Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-03-27

washington, March Z6.-Dr. >. A.
Knapp, who was sent by the Depart
ment of Agriculture to Japan, China
and the Philippines as an agricultural
explorer, has returned to Washington
and reported to Secretary Wilson the
results Of his labors. He was instruct
ed to investigate such products of the
farms, fields and florists as those coun-
tries as might be of advantage to the
agricultural industries of the United
States.
Some Of the observations Of DR..
Knapp relating to the products of Japan
already have been published in a pre-
liminary report.
On this branch OF investigation, how
ever, he has the following additional
to say:
"All fear Of competition from japan
along agricultural lines may be dis
missed. On the contrary, it must be-
come a large consumer of farm products
drawn from the United States. The
diffusion of knowledge and the intro
duction of new industries in Japan have
had the effect of more than doubling
the cost of labor in the last ten years,
and, in proportion, of stimulating con-
sumption by the common people. Flu
ture progress may be mainly made in
the direction of manufactures. In such
event the food for the operatives, the
cotton and other fiber material for the
fabrics, the lumber and iron for the
construction of the factories and much
Of the machinery, will be drawn from
the United States.
''Of the fabrics, cotton and wool alone
have made much progress under the
factory system, and this is owing to the
fact that they were not produced to
any extent in the empire, and hence no
home system Of manufacture had been
established for them.
THE principal agricultural products
imported into Japan are wheat, flour,
sugar, cotton, butter, cheese and meat.
The annual value of these articles is at
present between twenty-four and TWEEN
ty-five million dollars in gold. Under
favorable treaty regulations, Japan will
import from the United States nearly
all her -four, butter, cheese and meat,
three-fourths of the raw cotton requir-
ed, and from the Philippines nearly
their entire surplus output Of sugar"
Regarding China, the report says:
THE great area, the large per cent.
of fertile lands, and the enormous pop
ulation of China, stagger the observer
on the threshold of investigation. Here,
however, as in Japan, radical changes
in agricultural methods or products
must be made very slowly, if at all,
because the food supply cannot mater
tally reduced or even changed with
safety.
Large areas devoted to fiber plants
for the promotion Of manufactures
would be a dangerous invasion of the
acres necessary for the food supply,
and must be speedily followed by i'm
portations from the United States. DR..
Knapp was deeply impressed by the
alert, Industrious and frugal character
of the Chinese"
From China, DR.. Knapp proceeded
to the Philippines. Arriving at Ma
Mia, he went by rail as far as San Fer
nando, passing through the rice sec
ton to the east and north of Manila
on to the sugar lands to the north.
The yield per acre, according TO the
best authorities, is about one thousand
pounds of hulled rice on lands under
rainfall irrigation solely, and two thou
sand pounds on lands artifcially irri-
gated This shows very careless hus-
bandry. The rich clay loan soil about
san Fernando is well adapted TO sugar
cane. In Luzon the methods of sugar
farming are quite different from those
pracCiced in the United States. while
the factories are the crudest conceiy-
able. The sugar is drained upon the
open kettle plan. The proprietor fur
nishes land and factory and the tenant
furnishes seed, does all the work in
the field, delivers the cane to the mill
and supplies most of the hands for
making the sugar. The proprietor re-
ceives one-half the sugar and all the
mOlasses The tenant. in theory, is
allowed the remainder, but in practice,
he usually receives about two-hfths Of
the sugar DIR. Knapp was Informed
that in the islands of Panay. Negros
and Cebu, the sugar farms and factor
les are much more improved than in
Luzon. Sugar lands produce from
5000 TO 5000 pounds per acre, depend
ing upon the cultivation and the fac
tory
The Filipinos, as far as he observed,
do not give as much attention to the
production OF heterogeneous foods as the
Japanese, hence are less muscular.
Spanish statistical reports and inter
views with Manila exporters satisfied
the doctor OF the prosperity OF the to-
bacco and hemp industries under nor
nal conditions.
Millet, maize, ago and indigo do well
and are ordinarily profitable crops.
Philippine coffee, of which there were
formerly many plantations, has a pc
culiarly rich and pleasant favor Co
conuts, pineDples, oranges. bananas,
grapes, figs and many other fruits grow
almost spontaneously.
The Philippine islands abound in
valuable wood for building. furniture,
dye woods, and some yielding costly
perfumes
According to the highest authority.
nearly two-thirds OF the land is still
nuh1ir and r1aSses IN The United States