The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-08-30

centraton has not been great because
OF the fertility Of the country and the
small demands Of the civilization. On
account Of having been subject race
so long the ambition Of these people
has been stunted by the seeming hope.
lessness of their future. But now
that they have an opportunity to de.
velop Themselves and reap the reward
of their endeavor, it is believed they
will become responsive to the posi-.
bilities awaiting them.
The principal wealth of the Philip.
pines has always been the products OF
the soil, but the individual holdings OF
the people are 80 small that they can
hardly be called farms. The average
size Of each holding throughout the
Archipelago is only eight and half
acres, while in America the average
size Of all farms is about $50 acres.
LESS than half Of the available agEi.
cultural land of the country is uud Ell
cultivation. The most valuable pro.
duct OF the islands is hemp. This is
the fiber taken from sort Of p!aa
tain, generally called abaca. It is
similar to the banana plant aud grows
nowhere else except in this latitude.
1t is famed ell over the world as "Ma-
nila hemp" 1t grows wild and all at.
tempts to propagate it in other eli.
mates have failed. Tbs land upoa
which it grows is always fertile and
we'll drained, and a strange fact 10 con.
nection with it is that irrigation can.
not be substituted for natural drain.
age. Nearly all the hemp exported
from the Philippines finds it's way to
the United States and Europe where
it is used in manufacturing rope.
Thst portion consumed in domestic
use, however, is utilized in the manu-
facture Of cloth for wearing apparel.
Sugar ranks second to hemp in the
value. Of tho islands products. It
was formerly the most valuable crop
of the islands, but o number Of causes
have combined to give it sec-
ondary place. The first of these was
doubtless the competition Of beet
sugar. The unrelisbility Of labor, tie
difficulty in procuring beasts Of bur-
den, and poor transportation facili-
ties, were other obstacles which the
planters could not overcome. In 1881
over AGO, 900, 900 pounds were export
cd, but this amount fell until, during
the year following American occupas
ton, the amount produced fof export
was not quite 19O,OOO,0OO pounds.
However, the recent advance in the
price Of sugar hes encouraged the plan
ters to renew their efforta, and the
acreage is nov being largely :ae.sssss-
ed. Al /. # l55'.. ;.$y
The third commercial crop Of the
islanda is tobacco. The plant raised
here ia Of American origin aud was
brought from Mexico by Spanish mis-
sionaries. For a. time the industry
was conducted as q gp:esnn ank mo. mo,
hcpoiy, but the embargo ,w7ss rem rem aove;aa
in 1882. From thss time its culture
Las ems ~yed q rapid growth. The
home consumption Of cigara and cigsar,.
cites is very great aud this, together
with the increasing foreign demand,
makes the industry one of much prom.
ise. Luzon produoess the hest grade
Of the leaf.
1 m The oocoanut3is rapidly increasing;
In commercial value. The dried d meat
Of this tropical luxuryiis called oopra.
Although il lisa com psratiyely nav,
product il nov ranks fourth afiong the
.exportable oommoditiea of the Phil.
ippines, The bi;prodnsts .sof Il tho
3Scocoanut are used in every I aono 81 N.
able way The sap and meat provide
the native with delicious FOOD and
drink. The abel ~ ;asrs valuable ID ID
household utensils, ana ean be made
into many kinds of5 ornament S. The
tree provides lunbsr for shss5 con q ssrt,c. a
tion of houses, and the foilags makes tl 81
sxcelleat roofing for thsss Same. Thsre
are5eigh ghty.three distinct asss Is which
the substance Dc this Weade derfuls lrss Tree
may Iaanlas be put, ranging from the manu-
facture Of tSath hpieks 10 the preptaras!
tion of. dye8 Il ands 1 hair $soil. There are4 l,ei
great ppssibi bilitiea IA iits culture, b iss. 81;
cause itSi is 4 ssxtrenael u proliae yis slding1
sixS 81, q q seven q crops of nuts every tHelge;
shj.sSs.
Very Sick Boy. y So q;