The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1904-08-30
PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE.
Natives Are Too Lazy to Develop the
Productive Possibilities
Of the Soil.

N~oCt01A~A
their own wants, although the soil pro-
duces an abundance whenever 1t has Q
chance. The fber 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 the
vegetables offered for sale in the Ma
nila markets is imported from China, be-
ing brought over In junks. N
The native is too lazy to work a 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 let's
nature do the rest He deyotes 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
a 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 a
corresponding amount of other simple
food that might be raised by every VII
lager
And what is even more discouraainR.
the amount of food imported into the Is
lands increases every year In 1899 the
total was only SO 1893 1863; in 1900 So ,4SS,-
SOC; in 1901. $S15S.79 in 1902, $40, ,S46,-
142. and in 1908. $i4.675,52
During the last year. 1t should be ex-
planned. an unusual quantity of rice was
imported by the government in order to
supply a deficit caused by the drought,
but there was an increase In 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 10 feed
themselves, although the area suitable
10 that staple Is unlimited. In 1901
IS. .490, 1852 worth of rice was imported;
in 1902, $6.57S,4s1; in 1908, $10,O6l. 1928.
and, In addition to that. more than
81, 900 900 worth Of other vegetables
and articles Of food; while the imports
Of beef, pork and other animal prod
ucts have increased from $1SS,026 in
1899 to $3.50. .156 In 1908.
This. you will recognize, is a most un-
healthy condition TO find in an agrucul-
tural country where millions upon mil
lions of acres of fertile ground have
never been turned by plow. The agri-
cultural department is doing its best by
introducing modern methods. labor-sav-
ing machinery. seeds and otherwise en-
couraging farming and truck gardening.
but II makes very little headway. There
are several experimental farms, and
Prof. Worcester has imported machin-,
cry and implements suitable to this
country. He invites native farmers to
come down and examine the American
methods there displayed and some of
them show moderate amount of inter-
est. but very few have departed from
the ancient modes of cultivation and
harvest, and. as for the ordinary peas
ant farmer. he clings stubbornly to the
crooked stick that answers for plow
and the long knife which is almost his
only other implement
The soil and climate OF the Philippines
are especially adapted to the cultivation
Of coffee. 1t has been grown here for
more than a century, but it is impossi-
bic to interest the natives In the indus
try. although they can look across to the
'ueighboring island Of Java and see hun
areds of men who have made large for
tunes in coffee orchards that are the
best IN the world Coffee can be raised
in any Of these islands where the hills
rise to an elevation of 1000 feet and the
latitude and atmosphere required is the
most healthful and delightful in the
archipelago, or anywhere in the east A
white man can perform heavy field labor
without any more fatigue than in Iowa
or Sow York. The profits on coffee are
lager than npon most of the staples. Il
requires comparatively little capital and
the crop is almost certain. Yet the peo-
pie Of the Philippine islands import half
Of their supply from Java and the other
East Indian Islands.
The same remarks apply to the culti-
vation Of cacao. which viii grow in the
lowlands with vigor and luxuriance and
pays big profit, but II this industry and
others are ever developed q VIII Be done
BY Americans OF Chinese.
These are only a few Of may Ismnf-