The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-10-07
PHILIPPINE FARMING
How Agriculture Is Being Aid
ed In the Islands.
MANY NOVELTIES INTRODUCED.

First Experiments Prove That Fruits
and Vegetables New TO the Islands
Can Ne Successfully Grown There.
Jute Promises Excellent Returns.
valuable Future For oil Bearing
Seeds.
Great success regarding the introduc-
ton Of seeds and plants in the Philip
pine Islands for the production there Of
new food and forage plants is reported
by the Philippine bureau Of agricul-
ture, says the Washington correspond
end Of the New York Tribune The
experiments already conducted demon
strate that many fruits and garden
vegetables heretofore unknown to the
islands can be grown there. The new
vegetables introduced include arti-
crokes, asparagus, beans, peas, beets,
brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, eau
lifloWer, celery, sweet corn, cucumbers,
eggplant, endiyes, garlic, leeks, lettuce,
muskmelons, watermelons, olzra, pars-
nips, peppers, radishes, rhubarb, sal
sify, spinach, squash. tomatoes and
turnips
The results show both success and
failure. AS was anticipated, the re-
suits secured by the bureau were bet
ter than those obtained by the natives
who had secured seeds for experiment
tai purposes. Beans grew well In many
places while peas gave less satisfac-
tory results. Experiments with pump.
kins, cucumbers and melons show a
long record Of disaster, all practically
confined to the rayages Of insects or
fungous diseases, but 1t is thought that
by planting in the dry season and by
irrigation better results may be SCI
cured.
Elephants, tomatoes and peppers, all
of unrivaled size and excellence, were
generally reported, both by natives and
by the government agronomic stations.
Okra, of tropical Asiatic origin, has
given universally good results. The
profitable production Of beets, turnips,
lettuce. endives, spinach and radishes
has been demonstrated and is assured
by an intense high forcing system pur-
sued from the day the seed is sown
until the crop is secured.
Among oil bearing seeds sesamum
rape, peanuts and sundowers have
done well, and there seems to be a val
liable future for them in the islands.
In the bureaus trial grounds at Ma
Mia a limited number OF japanese
plums, loquats, persimmons, ehestnuts
and grapes have been tried, together
with japanese types of citrus fruits
and q few pomegranates, The grapes
/ and persimmons have made good
start and the progress of the citrus
fruits and pomegranates has been Of
] the best.
Experiments with textile plants have
been confined to cotton and jute While
the former has given good results 1t is
a question whether the native grower
has an adequate conception OF the
standard crop requirements of cotton
growing countries. Jute promises to
give excellent returns, and it is the
opinion Of the bureau that the eA 4ort
trade of British India in this LJer.
amounting to S15,000,000 annually.
could be largely diverted to the Philip
pines.
Several varieties of coffee have been
imported from Java and distributed to
planters interested in the attempt to
rehabilitate the coffee industry, and
the bureau has raised many thousands
of young plants, which win be set out
under its own direction. Fine yari-
cites of tobacco seed have been dis.
tributed in the famous Isabella and Ca
gayan tobacco districts.
With the experience gained from
these first trials as to the best soil. the
best time for planting and methods Of
cultivation, there is no doubt that veg
etable, fruit, forage and other crops
will be materially increased and add
to the agricultural wealth Of the archi-
peIago.