The Detroit times., 1913-09-29
RAYMOND W. PULLMAN.

Times WashinOton Bureau. No. S04
metropolitan Bank Building.
WASHINGTON. Sept. 2s.-Thai
Uncle Sam has done as much In i'm
proving the condi
Porto Rican ton OF an alieI
Development. people by the work
which has been &C
complished In Porto Rico since Amer
lean occupation as one government
has ever accomplished for the people
of another country IL the opinion OF
ID. w. May. In charge OF the Porto
Rico agricultural experiment station
Mr.. May, who went to the island tC
engage in experiment station work
nine years ago. IL now In washington
for q brief visit. to confer with ofiiciall
of the department OF agriculture. He
returns TO Porto Rico to resume his
work Oct. IL next.
Prosperity such as hitherto haf
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 MI
May. The improvement In agricul
tural conditions has been particularly
marked and development has beer
brought about on an impoverished
soil and IN a country where the nat
ural resources have been practically
exhausted. Agriculture IL and always
will be the principal industry Of Porto
Rico Gold mining II exhausted and
manufacturing il confined to very few
lines and u small output. The peo
pie live from the soil.
Sugar. coffee and tobacco are still
the mein products Of the island. Am
orleans, however, have encouraged
the liberalization of crops. and there
are the possibilities for the building
up of well-organixed fruit industry
Although the island few years age
was without any foreign trade In
fruit. today fruit exports amount an
nually to two million dollars. with
prospects of increasing very rapidly
from now ON. The total exports and
imports Of all products representing
the trade of the island in 1901 was
only $17,5O0,OO0 and today II has In
creased to approximately $4,000, 900
The principal food of the people ol
Porto Rico has always been LOuisians
rice. which Is often eaten along with
beans. The growing Of new crops ir
the island, however, will mean thai
the people will get more kinds Of
food, and better standards Of nvinf
will be constantly encouraged amOnl
all classes OF people.
Porto Rico 10 known for the higf
quality of her sugar cane. and In 19lt
nearly $24.140,000 worth Of sugar ant
molasses we're exported. In the up
lands, which are nohe too well suitet
for cane growing. sugar cane has beer
planted with a profit under the pro
tective tariff. Free sugar may meal
that some OF this less profitable land
will be planted to other crops instead
OF cane. The best sugar lands, II
Porto Rico now grow six tons Of sugal
|.per acre, an extraordinary amount
when compared with the production
on the cane lands Of Louisiana.
"Coneegrowing ranks secont
among the agricultural industries o.
Porto Rico. Nearly $6,000.0 900 worth
was sold from the island In 1910
There has been no recent extension II
the planting Of coffee. although there
lis a pronounced improvement in the
methods of cultivation and increase
the best Porto Rican coffee goes &
Europe, where the flavor Is much ap
preciated. The second grades arr
sent to Cuba. Little or none comes Il
the United States.
THE average yield OF Porto Ricar
coffee Is approximately 200 pounds
per acre: In Brazil 500 pounds to thu
acre are grown, and In Java the yielt
| is often higher. The government
work at the experiment station toda!
is to encourage the selection of seet
and to increase the coffee yield pc
acre. At the government experiment
station, through seed selection. WI
have already been able to grow 80'
pounds of coffee to the acre, and tn,
natives have quickly learned the VALUE
of better cultural methods.
THE value of tobacco exported from
Porto Rico 10 more than $1,000. 900
This industry has been rapidly devel
oped. There IL q growing apprecia
ton Of Porto Rican tobacco In thu
United States and other countries
and Porto Rican cigars are now yer!
popular. Conditions In the tobacco
factories have been improved In ever!
way, and labor Is better organised
than in any other industry. Man!
new factories of concrete cOnstruc
ton and sanitary equipment hav'
been put up. One feature Of MAXIM
the work interesting for the worker,
In tobacco factories IN the employ
ment OF trained readers, who rea,
stories to the men while they arr
engaged In making cigars.
There II hne future for the frui
industry In the island. Porto Rice
grapefruit now tops the market II
the United States. selling as high al
S12 per box. Both grapefruit and i'm
proved seedless oranges have beer
budded to the Wild orange trees which
have been grown In the island fol
many years. Improved varieties o.
mangoes also offer many opportunities