The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1914-11-26
COFFEE IN DEMAND
Porto RiCan Crop Wanted Abroad
But Not in United States.
Grapefruit and coooanuts Offer Big
Opportunities for Investment, Al
though Sugar and Tobacco Still
Lead as Exports.

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! Washington, D. C.--The coffee raised
in our island possession; Porto Rico
Is in great demand abroad and the for
eign market places IL at the top of the
price list of coffees from all over the
world, according to experts at the
unfted States department OF agricul'
lures Porto Rican experiment station,
However, the people of the United
States have developed taste for a
different kind of coffee, and the pref
erence of a great many people will
have to be changed In order to obtain
larger market for Porto Rican cot
fee in this country. The cost of
changing the acquired taste of the
American seems too great to justify
the attempt so long as such excellent
prices are obtained elsewhere for the
product
During the past year, says the new
ly-issued annual report of the depart
ment's station in Porto Rico. the
value of the exports of coffee amount
ed to a great deal more than they
ever have since the American occu-
patton. Better cultivation and higher
prices have enabled the coffee indus
try to show great progress. and plant
ers are now following better prac-
tises in the selection Of their seed for
planting. The departments station is
introducing the. so-called Java" and
other coffees which are yielding bet
ter than native coffee and giving a
higher percentage of large and uni
form grains. The coffee is grown for
distribution to planters on the island
and has been resulting in greater
yields as well as In better prices for
the planters. E t"'< r
OF the coffee exported during the
past year, $s.37s.346 worth went to
foreign countries, while only 1882 $40
worth went to the United States. AL
though today there exists a benefit OF
tariff, the coffee is still following the
old lines of trade established by tariff
laws during the Spanish regime. 1t
Is a marked indication of the truth
that trade established upon preference
Of taste for. a certain product, is
most difficult one to sehange. How.
ever, associations and individuals are
still striving to extend the market and
to gain even higher reputation for
the coffee of Porto Rico.
The grapefruit industry which start.
ed from nothing ten years ago is nov
thriving In Porto Rico and promises
good returns to thef-1hian with perse-
verance, industry, and personal super.
vision. Porto Rico Is i.safe from frosts
that threaten the Industry on the
mainland and at the open door of the
best market in the world-New York
and the eastern seabOard The grape
fruit industry represents the highest
type of intensive farming, and is sure
to increase to a much greater extent
in Porto Rico as the trees which are
already planted coma into bearing.
The value of the exports of grape,
fruit last year ($726.68D was exceeded
by the exports of two other fresh-fruit
industries which have been. estab-
lished for a much greater period in
the island. Oranges were exported to
the value of $4,000, and pineapples
to the value of $1,142.007; $t51,6
worth of canned pineapples was also
exported. .a
There is considerable planting of
cocoanuts in Porto Rico and there
are extensive areas yet where these
trees may be profita5ly set out. A
cocoanut grove, properly cared for,
yields sure and steady income. Bet
ter cultivation, the growing of vegeta.
bles among the trees, the utilization
of seaweed and other manures. yield
excellent returns over cost. ...
The value of exports Of cocoanuts
for the past year amounted to $685..
800. Besides being interested. in Co
coanuts, the departments agricultural
station has a number of other nut
bearing trees on,trial, both edible and
oil-bearing. and II iss hoped that some
will prove profitable for cultivation
there.
Although the other agricultural
products show such great promise,
sugar and tobacco still continue to
lead all others by big margin. The
exports OF sugar during the last year
had total value of s27.226,905, while
the value of the tobacco exports were,
s5.s24,030: unmanufac-
tured, s3.1s8.227.
Planters are now introducing I'm
proved varieties OF cane, while the
cultivation and fertilization OF the
crop has been vastly improved. On
the other hand. lands not well suited
TO the crop have been planted and
others have been continuously planted
to cane. so that Yields have been re-
duced TO minimum. Many OF these
lands will now go out of cultivation.
Porto Rican tobacco, as well as su.
gar, Is being improved in quality.
This Improvement is resulting in Its
finding larger market and increas-
Ing prices There Is a large popula.
ton skilled in certain lines OF tobacco |
manufacturing such as cigar-makng |