The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-09


fruit. The abaca tastes like a green
persimmon. Many of the natives are
engaged In its growth and sale. 1t
tlourishes on hlly ground, and. like
the banana plant, takes about three
years to flower When it comes to the
Towering age 1t Is cut down and made
ready for scraping. The stalk springs
up again from the roots. and soon be-
gins aspiration to go to seed. 1t is not
permitted to do so. however, as the
seeding process reduces the quality of
the fiber.
The abaca grows to the height of
eight feet, but Is not tree in any
sense except that it gives shade. Its
leaves run from it's 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 young onion, which is
not a fair illustration on account Of
the insignificant size Of the latter. But
the leaf layers are wound in that way,
though they are fully quarter of an
inch thick and six inches wide.
Most of the plantations Aare on hilly
ground, and nearly all, for that rea-
son, are in the mountain districts, al
though l saw some along the shores of
the bay between Pasay and Parana-
que. 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 laborers
receiving half the product. Two men
are required to do the work in a field,
which Is limited to about two acres.
When the stalk Is ready 1t 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 operator has
dull knife fastened to hinged block,
and an attachment which allows him
to work 1t 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 mar
keted.
The planter seldom owns his own
boats, and is not often able to carry
his hemp to Manila, which is the mar
ket, and so does his business with the
nearest agent of the Manila house. The
hemp is packed in by the natives, a
bunch at either end of a carrying pole
similar to that Of the Chinese tea car
riers. The agent grades 1t and bar
gains for a low price, taking advant-
age OF his customer with the true In
dian trader skill. Often he has ad-
vanced money to the grower and taken
mortgage on the crop. The native
knows nothing Of prevailing prices. He
takes what he can get, cheats as often
as he can. and wears his life away in
the business-for it is said to be the
hardest kind of work that a native can
do. No one yet has invented machinery
that can do satisfactory work in pre-.
pairing the hemp.
The trader gathers up his hemp and
sorts 1t out to it's different grades, until
he has enough for a boat load, If he
happens to be on one of the islands,
and then he charters a vessel and
sends it to his house In Manila. If he
is in Luzon he gets it to the river and
loads 1t into cascos. and then floats it
down to his "house," which takes care
of 1t and ships it out. In America 1t
is made into binding twine or into
ropes.
The whiteness of the hemp desg-
mates its grade, Of which there are
four Binder twinc hemp is classed
as a.. ou,,e"u, iair current anu
proWh. mere are wi.hout aoupt
many l,icks IN this traoe' ana theS
are WoIkeo an the way from the lazy
Sul,i'a'or " 'ne exporting agent, ard
pack asa'h one aea'er said 10 me
yes'eroaS II Is ,he custom 70 put
UP an oruer win just enough NO.
On the OUTSIDE OF the paie 10 make
tne 'hihs appear all rignt' or wnat
Is more common TO grade down an
orde' d! senaing NO. on noard at