The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-09-10
PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE.
Natives Are Too Lazy to Develop the
Productive Possibilities
of the Soil.

Writes William E. Curtis, in the Chi
cage Record-Herald: The Filipinos d.
not raise sufficient vegetables to suppl.
| their own wants, although the soil pro
duces an abundance whenever it has
chance The fiber Of Filipino garden
truck is rather coarse, and the flavor i:
not SO good as that grown in temperate
regions. but that is the rule all through
the tropics At least one-third of thu
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 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 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 d decrease in the i'm
| portation Of vegetables, especially po-
| tatoes. onions, beans and peas from
| China, from Sis, 1872 in 1902 to S5l9, 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 We're
imported from China last year, and a
corresponding amount of other simple
food that might be raised by every viz
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 So ,993, 1859; in 1900, SIS, 49,
8O6: in 1901, s8,158, 1914; in 1902, $40, $780,
142, and in 1903, 81, STE, 522.
During the last year. it should be exc
planned. an unusual quantity Of rice was
Imported by the government in order to
supply 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 cannotbe
induced to raise enough rice to feed
themselves, although the area suitable
to that staple is unlimited. In 1901
S5,490,952 worth of rice was imported:
in 1902, $6.578, 481; in 1903, SO ,061,, 1928,
and. in addition to that, more than
$4,000, 600 worth of other vegetables
and articles of food; while the imports
of beef, pork and other animal prod
ucts have increased from $188,O26 in
1899 to S1,580,l56 in 1903.
This, you will recognize, is most I'M
healthy condition to find in an agrucul-
tural country where millions upon mill
lions of acres of fertile ground have
never been turned by a pillow. The agri-
cultural department is doing its best by
introducing modern methods, 1abor-sav-
ing machinery, seeds and otherwise en-
couraging farming and truck gardening,
but it makes very little Roadway. 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 c1ings stubbornly to the
stick that answers for pillow
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 century, but it is impossi-
bic to interest the natives in the indus
try, although they can look across to the
island of Java and see hun
dreds of men who have made large for
.unes in coffee orchards that are the
0est 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 healthftl and delightful in the
or anywhere in the east. A |
white man can perform heavy field labor |
without any more fatigue than in Iowa |
y New York. The profits on coffee are
arger than upon most Of the staples. Il
'equlres comparatively little capital and
he crop is almost certain Yet the peo-
de Of the Philippine islands import hall /
If their supply from Java and the othe,
Cast Indian islands.
The same remarks apply to the cult,
Tation OF cacao, which will grow il the
owlands with vigor and luxuriance and
rays big profit, but il this Industry and
'thers are ever developed it will be done
" Americans or Chinese.
These are only few of many tempt
ng opportunities in the way Of agricul-
IRE over here. which are almost en-
rely overlooked by the natives. And
hese conditions are standing answer
o the arguments used against the ad-
lission Of Chinese labor.
Counting Hens Feathers.
q very unique feather guessing con-
est was rppnnffy