The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-27
FARMING IN THE ORIENT
DR.. Knapp's Investigations in the
Far East.
THE SITUATION IN LUZON
The Island Has the Very Richest of Soil
and Almost Anything VIII Thrive
Change OF Method in China
Must Be Cautiously Made.


Knapp, who was sent by the department
of agriculture to Japan. China and the
Philippines as an agricultural explorer
has returned to Washington and report
ed to Secretary Wilson the results of his
1abors. He was instructed tu inVest-
gate such products of ;he farms, fields
and forests of those countries as might
be of advantage to the agricultural in
dustries of he United States
Some of the observations of Dr.
Knapp relating to the products of Japan
ilready have been published in a pre-
urinary report. On this branch If in
vestigation, however he had the fol-
slowing additional to say:
"All fear of competition from Japan
along agricultural lines may be dis
missed On the contrary. it mus. be-
come a large consumer Of farm prod
ncts drawn from the United States. The
diffusion of knowledge and introduction
of new industries in Japan have had The
effect of more than doubling the cost
of labor in the last 10 years. and in
proportion, of stimulating consumption
by the common people. Future progress
must be mainly made in the direction OF
manufactures. In such event the food
1oi lHt operatives, the cotton and other
nbre material for the fabrics the lum-
Der and iron for the construction of fac
tories 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 cs-
tablshed for them.
Ihe principal agricultural products
imported into Japan are wheat flour
sugar. cotton, butter, cheese and meat.
The annual value Of these articles is a.
present between S24 600 900 and $25 600
600 in gold. Under favorable treaty reg
uiations. Japan will import from the
United States nearly all her flour bu,-
ter cheese and meat. three fourths Of
the raw cotton required and from the
Philippines nearly their entire surplus
output Of sugar
Regarding China. the report saws:
The great area. the large per cent. of
fertile lands and the enormous popula-
ton 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. be
cause the food supply cannot be ma
terlally reduced or even changed with
safety. Large areas devoted to fibre
plants for the promotion of manuf4c-
lures 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 impressed by the alert
: industrious and frugal character of the
Chinese. From China DIR. Knapp pro-
ceeded to the Philippines. Arriving at
Manila, he went by rail as far as san
Fernando, passing through the rich see
ton to the east and north OF Manila. on
to the sugar lands of the morrill, The
yield per acre. according to the best au-
thorities, is,about 1000 pounds Of huled
rice on lands under rainfall IRRIGATION
solely. and 1000 on lands artificallv
cultivated. This shows very careless
husbandry. Tho 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 practiced in the United States
while the factories are the crudest con-
ce1Vable. The sugar Is drained unon
the open kettle plan. The proprietor
furnishes land and factory and the ten
ant furnishes seeds, does all the work /
in the field delivers the cane to the mill
and supplies most of the hands for max
ing the sugar. The proprietor receives
one-half the sugar and all the lnoasscs,
me tenant, in theory. is allowed the .
remainder but in practice he usually
receives about tWa-tifth$ of the sugar. /
Df. Knapp was Informed that in the /
islands Of Panay, Negroes and Cehu the, /
sugar farms and factories are much /
more improved than in Luzon Sugar !
lands produce from 3 010 to 900 pounds !
per acre. Responding upon the culIiya- |
ton and the factory
The Filipinos, as far as he observed
do not give as much attention to the
production Of heterogeneous foods as the
ii law.
Spanish statistical reports and inter-
views with Manila exporters satisfy the
doctor OF the prosperity of the tobacco /
and hemp industry under normal con-
dluonS Millet, maize, sage and indigo /
DO well and are ordinarily profitable /
crops. Philippine coffee. of which there !
We're formerly many plantations has a
pecularly rich and pleasant flavor. Co |
coanutS pincapplps. oranges, bananas
grapes figs and many other fruits grow |
almost spontaneously.
The Philippine islands abound in val !
uabie wood for building, furniture. dye.
woods and some yielding costly gums
According to the best authority nearly
two-thirds of the land is sun public
and passes to the UnEnd Statee with
the title. If opened for settlement f.
soldiers many Of our young men viii
remain and become permanent settlers
Some associations Of this kind have al
ready been organized. The price of inn
proved land ranges from 81 t. $50 per
acre in gold, depending upon the luca-
ton and value of the improvements
Reports Of the observatory at Manila i
show that the average rainfall fur the
past so years has been 75.4 inch :. The
temperate re is quite uniform. averaging
during the past Is years - degrees for
January, the coolest month, and SIS de !
grees for May, the WaTmest month
Within the period the thermometer only .