The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-07
THE PHILIPPINES.
Agricultural, Mineral and CONNER.
cial Opportunities n
ARE VERY ABLY DISCUSSED
In Reports Of tho Treasury Bureau Of
Statistics = Tho Chief Products OF
tho Country : Gold is Found In
Vast Number of Localities = The
Whole Archipelago Rich in Unde-
yelopcd Wealth.

WASHINGTON, April 6.-The ngrl-
cultural. mineral and commercial oppor-
tunities in the Philippines are discussed
in detail in the monthly summary of
commerce and finance, just issued By
the treasury bureau OF statistics. This
discussion shows that although agrlcul-
aure Is the chief occupation of the
Philippines, yet only one-nlnth OF the
surface is under cultivation. The soil Is
very fertile, and even after deducting
the mountainous areas 1t Is probable
that the area Of cultivation can be very
largely extended and that the islands
can support q population equal to that
OF Japan t42,CoO.OOO).
The chief products are rice, corn,
hemp, sugar. tobacco. cocoanuts and
Cacao. Coffee and cotton were former
ly produced In large quantities-the tor
mer for export and the latter for home
consumption;' but the coffee plnnt has
been almost exterminated by Insects
and the homemade cotton cloths have
been driven out by the competition OF
those imported from England. The rice
and corn are principally produced In
iLuzon and Hindoro and are consumed
in the islands. The rice crop is about
$4,000 tons. 1t is insufficient for, the
demand, and $4,000 tons OF rice were i'm
ported In 1894. the greater portion from
Saigon, and the rest from Hong Kong
and Singapore; also. $3.50 tons 100000
barrels) Of flour. OF which more than
two-thirds came from China, and less
than one-third from the United States.
The cacao is raised In the southern Is
lands, the best quality ofit at Mlnda-
mao. The production amounts only to
$50 tons and 1t is all made into choco-
late and consumed In the Islands.
The sugar cane Is raised in the Visa
yas. The crop yielded In 1894 about
235,oo0 tons Of raw sugar, Of which one
tenth was consumed in the Islands. and
the balance. OF 100000 tons, valued at
sl1. 100000 was exported. the greater part
in China, Great Britain and Australia.
The hemp Is produced in southern LII
zon, Mindoro. the Visayas, and Minda-
mao. 1t Is nearly all exposed In bales.
In 1894 the amount was $4,000 tons, val
ued at s12.000,0o0. Tobacco is raised In
all the Islands, but the best quality and
800 act in, A In y-rva
amount Is consumed In the Islands,
smoking being universal among women
as well as men. but the best quality Is
exported. The amount in 1894 was 1000
tons of leaf tobacco. valued at 81, $50 900.
Spain takes so per cent and Egypt 10
per cent Of the leaf tobacco. or the
manufactured tobacco, 10 per cent goes
to China and Singapore, 10 per cent to
England. and per cent to Spain.
Cocoanuts are grown In southern Luz
ION and are used in various ways. The
products are largely consumed in the is
lands, but the exports in 1894 were valu-
ed at 100000.
Cattle. goats and sheep have been In
troduced from Spain, but they are not
numerous. Domestic pigs and chickens
are seen around everywhere in the
farming districts. The principal beast of
burden Is the carabao, or water buffalo.
which Is used for blowing rice fields as
well as drawing heavy loads on sledges
or on carts. Large horses are almost
unknown, but there are, great numbers
OF native ponies from nine TO twelve
hands high. possessing strength and en-
durance far beyond their size.
Gold is found In a vast number OF To-
calities in the archipelago from north
ern LuzonN, to central Mindanno. In
most cases the gold is detrimental, and
found either in existing water courses
or In stream deposits now deserted by
4 tho current. These last are called "allu-
vious" by the Spaniards, 1t is said that
In Mindanao some of the gravels are in
an elevated position and adapted to hy-
draulic mining. There are no data ut
hand which intimate dccisively the
value of any OF the placers. They are
washed by natives largely with cocoa
nut shells for pans, though the batea Is
also in use.
In the province OF Abra, at the north
ern end Of Luzon, there are placers,
and the gravel OF the river Abra Is aurl-
ferrous. In Lapanto there are gold
quartz veins ms well as gravels. Gold
is obtained In this province close to the
copper mines. In Benguct the sravels
OF the river Agno carry gold. There is
also gold in the province Of Bontoc and
in Nueva Ecija-
The most important Of the auriferous
provinces is Camarines Norte. Here
tho townships Of Mambulao, Paracale
and Labo are especially well known as
gold producing localities. Mr.. Drasche.
we'll known German geoIogist. says
that there we're 700 natives at work on
the rich quartz veins of this place at
the time OF his visit about twenty-five
years since. At Parucale there arc
parallel quartz veins in grants. one OF
which Is twenty feet in width and con-
talns chute in which the ore Ia said
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