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development of Porto Rico, the hurricane must be given a prominent, and, it is feared, a permanent place. Between 1515 and 1899, eighteen hurricanes, more or less disastrous in their effects, have swept over the island. Against this peril the planter, the farmer, the stock raiser, and the rural poor have no possible protection. The last one, which visited the island August 8, 1899, was especially disastrous, the estimated loss, present and prospective, to the coffee industry alone being 25,000,000 pesos. A large number of people lost their lives, and 250,000 were thrown on the charity of the Government. For an account of this hurricane and, in fact, of the condition of the island in general, the reader is referred to the voluminous report of General Davis, to which reference has already been made.

DISCUSSION OF THE AGRICULTURAL TABLES. [See Tables XXXVIII-XLII.]

The following is a translation of the schedule used by the enumerators in gathering the agricultural data:

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NOTE.-State whether Porto Rican, Spaniard, or citizenship in suspense, according to whether he has taken the oath; if this question relates to a foreigner and is therefore superfluous, write foreigner.

5. Does the farm or plantation belong to the person named or is it leased?

6. Area of the farm or plantation in caballerias and cordeles.

Area under cultivation at the present time.

Area uncultivated at the present time.

7. Approximate area under cultivation prior to 1895. 8. Wooded area. Character of woods, high or low.

9. Distribution of area under cultivation, according to crops:

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10. Number of cattle on the hoof on the day of enumeration:

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NOTE. Indicate on blank lines any other cattle on the hoof.

11. Number of grinders and evaporators on the plantation on this day: Mills, number. Output, in arrobas, of cane per day.

Evaporating apparatus, number. Production, in sacks, per day. 12. Number and capacity of the stills on the plantation:

Number. Capacity, in gallons, per day.

Agriculture is the principal-indeed, almost the sole-occupation of the people of Porto Rico. This fact, which is so plainly shown in the tables of occupations, is further emphasized by the small proportion of urban population. The industries of trade, transportation, and manufactures are of almost trifling importance. In the census no attempt was made to obtain statistics of other branches of industry than agriculture, and the inquiries concerning that industry were purposely made as simple as possible, in the belief that it was better worth while to obtain, in fairly complete form, a few leading facts than to attempt with a probability of failure an exhaustive inquiry into the details of this industry. The inquiries were limited to those relating to areas of farms; to cultivated land and woodland; to the tenure of farms, with the race of the occupant; to the area cultivated in certain leading crops; to a few details regarding the production of sugar and coffee, and to the number and character of live stock. The questions were identical with those asked in Cuba. The results of the inquiries were in most respects more satisfactory than in the larger island, owing to a variety of conditions. The island had been in a state of profound peace under settled conditions. Owing to its comparatively dense population, land values were higher, and, consequently, the limits and areas of farms were better known. For the same reason there was little or no uncertainty as to the character of the tenure. There were practically no squatters in Porto Rico.

Table XXXVIII presents for Porto Rico, for each of its seven departments and for each municipal district, the number of farms, the area included within them, the cultivated area, and the area covered with timber. Throughout this and subsequent tables, and in great part in this discussion, the measure of area which will be used is the Porto Rican cuerda, which may be accepted as the equivalent of an acre. Of the total area of Porto Rico-3,606 square miles-2,743 square miles were included within farms. This is 76 per cent, or more than three

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