The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-11-08
]. W. GILMORE WRITES ON
PHILIPPINE CONDITIONS

"A long time before these rubber bands
VIII be- entirely driven out. They have
"A stronghold In the mountains. and II
H. hard to nnd them, During the past
two years they have burned the houses
and machinery on good many sugar
estates.
our estate. La Granja. as it IL called.
is situated at the base of the noun
taius about twelve miles inland from
San Enrique. and about six miles from
here The tract consists of about 1915
acres but much of 1t is unfit for culti-
walton. About seventy-iive acres are
this year in cane. and a small portion
in rice. There are small patches of
cacao. coffee and betel nuts. but dur
ing the past three years the place has
gone To ruin. The machinery has been
neglected. the instruments and imple-
ments have been broken, burned or
stolen. The land has an elevation of
400 to 500 feet, and I think is very well
adapted for diversified crops, and es-
peciaily for cacao. coffee, sugar. hemp
citrus fruits. peaches and plums. to-
bacco and some forage crops. Negeta-
bles will also grow well here. But in
order to bring the work up to what II
| should be n good deal of money will
have to be spent
The methods of sugar making here
are very primitive. The cane crusher
is a machine having three rollers, three
or four feet long The juice is boiled
down in large watts over "a wood fire.
| The product is dark brown sugar.
which sells for about $l.30 per hun
dipd weight. The sugar lands here are
| valued at from Sl2 to sl5 per acre, but
the titles are very Insecure. Fortunes
can be made out of sugar here when
| land can be had, and improved meth
ods introduced. our land Is very poor
| f,, 81, ,i,YN fn..i1 tiaS nd
IL is very much out of the way for
| visitors otherwise it would be a fine
| piece of land with good prospects.
have recently sent report to the de-
partment at Manila, and can do moth
| ing until it is acted upon. The cane
crop will be ready in about two
months, and it will take all that time
| to get the buildings and machinery ~
| repair. besides it will cost about as
much money as the crop is worth. My
plan is to sell the cane in the field
| to some of the nearby planters, ano
put in the latest improved machinery
etc. but | do not know what the de
lpartment will do about ii. | only Wisf
the department at Washington haC
charge of the agricultural work of tbs
islands. Until things are more paciiiet
il will be hard to do good work, fol
it does not seem natural to go abou
my work with Il gun about me, but /
seems the only alternative Just now
was somewhat surprised to find tina
Mr. Brill has been appointed as direc
tor here. He was on his way home a
the time, and it may be that he vii
not return.
We often think of Honolulu now, an
. wish we were back upon Punchbow
slopes 1t would have been more pleas
ant there. 1t has been quite a nervou
strain on Mrs. Gilmore, when the ROB
Der bands promised us a visit, but sh
has borne it bravely. Yet / dare sa.
we will be journeying back to NOR
. civilized land soon, with a well-round
ed experience.
| Az soon as | hear from Manila
+ shall probably want you to send IT,
e some seeds, bulletins, and some see
G cane OF four or five varieties. Their
= Is only one variety grown here. bu
= IL Is not good. l have not yet had op
/ portunity of seeing the curing of to
3 bacco. We trust your work Is pros
!, pering. and that you are enjoying goo
n health. Mrs. Gilmore sends regard
G Yours truly, ]. w. GILMORE.