The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-05
AGRICULTURAL
 POSSIBILITIES
or THE fHILIPPINE ISLANDS NEED OF MODERN NIPPLE
 MENTS FOR THE FARM
And Especial Need of Practical Demonstration = Results which Which Would Follow I'm
 provement of Soil

s
 Manila Correspondence New York Times.
 Whatever developments of political in- stitutions may come In the Philippine Archipelago. the ultimate prosperity of the country will depend almost entirely on the agricultural product. The Span ish did not overlook the necessity of i'm proving the crops nor the possibility of introducing other and more lucrative branches of farming than those existing. Their experience Is instructive. showing that the American must fail to improve farming unless he is prepared to take up work in the field and teach by practi- cal demonstration that the Filipino is not getting the best that there is to be had.
 The Spanish succeeded in growing bet ter and larger crops of almost every kind of produce known here; they even grew good crops of wheat In Cagayan. 7 where the best tobacco of the islands is grown. they tried to introduce Cuban seed; several of the large tobacco conn panies, notably the Compania de Taba- cas de Filipinas and the Insulsr Tobacco Company. did grow crops from Cuban seed, using the native methods and the native labor. The result was not at all encouraging: after the seed had been gathered from the first crop 1t was found that 1t had deteriorated; after the second crop it was no peter than the native to- bacco, and later it produced tobacco worse than that which had been grown from native seed. The Spanish also brought coffee berries from every part of the world where cqfrsstts grown. and tried it in the. ProyipSeS Soi sBatangas; the same thing happehea &s 'fh the case of the tobacco seed from Cuba. In each of : these cases the failures were due. largely if not altogether. to the poor condition of the soil and to the neglect with which the crops were treated after being once sown.
 The instruments of agriculture used in these islands are most primitive, and even the American Government experi- mental farm has found it necessary to send to the United States for such com mon farm implements as cultivator and farm roller. Most of the land under cultivation has been used for rice paddy. The custo mis to blow it while 1t is under water. and to work 1t year after year without thought of manure. have never heard of pound of manure being put on land by Filipino farmers, and do not thing its use is understood at all This country is better supplied with horses than any other country l have ever seen, but the stable litter is just thrown away with the least possible trouble. It is looked on as a simple 
 ble at present. When land has been piowed while under water. in the rainy season. it becomes sour and sad; If such land is required for purposes other than the cultivation of rice, the plow-such as it is--is followed by a gang of labor CTS with clubs. whose business it is to break the clods of eaarth. One genius employed on a tobacco farm in the Province of Cagayan made a roller out ~.R md nfrt in bolo blades. making a combined culti- vator and roller. but his example was not followed, and 1t is still the custom to club the clods to pieces with sticks. When the weakened condition of the Filipino laborer is considered, 1t is not strange that he prefers crops. such as rice. that do not need much labor. Need of Fodder.
 Those in charge of the government farm are directing much attention to the production of crops for home consump- ton. One of the crying needs of the archipelago is fodder for horses and cattle. The army horses and mules have food every pound of which is brought from the United States. India, or Australia The native never thinks of planting a crop of fodder; if God is good enough to send a little grass in some ditch, he will cut 1t with his bolo
 
 The grass grown under such conditions is coarse. sour, and dirty. It has been charged with causing surra in horses and there is little doubt that 1t Is Ies' ponsible for the amaciated condition of the native ponies. Spanish authorities say that horses were imported for breed ing purposes a hundred years ago, but that the wretched food has caused them to dwindle to the size of the native ponies
 Cows of the American variety, wher imported into these islands, either die oi disease, or. if they live, become so veal that they drp up. Sick persons who meet milk have to use condensed milk or tha imported from Australia. The cattle like the people. are half starved, not iron lack of sufficient quantity of food, bu because of it's bad quality. The native of Cagayan lives largely on maize, roast ed in the aar; 1t is a poor quality o maize. badly grown. small in the ear and ripened so hard that an American: teeth would not touch 1t. The Moro: eat "camotes," a sweet potato. and tho Igorrotes eat the same. The Tagal eat: rice. and some rice is also eaten in al of the other provinces. but enough rice to feed the people in the islands is moi grown here; much is imported from China All of the races neat fish. and sometimes they 9have1fporE' pigs being raised around the n1lsf 3s Chickens arc also raised and eggs are not uncom mon in the diet of the country Filipino Butter and chees are not made or used by the rural population.
 The work animal on the farms. the caribao, suits the native because 1t car eat the sourest, poorest. and coarsest food; 1t does not seem able to feed itself and the owners stuff punches of grass down its throat. It is hard to see how these caribao live when in a wild state for they seem utterly unable to get food into their mouths without help. Then they move so slowly that he driver does not have to hurry. and that suits the Filipino. It can work better in a field where there are six inches of water than 1t can on dry land. As a rule there are no farm roads; the fields are separated only by little ridges of earth and access to those that do not front on the main road can be had only by walking in the ditches The caribao carries all the croI away on his back. for no vehicle could pass to a field in the rear without tramp ling the intervening crops, Moreover where rice is cultivated. the ground i' so wet and soft that machinery coult not pass at all.
 The native feed for horses, in addition to the grass mentioned. comprises ,'dulce'. a refuse from sugar making '''palay.' a mean quality of half-ripeneC unhusked rice. and any kind of fresh o dried fodder that hunger can drive { horse to eat.
 Good Crops Possible.