Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-28

Porto Rican has b
Development. IA :

n.,,.,.-x in Porto Rico since
OeseAOPMent. American occupation
as one government has ever accomplish
ed for the people Of another country -
the opinion of d. W. May. in charge OF
the Porto Rico agricultural experiment
'station. Mr. May. who went to the island
to engage in experiment station work
nine years ago. is now in Washington
for brief visit to confer with omciais
of the Department OF Agriculture He
returns to Porto Rico to resume his work
October II next.
Prosperity such as hitherto has been
unknown in the history Of Porto Rico
has been wrought in the few years that
this government has been at work TO
improve conditions OF every kind In the
island" said Mr. May. 'The improve
ment in agricultural conditions has been
particularly marked and development has
been brought about on an Impoverished
soil and in a country where the natural
resources have been practically exhaust
ed. Agriculture is and always Will be
the principal industry Of Porto Rico. Gold
mining is exhausted and manufacturing
lis confined to very few lines and
small output. The people live from the
soil
I Sugar. coffee and tobacco are still the
lmain products Of the island. Americans
however have encouraged the diversin-
cation Of crops, and there are the posi-
Utilities for the building up OF well Or
ganized fruit industry. Although the
island few years ago was without any
foreign trade in fruit, today fruit exports
amount annually to two million dollars
with prospects of increasing very rapidly
from now on. The total exports and inn
ports Of all products representing the
trade Of the island in 1901 was only W.
100000 and today 1t has Increased to ap-
lproximately SSO,OO0WO.
TO Rico has always been Louisiana rice
which is often eaten along with neans'
The growing of new crops IN the isianu ,;
however. will mean that the people WIN
| get more kinds of food, and better stand
ards Of living will be constantly ehcoui
aged among all classes of people.
porto Rico is known for the high qua
| ity Of her sugar cane, and In 1917 nearly
$24. 100000 worth OF sugar ana mo ni Is
were exported. In the uplands. which are
none too we'll suited for cane growing
sugar cane has been planted with a
profit under the protective tarln. FREE
sugar may mean that some OF inns less
| profitable land will be planted to other
rrons instead Of cane. The best sugar
lands in Porto Rico now grow SIX tons
of sugar per acre. an extraordinary
| amount when compared with the produc-
ton on the cane lands OF LOUISIANA
Coffee growing ranks second amohs
the agricultural industries of Porto RICO.
Nearly $7,OOO.000 worth was soid IRON
the island in 1912. There mas peeh iio
| recent extension in the planting Oh col
fee. although there is a pronounced I'M
| provement in the methods OF cultivation
and increase in the resulting Yield. Nir-
| tually all of the best Porto Rlcan COZ
fee goes to Europe, where the naVor Is
much appreciated The second ono s com as
are sent to Cuba. Little or none con-eo
| to the United States.
THE average yield of Porto Rican COT
fee is approximately 200 pounds per acre
in Brazil 800 pounds to the acre are
| grown. and in Java the yield Is often
higher. The governments work at the
experiment station today is to encourage
the selection of seed and to increase the
coffee yield per acre At the government
| experiment station, through seed seiec-
ton, we have already been aoie 70 slus
300 pounds of coffee to the acre, ana
the natives have quickly learned the
| value of better cultural methods
1.-THE value of tobacco exported from
Porto Rico is almost S1O",'m. ms
industry has been rapidly developed.
There is a growing appreciation Of Porto
Rican tobacco in the United Estates ana
other countries, and Porto fsscan cigars
are. now very popular. Condiuons IN tne
tobacco factories have been improved IL,
every way, and labor is better organized
than in any other industry. Many new
| factories of concrete construction and
sanitary equipment have been put up.
One feature of making the work interest
| ing for the workers in tobacco factories
| is the employment of trained readers.
who read stories to the men while they
are engaged in making cigars.
There is fine future for the fruit in
dustry in the island. Porto Rico grape,
fruit now tops the market IN the Uniteo
States. selling as high as Sl2 per box.
Both grapefruit and improved seedless
| oranges have been budded to the wild
| orange trees which have been grown In
| the island for many years. improved
varieties of mangoes also offer many
opportunities to fruit growers 10 my
mind the mango will result i'll the build
ing up Of one of the islands best money
making fruit industries. There is a
| limited competition and very strong de-
mand for it in all countries where taste
for the fruit has been developed. A
| number Of improved varieties of manages
which are now being experimental with
| are from the seeds brought from Indla
a number of years ago by David Fair
child. the chief of the office of foreign
seed and plant introduction Of the De-
partment of Agriculture. Pineapple cu!-
| ture has progressed well, and the fruit Is
both shipped and canned in large guam
titles.
'Avocadoes or alligator pears grow
wild in the island, but up to the
present time no satisfactory meth
cd of shipping them to distant mar
kets has been worked out. Cocoanuts'
are the greatest revenue producers among
the miscellaneous products. Good cocoanut
land is limited to a small area bordering
the coast line, and II is almost impossi-
BILE to buy a bearing grove Banana Gull
ture pays well in Porto Rico, and a num-
| Der of the best varieties are grown. The
experiment station is carrying on con-
siderable work with sweet potatoes. yams.
dasheens and other vegetable food crops.
1.-The keeping of honey bees is becom-
ing a more and more important industry
in Porto Rico each year. A circular on
beekeeping has been published in English
and Spanish, and many of the conee
planters are sending men to the expert
ment station to study the best methods.
Our station proper is located near Maya
guez and includes 24O acres. One of the
government most interesting expert
ments is on an additional 300 acres on the
mountains, where reforestation OF the
land is practiced. The native mahogany,
satin wood and tropical cedars are the
principal trees planted.
| lone of the governments greatest prop
lens in Porto Rico is that of showing the
people how to reeenerate those lands,
| which are worn out. Fertilizers for this
purpose are expensive. and the expert
ment stations are encouraging the pant
ing OF cowpeas and other crops winch
| restore nitrogen to the soil and increase
its producing power.
Before leaving for Europe few days