Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-11

| all pests is the white ant. a minute little
| creature of wonderful intelligence and in
| dustry who will eat up a bridge a ware
| house or a fertilization, IL he is given half
! a chance. And because of its mischief all
| woodwork in Philippine houses must be ex-
with crude petroleum or preparations made
| from native oils If house were plastered
or were given ceiling. It would soon fall
to pieces. Warehouses have been actuaII,,
eaten. up by these little insects and neonle
Will tell you of packing cases stored in
them which actually crumbled to dust when
! tney Were left unprotected for any length
OF time Retail merchants required to
clear their shelves frequently In order to
OIL them. and all woodwork must be treat
ca IN similar way. Indeed. 1t Is insisted
by these voraciouS little pests 1t is a
common thing for them TO eat up books
and MANUSCRIPTS
In addition to ordinary moths there is n
Dug which eats silks as they eat cotton and
WOODEN garments. and housewives frequent
~ ma veivets and satins riddled by them
with fnnumerable little holes
Agricultural Bulletins.
Bulletins containing practical information
ana instruction upon various subjects re-
lating to natural products and resources ara
regularly issued by the Agricultural De-
partment. and are distributed widely among
the Filipino farmers; but Prof. Worces-
ter. who has charge of that work says that
OBJECT lessons are of much greater value
Hence he has established several EXPERT
mental farms and has introduced modern
machinery and methods where they can be
observed and studied by the progressive ele-
ment.
The coffee plantations Of Batangas. which
were formerly source of considerable rev.
enue to the Inhabitants, have completely
disappeared as result of the ravaees OF
borers and of leaf blight tract of good
a nd In hat
been secured by the Bureau of Agriculture
which hopes to rehabilitate the coffee in
dustry by demonstrating that immunity
from disease and insect pests NAV be OBJ
tanned by the selection of vigorous varieties
of plants and the adoption OF modern meth
OBS or cultivation and treatment. Some
time must elapSe. however, before the prac-
teal value of the experiments which 1t is
proposed to undertake can be demonstrated
because II takes from five to seven years
| for coffee tree to mature.
stock farm where breeding experiments
can be conducted has been established in
the island of Culion. Seventy imported
calves. three American mares. two Austria
Han mares sixteen native mares, six mules
and one Arabian stallion have been sent
there. The location selected for this farm
seems to be an ideal one and the animals
upon 1t are in excellent condition
Effect of Experiments.
Professor Worcester says: THE issuing
of bulletins containing reliable information
with reference to proper culture methods
for the growing of crops already raised in
the Islands and to the introduction of crops
not heretofore grown. or with reference to
the soils of the several provinces showing
what crops may be grown In given areas to
the best advantage is undoubtedly a mat
ter of great Importance to the prospective
foreign or American investor In agricultural
lands. and to the more highly educated
Filipinos, who will be likely to read such
| bulletins and profit by the Information
which they contain. 1t is. however. well
known that the average Filipino attaches
much greater importance to what he sees
than to what he reads. II. indeed ne Is able
to read, and Ii is unquestiona bly, true that
IL the masses are to be reached and agri-
cultural conditions in the islands are to be
generally improved Ii must be by practical
to the attention of the common people the
advantageous results following the employ
ment of improved culture methods and mod
ern agricultural machinery
The chief of the bureau of public lands
reports that frequent Inquiries have been
made of him during the past year to the
area of the public domain of the Philip
pine Islands. He states that accurate in
formation on this subject cannot be fur
nished at the present time. because OF the
lack of a proper system of surveys and of
trustworthy data as to Spanish land titles.
He. however, roughly estimates the public
10000 acres are forest land and the re-
manning q 100000 acres are lands not for
ested most of which are agricultural In
character and will be subject to disposal
under the law permitting leasing, sale and
demonstrating as soon the regulations
prepared by the Philippine commission un.
der the law shall have become effective.
either through their approval by Congress
or through the failure of Congress TO act
upon them.