St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-10-01
PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE.
Natives Are Too Lazy to Develop the
Productive Possibilities
Of the Soil.

Writes William E. Curtis, in the Chi
cago Record Herald: The Filipinos d.
not raise sufficient vegetables to suppl,
their own wants, although the soil pro-
duces an abundance whenever it has q
chance. The fiber of Filipino garden
truck is rather coarse, and the flavor is
not so good as that grown in temperate
regions, but that is the rule all through
the tropics. At least one-third of ths
vegetables offered for sale in the Ma
Mia markets is imported from China, be-
ing brought over in junks.
The native is too lazy to work gar
den. You will notice as you drive
around in the suburbs of the city that
very few of the cabins have gardens at
tached to them, and when you find one
it is badly cared for The Filipino loos-
ems up the ground, throws in a few
seeds, rakes the soil over them and lets
nature do the rest. He devotes his en-
tire attention to breeding fighting
cocks, and lives on bananas. Last year,
through the efforts of the bureau of ag-
riculture, there was decrease in the i'm
portation of vegetables, especially po-
tatoes, onions, beans and peas, from
China, from $71s, 432 in 1902 to $513. 537 in
1903 The bureau of agriculture is do
ing good work in introducing seeds suit
able to the soil, but unfortunately it has
not been able, up to this time, to produce
serum that will cure Incidence, and the
Indifference of the Filipino to his own
interests is exasperating to those who
are trying to help him.
Nearly 100000 worth of eggs were
imported from China last year, and
corresponding amount of other simple
food that might be raised by every vile
lager.
And what is even more discouraging.
the amount of food imported into the is
lands increases every year. In 1899 the
total was only $3,993, 1863; in 1900, SIS, 4S3,-
806; in 1901, $8,15s.794; in 1902, $10,S46,-
14e, and in 1903, $14 ,675,522.
During the last year. it should be ex-
planned, an unusual quantity of rice was
imported by the government in order to
supply deficit caused by the drought.
but there was an increasesin a dozen
other items which should be furnished
entirely by the local farmers if they had
any industry or enterprise. But they
will not work in the soil. They cannot be
induced to raise enough rice to feed
although the area suitable
to that staple is unlimited In 1901
S.. 490,952 worth of rice was imported;
in 1902, $6.57S,481: in 1908, SIC, 061, 1928.
md, in addition to that, more than
"a 000,0 worth of other vegetables
and articles of food; while the imports
IF beef, pork and other animal prod
lcts have increased from $188,026 in
1899 to $1,5SO.1 in 1908.
This, you will recognize, is most I'M
reality condition to find in an agrucul-
.ural country where millions upon mill
ions of acres of fertile ground have
never been turned by plow. The agri-
cultural department is doing its best by
modern methods, labor-sav- |
ng machinery, seeds and otherwise en-
farming and truck gardening,
out it makes very little Roadway There
re several experimental farms, and
Prof. Worcester has imported machin-
Try and implements suitable to this |
He invites native farmers to |
,ome down and examine the American |
Methods there displayed, and some of |
hem show moderate amount of inter- |
st, but very few have departed from
he ancient modes of cultivation and |
larvest, and, as for the ordinary peas
mt farmer, he clings stubbornly to the
rocked stick that answers for pillow
nd the long knife which is almost his
My other implement
The soil and climate of the Philippines
re especially adapted to the cultivation
f coffee. 1t has been grown here for
lore than century, but it is impossi-
lie to interest the natives In the indus
ry, although they can look across to the
eighboring island of Java and see hun
reds of men who have made large for
ines in coffee orchards that are tbs
est in the world. Coffee can be raised
1 any Of these islands. where the hills
se to an elevation of 1000 feet and the
altitude and atmosphere required is the
lost healthful and delightful in the
'chipelago, or anywhere in the east. A
'hite man can perform heavy field labor
'ithout any more fatigue than in Iowa
: New York. The profits on coffee are
|