Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-08
A FILIPINO FARMER.

healthy condition to find in an agricultural
country where millions upon millions of
acres of fertile ground have never been
turned by plough. The agricultural de-
partment is doing it's best by introducing
modern methods. labor-saving machinery.
seeds and otherwise encouraging farming
and truck gardening. but IL makes very lit
tie Roadway. There are several expert
mental farms, and Professor Worcester has
imported machinery and implements suit
able to this country. He invites native
farmers to come down and examine the
american methods as there displayed, and
some of them show moderate amount of in7
terest, but very few have departed from
the ancient modes of cultivation and har-
vest, and, as for the ordinary peasant farm-
err he clings stubbornly to the crooked stick
that answers for a 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 1t Is impossible to in
terest the natives In the industry, although
they can look across int the neghboring
island Of Java and see hundreds of men
who have made large fortunes In coffee or
chards that are the best in the world. Cot
fee can be raised In any of these islands,
where the hills rise to an elevation of 2,OO0
feet and the latitude and atmosphere re-,
qutred Is the most healthful and delightful
In the archipelago. or anywhere In the east.
white man can perform heavy field labor
WituOut ally IlOTe fatigue imam III iowa OF
New York. The profits on coffee are larger
than upon most of the staples. 1t requires
comparatively little capital and the crop
Is almost certain. Yet the people of the
supply from Java and the other East India
Islands.
The same remarks apply to the cultivation
Of cacao. which will grow in the lowlands
with V1gor and luxurfance and pays a big
profit, but IL this industry and others are
ever developed 1t will be done by Americans
or Chinese.
These are only few Of many tempting
over here which are almost entirely over
looked by the natives And these condi-
lions are standing answer to the argu-
ments used against the admission of Chi
nese labor.
A Terrible Drought.
1t is true that the islands have just suf-
fered from a terrible drought. From the
LIST of January to the last Of August, 1903.
there was no rainfall. The usual rainy sea-
son was entirely omitted by nature, and
following the drought came plague of To-
Gusts, which consumed almost everything
green upon the surface of the archipelago.
The government. which has had revolu-
lions, inSurrectfonS, bandits, religious
schisms to look after. was confronted by a
new problem, or rather half a dozen new
problems which required novel remedies.
The presence of the locust plague was de-
Sd of August, 1903. every able-bodied in
habitant of the islands was declared liable
for service In war against the invaders.
The municipal officers managed the details,
and the general proposition made 1t the
duty Of each inhabitant to bring in a GER
tain number of bushels of locusts every
day. which were burned in the market
place. Sheets Of galvanized iron were dis
tributed as q means of obstructing the es-
cape OF the insects and of driving them
into bitches that were dug for that pur-
pose. and paid for from the congressional
relief fund. Any gentleman who refused
to contribute his daily quota Of locusts was
fined SO. and the courts were authorized to
add a term Of ten days OF Imprisonment at
their discretion. People who were willing
to go into the business of catching locusts
were paid, and those who were unable to
support themselves while performing their
daily stunts were supplied with ratfons Of
rice. Thus the entire pOpulation-men.
women and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the in
fected districts were engaged In the sup
preston Of the plague. and the result Jus
titles the plan.