The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1903-11-20
PORTO RIcAH PUBLIC LANDS
II Is ProbabIe That They WIN soos
he Thrown Open and Leased
ON Long Time.

The recent proclamation of President
Roosevelt designating between 10000
and 100000 acres of land in Porto Rico
10 be set apart as public lands has led
TO many inquiries, especially in the
United States, as to what these lands are
worth and how they may be obtained by
individuals. They are worth from five
dollars an acre up to much higher
value. and when cultivated some OF
the tracts will doubtless increase in
worth twentyfold or more, says a re-
port in the Washington Star. 1t is not
probable that they will be sold. The
legislative assembly, which will meet
IN January next, will doubtless arrange
10 lease them for long terms, and al
low price, the proceeds, under the in
sular laws, going to the new University
Of Porto Rico. These leases will be
practically equivalent to the best titles
and will contain provisions for the full
indemnity of lessees who have improved
the property, if ever it becomes neces.
sary for the insular government to uss
he land
The lands soon to be thrown open to
The public may be classified as fol.
.ows:
High woody lands, suitable for trees
If valuable wood proper for building
and other purposes, and which lands
are preferred for coffee cultivation; low
brushy lands, most suitable for fruits
and the cultivation of minor products
and sometimes utilized for planting
sugar cane; craggy lands, good for
small crops of peas and other vege-
ables; broken lands, generally Gov
cred with trees and more or less adapt
ed to some sort of cultivation, and lands
Of calcareous nature, of which lime.
stone is the only product.
There are some level lands, fit fol
The planting of sugar cane, cotton, rice
and rich pasturage.
Argyll and clayiSh lands are suitable
:or the manufacture of bricks, tiles, AMI
other articles or domestic USE There
are also lands on which can be produced
as good tobacco as the best obtained ir
the island of Cuba; it requires only wise
and careful manipulation from the mo
ment of seeding to the sorting, drying
and curing process.
AS a general rule, most of all land,
are proper for the culture of fruits, es.
pecially oranges, lines, and other va.
r1eties with which the island abounds
Swamps and marshy lands are generals
located near the seashore and the
mouths of the large rivers. They ar.
recoverable and we'll fit for cane plant.
ing Now their only produce is the
mangrove, used for tanning purposes
Of this last class of land there is larg,
tract between the municipalities OF
Manati and Arecibo, in extent from 6,OOt
to 5000 acres, and known as "Cano do
TiburOnes." 1t is now under survey
and if recovered, it will be ideal lant
for sugar cane. Plots of lots suitabls
tor building can be found in the larger
cities like San Juan, Maryaguez, Ponc.
and ArecibO.
There are also in Porto Rico many ex
tensions of lands granted by the Span
fsh government on which the holder.
have not seen fit to pay taxes Other.
are occupied by "squatters," who OWE
no titles, and who, it is generally agreed
should be expelled. AS regards the for
mer, the insular government will taxi
some action in the next legislature; ant
as to the latter, an investigation ha
been started by the inspector of pub
lie lands, whose work has begun by The
municipality of Manati