OF tn
island. The acreage has been largel
increased since the American occupa
ton, but king sugar will have to TAX
second place when the cultivated Port
! Rico orange groves come into bear
ing"