The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-04-08
RICE IN TIE PHILIPPINES.
How It Is Cultivated and Harvested by
the Natives.

the Natives.
Corpus Christi. Texas, April 6.--Tha fol.
lowing letter from Private Milton w, Tin.
ncy Of this city, who has hcen In the
Philippines for over two years past as Il
member Of company *. Thirteenth In.
fNntry, and who formerly saw service IN
company NJ. Second Texas volunteers dur
ing Tho Spanish war, was received here yes
tcrday. The letter Is very interesting
cpislle, treating on the manner OF cultNat
lug, packing, cleaning dnd disposal Of rice
10y the Philippine natives. aud viii no
doubt be Of much interest to those con
cernel in rice culture;
BaWlsta. Pang., T.. l., January With tao
approach OF the rainy season in the Philip
ppes the natives commence To plant their
rer. The seed Is deposited In the ground
from June until about the last OF July.
when nothing more is done until after the
rany Wca mr., when he commences to hAr-
vest his crops, letting nature do It's share
during the interim, rs he doesn't believe
IN doing much work. the women doing the
most.
The wealthy land owners here are. o.
course, the biggest planters; they hiring
hundreds OF notiNes to do their work. The
poor people who don't own much land,
generally band together when their farms
nuloin one another. ana work helping each
other out. Whole families also viii operate
One big rice pi0utauon-that Is. fathers
grandluthers, etc.
Many Of The rico fields here are very large
IN arcA, some being more than -four miles
In width and about six in Length, and more
sometimes. Hut this Is accounted FOR by
the reason that sometimes one field adj
joins another and so on, only snail strip
ut land about 100 yards in width being
the DIVISIONAL line and to serve FOR the
owners house and his domestics. The hells
are cut up into what is known as pad.
dies about nifty yards square, with small
ridges IN the Enclosures ON which grow
the rice. This Is done so that the paddles
Will retain the water, The rice always
Slows IN water until harvest.
Ihcy have not what we would call up
to-date plows here, the ones they have are
via time concerns something like the old
Mexican pIow. The caribou here takes
me place Of oxen, aud 1t just takes one
az those animals whcre Il would take twn
OF the former What is more. they have
an advantage over the oxen, as they pa
tientlN plod along In the mlre and water
After the rainy season, which ends about
the last of October, then gradually decreas
ing TN. November, the native can he seen
In his dclds again doing such work as may
much.
The rico remains in the field uncut for
some time unti Il is dry. when vast hordes
Of natives, looking IKE lot OF kangaroos
hopping here aud there, will he seen buSily
s.ngasgb y cutting the stalks with a small
children, and tving them mp In bundles as
soon as cut, This work takes couple OF
months, Us some of The rice Is green. they
There are no rice harvesting machines
here, everything being done by hand. They
would not work very well on account OF
me, SOFT mud, rs the rice fields are not
drained, tho hot sun absorbing all the water
ln comparatlVelv short time. There are
no rice mills IN the country eXcept what
are In Manila ana some Of the larger towns.
aud they arc autiduAtcd afahN. consequent.
" the natives thrash their own rlcc which
Is an onerous task. 70 do this he has q
large trough hcwn from the trunk OF
tree In which arr placed several lunches
ot rice and then he goes 10 work and com
mences to pound away until nc grains are
work usually falls 10 the lot OF old women
qua little girls who seem 20 think that
aher was cnt ont Tor them, After the
sralns have been separated u Is Sftcd and
placed In n hinge stone mortar whore n Is
again pounded until the husSs are clear
OF ne grain when T. Is rc,ay for market
To 10 this pounlinv thcv have large
heavy, oval shHped club ne both cnis and
small IN the rcntcr called "hi-SAapG"
which wae Introduced from Chipa more
than COCO yenrs aro, AMI It Is tho same
Shqnc NOW MS n was then
TT. cinnamon are tr ~, greatest rice ,,, my.
nnd then rescn It 10 tho hig commercial
HOUSES o. Menlla, and o,hcr n s,S from from
ern continent Tho Chinese nay the Fir
plros So. !Mexicnnl fcr one cohan OF
uOupAel apa tNrr shN-- AlsnNSe ~ " fOr 81
Mc,ylc9n, or 50. American. The -, Ch'SSams,u
furlno tho rico transactions, IS the Willy
chino" Is not aversN 10 cheating Thee
pnch rpd whnN Tho rice Is Wv transit from
The hull cart 10 the store house Zach meas
urc ls ing~ntN~siv courtcf With rlngs on
!, s'r'n', tho c''n9msp nela,Sg onS ead ~
cvcrv time measure ruii Of r,,ee Is nasssd
Celestial ono rinr. Nel'so~ can Get 'hc hes,
Nnton W. Tinnev.