Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-02
INTRODUCING FOOD PLANTS.
Work of the Philippine Bureau OF
Agriculture.

The Philippine bureau of agriculture has
forwarded to the bureau of insular affairs,
War Department, a report on the introduce
ton and distribution of seeds and plants in
the Islands, which shows that much has
been done in the way of introducing new
food and forage plants, as we'll as new
fruits and other growths of economic value.
The experiments already conducted dem
onstrate that many garden vegetables of
northern origin may be grown in great per-
lection in the Philippines.
Experiments have been tried with arti-
chOkes asparagus, beans, peas, beets, Brus-
sells sprouts cabbage, carrots cauliflower,
celery sweet corn, cucumbers, egg plant,
endives, garlic, leeks, lettuce, muskmelOns,
watermelons, okra, parsnips. peppers rad
ishes, rhubarb, satisfy, spinach, squash, to-
matoes and turnips.
The results show both success and fail
ures AS was anticipated, the results Sc
cured by the bureau were better than those
obtained by the natives who had secured
seed for experimental purposes Beans
grew we'll in many places, while peas gave
less sa tisfactory results. Experiments with
pumpkins, cucumbers and melons show a
long record of disaster, all practically con-
fined to the ravages of insects or fungus
diseases, but it is thought that by planting
during the dry season and by irrigation
better results may be secured.
Egg plants, tomatoes and peppers, all of
unrivaled size and excellence. were gener-
ally reported both by natives and by the
government agronOmic stations. Okra, of
tropical Asatic origin, has given universal
ly 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
pursued from the day the seed is sown until
the crop is secured.
Among oil-bearing seeds, sesamum, rape,
a nd
there seems to be a valuable future for
them in the islands.
In the bureaus trial grounds at Manila a
limited number of Japanese plums loqua is,
perSimmonS, cheStnuts and grapes have
been tried, together with Japanese types of
citrus fruits and few pomegranates. The
grapes and persirmons have made a good
initial 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 eX-
port trade of British India in this fiber,
amounting to s15, 0DO,OO0 annually. could be
largely diverted to the Philippines.
A number of varieties of coffee has been
| imported from Java and distributed to
| planters interested in the attempt to re-
| habilitate the coffee industry, and the bu-
reau has raised many thousands of young
| plants which will be set out under its own
| direction. Fine varieties of tobacco seed
| have been distributed in the famous Isabella
and Cagayan tobacco districts.
With the experience gained from these
| first trials as 70 the best soil, the best time
| for planting and methods of cultivation,
| there is no doubt but that vegetable, fruit,
| forage and other crops will be materially
increased and add to the agricultural wealth
| of the archipelago.