Washington State journal and Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1906-1907, 1907-02-20
AeAcA NEEDS GOOD SOIL.
Valuable Fiber Plant Which Flour
fishes In PEtIippines

Valuable Fiber Plant Which Flour
fishes In PHILIPPINES.
The Philippine Islands have ut pres
ent monopoly Of the production ol
abaca, more commonly known us Ma
Mia hemp, which Is In many particuL
lars the best vegetable fiber known
to commerce, says the Manila Bulletin,
The provinces which produce this val.
liable commodity in considerable quan-
tity are the most prosperous provinces
In the islands. Unfortunately. however.
the cultivation Of abacn cannot be n
definitely extended. The plant need
for Its satisfactory development a rich
and well-drained soil and a heavy rain
fall. quite uniformly distributes
throughout the year.
In many of the provinces these CON
ditions do not exist, while in othera
like Mindoro and Palawan. where sod
and climate are ideal, scarcity Of ~
Dor renders the production of abacs
upon large scale impracticable.
Furthermore, abaca plants are serio-
ously damaged, or even killed, by long
continued drought and nre likely to %
uprooted during severe typhoona Tbs
Inhabitants Of Albay, Sorsogen and
Northern Samar were brought to dire
straits by the great typhoon Of Sept.
20, 1905, while most of the hemp grow.
Ing provinces have suffered seriously
within the past two or three Year,
from drought.
AS conditions now stand many
abaca growing provinces have practical
~ no other resources than those derived
from this valuable plant, 80 that II
the abaca crop during any year Ia Q
failure laborers are left without work
and small growers find themselves In
financial difficulty.
The fact Is gradually dawning upoD
the Inhabitants Of the Philippine 10.
lands that the conditions above out
lined may, to a large extent, be rem
edied by the cultivation Of maguey.
This valuable plant. from different Va
rieties Of which are derived CONNER
cial fbers varlOuS.y Known as Miguey.
hannequln and sisaI, is native of des-
ert regions. and when once established
Is not injured by the severest droughts
ever experienced in the Philippine ID
lands the only effect of such long cor
unued periods of dry weather as 90
cur here being to Increase the per-
centage Of fiber which the leaves COD
tain.
Maguey has further advantage over
abaca In that 1t cannot be blown down
or uprOoted by violent winds. It has
no known insect enemies of Importance
In very exceptional Instances plants
may be observed with some Of their
leaves perforated by the grert beetle
which so often attacks the trunks and
leaves of growing cOcoanut trees, but
the plants are 40 rarely attacked By
this insect that the damage caused u
Of Insignificant Importance.
Another great advantage Incident 10
maguey culture Is that It may be grown
upon soil so sandy and poor that 70
Is absolutely worthless for the produo-
tlon Of any other known valuable crop
The plants grow well even In assures
In bare limestone rock, and the ideal
maguey soil Is a light loan composed
Of leaf mold and decomposed limestone
II fragments Of undecomposesl lime
stone are present In abundance, -
much the better. have seen splendid
ly developed maguey plants growing n
pure beach sand on the coasts of Mis-
dor0 and Tablas.
The cultivation Of the soil before
planting II with maguey IL not necss-
sary. 1t suflices to clear away the
brush and grass with the bolo. and aft
er planting to repeat this operates
two or three times a year.