The Calumet news., 1913-10-13
WHAT u. s. HAS DONE TOWARD
DEVELOPMENT OF PORTO RICO
prosperity Hitherto Unknown In History Island Has Been sroust
About In Comparatively Few Years Of Supervision.

Ihat Uncle Sam has done as much
IN improving the condition OF an alien
People by the work which has been
accomplished in Porto Rico since
American occupation as one govern
ment has ever accomplished for the
people OF another country, is the opin.
ION Of ID. W. May, In charge OF the
Porto Rico agricultural experimental
station. Mr.. May. who went 10 the
island TO engage In experimental sta
ton work nine years ago. is now in
washington for brief visit 10 confer
with officials Of the department of ag-
rlcuiture. He returns to Porto Rico
10 resume his work oct. II.
Prosperity such as bitberto has
oeen unknown i'm the history of Porto
rlSo mas been wroua ht in the few
years that this government has been
at work 10 improve conditions Of ev-
cry Kind in the island" said Mr. Nav
Inc Improvement I'm agricultural
conditions has been particularly mark.
ed and development has been brought
about on an Impoverished soil and In
country where the natural resources
nave oeen practically exhausted. Ag-
riculture is and always will be- Tho
principal industry OF Porto Rico. Gold
mining rs exhausted and manufactur-
ing is confined to Very few lines AMI
small output. The people live from
the soil.
sugar. coffee and tobacco are stiIl |
the main products Of the island. |
Americans, however, have encouraged
the diVersiiication OF crops. and there
are the possibilities for the building
up Of a well organized fruit industry.
Although the island a few Years ago
was without any foreign trade in fruit.
today fruit exports amount annually
10 two million dollars with prospects
1f increasing very rapidly from now
on. The total exports anL imports OF
all products representing the trade on
he island in 1901 was only sI7.5OO goo
ma today II has increased 10 approx
mately ss000O,OOO.
New Crops, Better Food.
The principal food of the people of |
'orto Rico has always been Louisiana j
lce' which is often eaten along with
'eans. The growing of new crops in
he island, however, will mean that ,
he people will get more kinds of food. {
ma better standards of living will he :
onstantly encouraged among all i
lasses Of people. &
Porto Rico Is known for the high II
uality OF her sugar cane. ana i'm 1910 Il
early S23,lAO,000 worth of sugar and b
lolasses were exported In the up II
inds, which are none too well suited 8
'r cane growing, sugar cane has been 1
ianted with a high profit under the V
rotectivc tariff. Free sugar may -
lean that some of this less profitable "
ma VIII be planted to other crops I'm. 81
lead OF cane. The best sugar lands
Porto Rico now grow six tons of c,
agar per acre, an extraordinary II
mount when compared with tho pro- ci
iction OF the cane lands of Louisiana. b,
Coffee growing ranks second among is
Ie agricultural Industries of Porto al
leo. Nearly s1,00O,0OO worth was ST
Id from tho island in 1912. There ST
Is been no recent extension i'm the gl
anting Of coffc, although there is q III
onounced Improvement in the meth =,
IS of cultivation and increase Ia the on
sulting yield. Virtually all of the of
st Porto Rcan coffee goes to Eu- m
pc, where the flavor is much appru- &C
Ited. The second grades are sent
Cuba. Little or none comes to the pr
lited States. sh
The average Weld Of Porto Rican tn
itcc Is approximately 200 pounds per iii
re; in Brazil 500 pounds to the acre an
? grown, and i'm Java the yield is co
en- higher. The governments work ot
the experimental station today is to tn
courage the selection Of seed and to 20