Arizona republican., 1898-08-11
RESOURCES OF pHILIpplNES
Vast Wealth of the Islands Awaitina
 Cultivation.

secretary Of the treasury, contributes to the August Century an article en- titled Facts About the Philippines, With a Discussion of Pending Prob lems." MT. Vanderlip says. The most important agricultural product is what is known to com merce as Manila hemp. Thousands of tons of this fiber are raised annually on the Pacific slopes of the southern islands, where it also grows wild. That this is the leading product of the Phil ippines is due to the fact that it's cul- tivation requires the feast effort With only careless attention, it is possible to raise many tons tc the acre. The fiber is obtained from species of plan tain called abaca, a tree which grows to the height of from fifteen to twenty feet and is from eight to twelve inches in diameter. The trunk may be as easily separated as a stalk of celery An ordinary knife only is required to cut down the tree, and a rude instru- ment is used to press out the juice and shred the fiber After a little drying
 
 of two hundred and forty pounds each it is ready for shipment The United States and England take almost the entire crop. Hemp of this kind is grown nowhere else in the world It 1 is said that fortune awaits one who can invent a machine which will ac- celerate the process of pressing out 1 the juice and pulp. leaving only the fiber. A rude knife and a lever for 1 holding it strongly in position are the instruments now in use.
 1 Next in the order of importance as product of the soil is sugar. The poorest sugar in the world is produced in the Philippines, and yet the islands are capable of producing the best The reason for the poor quality lies in the method of manufacture. and not in any disadvantage of soil, climate, or character of the cane, which Is su- perior in saccharipe The methods of sugar manufacture which prevailed in the fifteenth century are still in vogue in the Philippines.
 The third product of the Philippines in >'he order of importance is tobacco While the United States furnishes 2 market for the hemp and sugar of Ma nila, scarcely any of it's tobacco or cigars is brought to this country, ex- cept now and then upon sailing yes sells engaged in the eastern trade. But the crop is an important one, and Ma 1ila tobacco and cigars have long held he same reputation in the east that the Havana product holds in the west Lately the industry has shown a ten dency to expand, owing to the fact that the Spanish government, realiZ l ing, in one instance at least, the, eff fects of an evil policy, has abandoned it's monopoly of the trade.
 There are few other products of az riculture to be mentioned. Fruit is not cultivated, but grows wild in abund- ance and variety characteristic of s tropical country. Bananas of delic- ifus flavor. oranges of poor quality margos, guavas, and many other na- tive fruits grow wild. There are no o1- ives or figs, and there is no vine cul- ture. Dairy farming has not yet been established in the islands, although there is said to be great opportunity in that direction. Putter is imported from London in bottles, and, naturally lis held at a very high price. Through out all the islands of the archipelago agriculture is yet in an undeveloped state. Vast opportunities may be found for exploiting modern methods If farming There is not a farm ir any of the islands which will compare ss.vorabIy with even the worst on the American contine-t Flowing is done with a sharpened 7tick. and nothing is known of agricultural labor saving implements such as are in use in the United States and ether civilized coun- tries. Only the most primitive meth ods are employed.
 The mineral resources of the islands have never been developed, although they are known to be considerable There is coal in abundance in Cebr and Negros. Gold is found in the al. luvial deposits along the streams, ant at the mouths of rivers, particularly in Luzon and Mindanao. Copper exists i'll the central districts of Luzon. anG lead is plentiful in Cebu. Immense dercsits of sulphur are found in the craters of extinct volcanoes, and 1T some of the islands there is found z good quality of iron ore.