The National tribune., 1907-12-19
DEvELorMENr-1N IN PORTO RICO.


Z On the whole, the reports from Porto
Rico are very encouraging. Sugar is
pushing far to the front as the princi-
pal crop. The increase in production
in the last five years amounts to 200 pei
cent, and at present all the land suit
able for cane is under cultivation, Civ
ling employment to a great many peo-
pie and representing an investment OF
millions of dollars. The exports to the
United States have 1eaped up from
value of $4,695,104 in 1901 to S14,1S4,-
31e last year Nearly all the sugar
comes to the United States.
Tobacco lands have risen rapidly In
value since the introduction of Amer
lean methods of cultivation, and in five
years the number of cigars sent to the
United States has increased from H.
100000 to 3,O0O.OOO,0OO Spain con-
tinues to take the greater part of the
leaf stems and trimmings.
The coffee business. however, shows
strong decline since the United States
came into possession of the island the
methods of coffee cultivation are anti
quated and uneconomical, and it is
claimed that when improved methods
are introduced coffee will become a
more profitable crop. It can be raised
at small outlay of capital, and there
is a great amount of territory IN the
mountainous regions suitable for 1t.
The Government has established an
experiment station, which it is expected
will do a great work in introducing
better methods. The coffee tree bears
when five years old, and continues for
10 or Is years. There are three prihci-
pal grades. The first consists of large,
perfect beans, which are picked out by
hand and are in great demand in Eu-
rope. The second consists of smaller
beans, which are prepared with care,
well cleaned and sorted by hand, and
the third is the round bean coffee,
which is still smaller bean, tho it is
good quality and is used to mix with
the better grades. The Cuban market
takes all of the inferior grades, but
the better grades have not found the
sale in the United States that was ex-
pected, and the sales have fallen off in
three years from 100000 pounds to
| 303,000. In 1904 France took 13,000,-
900 pounds of Porto Rican coffee, but
less than 100000 pounds in 1906.
A large trade has developed in citrus
fruits, so it is estimated that there are
loIo~ rr,1ti tir-a ion
with the orange and lemon trees intro
duced from Florida and California. All
these plantations are owned and man
aged by Americans. These have gen.
orally planted the citrus trees on their
coffee plantations to give shade to the
coffee trees.
The greatest trouble that the growers
| have to contend with is the wretched
roads Owing to the difficulty of get
ting the fruit to market, fully 40 per
cent of the entire orange crop was left
| to decay upon the trees. 1t is hoped
that Sicilian lemons can be successfully
raised and if so will prove a source
of wealth. The specimens SO far grown
appear equal to the best grade of ST.
cily lemons.
Pineapple culture is increasing, and
promises to be an important industry.
Our trade with Porto Rico is increas-
ing at a satisfactory rate, and particu-
| larly in shoes. The natives We're quick
to buy the American shoe, which they
recognized as superior to those they
had been obtaining from Spain. They
are buying a much better grade of
shoes, and where three or four years
ago it was difficult to sell shoes at as
much as SO. now there is a great de-
mand for the 81 shoe and even those
costing IS.