The National tribune., 1899-10-19
THE HEMP INDUSTRY.
Gathering the Product is the Hardest Work
a Native Can Do.
CHICngO RecOrd.


Warehouses in the islands of Levte and
Mlndanao and in the interior of LIzon are
filling up with bales Of hemp. This is be-
cause the ports are closed during the war
OF insurrection. AS for L,izon. if the prod
uct could lie brought to Manila it would
ma ready sale at the highest price it has
ever commanded. And some of it gets
in as it is-enough to keep three firms sort
ing out and baling up for shipment to Amer
lea, where GO per cent. of the product goes.
recently the quotations We're $3.50 to ST
a plcul. which Is an advance of SO over for
mer prices and double that of five wears
ago. 1t must be understood. too, that this
Is IN Mexican money, which is the standard
used by the natives, and is worth so cents
on the dollar of American money, here
called gold"
Hemp, or rather the plant from which it
Is manufactured, is known i'm scientific cir
cles as Musa textilus.H and by the natives
as aDaca: 1t belongs to the ,plantain fam
lly, closely resembling the banana plant
ne latter has leaf similar in shape to
that OF the abaca, but of a slightly darker
green, The difference in appearance must
be told by the expert, the inexperienced
can tell the difference only by tasting the
lruit. Inc abaca tastes like green per-
simmon. Many of the natives are engaged
IN its growth and sale. 1t fiourishes on
hiily ground. and like the banana plant,
takes about three years to flower. When il
comes to the Towering age it is cut down
and made ready for scraping The stalk
springs up again from the roots, and soon
begins aspiration to go to seed. 1t is not
permitted TO do So however, as the seeding
PROCESS reduces the duality of the fiber.
The abaca grows to the hight of eight
feet, but Is not a tree in any sense except
that it gives shade. It's leaves run from
Its roots, enfolding the flower stem until
near the top, when they branch out into
great waving fans: The manner of growth
can be compared to nothing in the United
States except a young onion, which is not
a 1air Illustration on account of the insip-
size of the latter. But the leaf Law
ers are wound in that way, though they are
fuily a quarter of an inch thick and six
inches wide.
Most of the plantations are on hilIv
ground, and nearly all, for that reason. are
IN the mountain districts, although | saw
some along the shores of the bay between
fanay and Paranaque. In the mountains
the plantations are worked by the natives.
but they are seldom owned by them. The
work Is done on shares. usually, the labor
ers receiving half the product Two men
are required to do the work in field. which
Is limited to about two acres. When the
stalk is ready it is cut and the leaf LAYERS
are separated, making what is known as
bast." These leaf stalks are about six
inches wide and about six feet long. The
i i',ls1J a.P' ias uul khlIe fastened TO a
hinged block, and an attachment which
allows him to work it with his feet. The
pulp is dexterously scraped from the fiber.
and then the fiber is hung out to dry, being
later gathered into bales and marketed
The planter seldom owns his own boats |
and IS not often able to carry his hemp to |
Manila winch is the market, and so does |
his business with the nearest agent of the
Manila house. The hemp is packed in bv |
5he natives, bunch at either end of a car
wing pole, which is a method of transnor-
alton similar to that of the Chinese tea
,arriers. The agent grades it and bargains
or low price, taking advantage Of his