The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-12-30

Hawaiian sisaI in the Philippines is
reported by Dean C. Worcester of the
Philippines Commission to be one of
the best qualities experimental with
He pays a high tribute to the local
variety in the anniversary number of
the Manila Daily Bulletin, as follows:
lowing to the extreme dryness of the
regions in which maguey has been
planted in the Hawaiian Islands
suckers are produced there in num-
bers greatly, in excess of the local de-
mand, so that they have to be dug up
and thrown in piles in order to get
rid of them and to give the parent
plant an opportunity to develop. Even
then they refuse to die and they may
be purchased at $3.50 gold per thou
sand. Suckers imported from Homo
lulu by the Bureau of Agriculture
arrived in perfect condition and have
since made good. growth.
There is, however, no necessity for
going to the Hawaiian Islands for
seed as maguey probably brought
into these islands from Mexico may be
found growing practically wild in al
most every province IN the archipel-
ago. 1t is especially abundant in Ilocos
Norte and Ilocos Sur, La Union, Zam-
bales, Mindoro, Capiz and Cebu.
1.-The variety Of maguey grown in
Hawaii has been improved by cuitiva-
along the edges of the leaves, which
are natural to maguey plants, nave
been almost completely eliminated. This
saves trouble, as these thorns not only
tear The hands of workmen when the
leaves are harvested, but injure fiber
extracting machines, and must there
fore be trimmed OFF, The percentage
of fiber in maguey leaves grown in the
Hawaiian Islands is, furthermore.
greater than is that in the leaves OF
Philippine maguey, but, on the other
hand. the number of tons of leaves
per acre produced in the Philippines
is greatly in excess of that produced in
Hawaii, and the individual leaves are
longer and, as a natural consequence,
produce fiber of greater length. 1t is
probable that the Hawaiian variety
when grown here will, under the IN
fiuence of our better climatic cond1-
lions. produce longer leaves than are
developed in the Hawaiian Islands.
A. +. Judd, the representative of the
Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association,
who spent several months in the Phil
ippines investigating sources of future
labor for Hawaiian cane fields, and
who recently returned to Honolulu,
was impressed by the success OF Ha-
waiian sisal in the archipelago. He is
also of the belief that several varieties
of fruits grown in the Philippines can
be grown in the Hawaiian Islands.
Among these are the following:
The marautong, of the bean family.
which occurs more abundantly In the
tropical East than any other.
This, though producing much
broader and longer pod, takes the place
Of the SNAP" bush or string bean
as known in various parts of the Unit
ed States The pods are fit for use IN
from nine to ten weeks from date OF
planting and, though producing a fewer
number of fruits, in actual weight the
yield exceeds-that of any OF the DO
nestle varieties.
Cooked when quite young, though OF
large size, they are strinsless, remark
ably tender and OF better HaVor lhah
any known exotic variety.
The candol, a citron melon used for
making a syrupy preserve. Its pest
use, however, is as a glace fruit. Inc
melon is cut into longitudinal strips
one half-inch or less in thickness.
These strips are stepped over night IN
strong lime water, and the next day
boiled In rich sugar syrup until tender.
The pieces are then sun-dried upon thin
bamboo Stats, after which they may De
packed away in jars or Crooks for
long time. When properly prepared,
"candor' is hardly surpassed by the
finest imported glace fruits.
In common with nearly all Philippine
native cucurbits, the vigor and produc-
tivity Of this plant is greatly enhanced
IL enabled to climb over a trelsis or
other support.
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