Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-26
Great Increase in Trade.
Opportunities in Agriculture.

1.-THE opportunities for young men in
Porto Rico lie mainly in agriculture, said
Gov. Winthrop, although there is fine
chance to make money In railroad building
also. Sugar is the most profitable crop,
and therefore it is developing more rapidly
than the others. We need capital both for
planting and to build mills for grinding the
cane The construction of a MILL however,
with its expensive and complicated ma
chinery, requires the investment of a large
amount of capital-all the way from quar-
ter of million to two millions and half
of dollars. Two centrals, as they call them,
built since the American occupation. each
represents an outlay Of approximately
81 600, but they are not large enough to
handle the business, and more mills are
being erected all the time There are four
or five now under construction, and old
mills of Spanish times are being rebuilt at
an expense considerably under a million
dollars each. AS Congress. in joint reso-
luton adopted in May, 1900 restricted the
investment of American capital in large
agricultural undertakings. no sugar COM
acres of land while a modern mill can
handle the cane from 10000 to 5000 acres.
Hence 1t Is necessary to contract for cane
before a mill is built and to get the planta-
ton owners interested to take stock In the
enterprise. We have advantages over Cuba
in raising sugar, because our labor Is more
abundant and reliable and our crop Is ad-
mitted free to the United States.
Porto Rlco's Coffee.
LESS capital is required for coffee cul-
ture, but it Is not so profitable as sugar.
1t is poor mans crop; anybody can grow
coffee, while 1t requires large capital to
raise sugar. The census for 1899 reported
81 ,693 plantations, Of a total Of $4,000
acres, which gave an average of about
nine acres to the plantation. According to
the same census 40 per cent of the land
under cultivation was in coffee. Since then,
however. the greater part of the planta-
lions were seriously injured and some of
them were entirely wiped out of existence.
A few Americans have gone into the busi-
ness, and it offers unlimited opportunities.
man can start a plantation on a capital
of $1,000 and upward provided he can wait
five or six years for the trees to reach ma
turity 1t takes five years to get a crop
after the trees are planted. There is plenty
of land for sale. and it is cheaper than
sugar land The only danger Is from cy-
clones, which. however. very rare.
Upon the coffee crop depends the prosperity
of Porto Rico, and the solution o. the
problem lies in an import duty of from to
cents a pound. The government has en-
deavored to create market for Porto
Rican coffee in the United States, and has
established an agency in the city Of New
York, which has accomplished something.
but is hampered by lack of funds. Most
of the Porto Rican coffee now goes to Eu-
rope.
about the same. Tobacco is a poor mans
crop also and can be raised without any
large investment Of capital. There Is plenty
OF suitable land In the river valleys of the
interior which can be bought from $40 up
to $3.50 an acre. according to location and
improvements Most of the plantations are
small and good many young Americans
with limited capital are going into the busi
ness.
Production Of Citrus Fruits.
'sThere has been large increase in the
production and export of citrus fruits.
Prior to American occupation, citrus fruits
were not cultivated in Porto Rico. but at
the present time there are probably some
1900 acres set out and under cultivation.
Until the past year the native wild fruit
was not shipped with the precautions .neces-
sary to insure its reaching the market in
good condition. The fruit was allowed to
fall from the trees. was carried to the ship
ping port on muleback and packed promis-
cuously, no attention being paid to grading.
For this reason 1t did not command a high
price During the past year. however, much
greater care has been taken In shipments
and the planters have been duly rewarded.
shipments of cultivated fruit will be made.
and at the end Of two or three years q large
number of the trees of the different plan
tations Of the island Will have reached ma
turity.
It has been found advisable to bud the
different classes Of orange and grape fruit
upon the native lemon stock. this being the
most hardy stock that can be found. The
price of land suitable for orange-growing
varies between so and 500 per acre. The
trees should begin to bear in two or three
years, although their full yield will not be
reached for some years later. Fruit grow
ing has attracted number of American set
tiers and in almost every case the planta-