New-York tribune., 1903-05-11
Il PHILIPPINE BONANZA.
Large Profits from Rice Culture IN
the Archipelago.

Washington, May 10 (SpecaD-The establish
n1ent OF a 5OO-acre rice farm in the Philippines.
including the complete equipment. with thrasher
and traction engine can be accomplished for not
TO exceed 5000. while the gross receipts from a
single crop should amount to from $4,000 to
$4,000 gold. according to the Philippine Depart
ment OF Agriculture. which has just forwarded
20 the Bureau Of Insular Affairs of the War De-
partment some interesting Information on this
subject. What wheat is to the Occident rice
is TO the Orient but, Notwithstanding the fact
that rice is one of the principal agricultural
products OF the Philippine Archipelago, its con-
sumption greatly exceeds its production
Statistical information relative TO importations
during the Spanish regime is meagre and entirey
unsatisfactory, though fragmentary details
available seem to indicate that under normal
conditions and for a period at least there were
considerable expectations Of this COMMODITY TO
China II is known that the acreage under
cultivation has been decrea sed to one-fourth. as
an incident Of the war. cholera, rinderpest ana
surra Importations of rice are shown by the
reports of the Insular Bureau to be as follows:
During the calendar year 1901. 3fo'ZILoo9
pounds: value. So. los. .s41, and 1902, 6S9,46ooIi
hounds: value. ss 7s4, ,3SS. Of this amount and
during the calendar year 1902 4l2'SS4'ooA
pounds were received from the French has'
Indies and 177.o9o9s1 pounds from China
During the present year the decrease in pro
duction has been so great that in order to aNolo
famine the Philippine Government has imported
large quantities of rice which 1t is selling to the
people at cost.
The method of cultivation of rice in the Phil
tppines is in many respects similar to that
practised in China. Japan. India and other orr
on+a1 countries. The process of preparing the
seed beds transplanting, pudding the soil ana
harvesting the crop all conform to the practice
Of other communities where labor is cheap Inc
rroha bIe economic prohibition against the IN
PRODUCTION Of advanced methods ana Ile coii
seouent failure of occupation of greater por-
ton of a crowded population dependent upon
the SOIL which will apply TO China ana olner
competitors loses its force of argument IN the
PHILIPPINES. with population OF only ABOUT
eight millions to area equal IN extent 10 'Ae
whole of New-England and the State Of New
York It is even fast becoming necessity as
wages increase under American standards to
introduce improved methods, in order to in
crease productive capacity necessary for com
ne1i4ion with foreign rice. AS Illustration It
is stated that, while the Philippine iaborer no"
receives only $50 gold per annum and board
and a Louisiana laborer $500 gold and board,
yet the former, impeded in part al leaSt' py
crude methods, while receiving one-tenth the
wages Of the latter, produces but one-hundreo'h
of the rice
out the archipelago where soils are admirably
adapted TO the growing of rice In fact. any
fairly fertile soil that has sufficient Gay 10 re-
tain moisture is suited to it's needs Low, ieVeI
lands are for many reasons preferable
Although rice is a water plant, good drain
age s essential to its cultivation In the Fhllp-
oiras hut little attention is paid to irrigation,
and the rains depended upon TO 1nundate
the land Were advantage taken of the large
number Of streams which traverse the coun-
try dependence need longer be placed on
the rainy season, and there might be two re
sultant crops instead of one The present dltch-
ing and levying methods are primitive and need
Improvement.