Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-02-02
ABAcA NEEDS GOOD SOIL.
Valuable Fiber Plant Which Flour
ishes in Philippines.


fishes in Philippines.
The Philippine islands have at pres
ent monopoly of the production OF
abaca, more commonly known as Ma
Mia hemp, which is in many particu-
lars the best vegetable fiber known
to commerce, says the Manila Bulletin.
The provinces which produce this val
liable commodity in considerable guam
tity are the most prosperous provinces
In the islands. Unfortunately, however,
the cultivation Of abaca cannot be in
definitely extended. The plant needs
for its satisfactory development rich
and well-drained soil and a heavy rain
fall, quite uniformly distributed
throughout the year.
In many Of the provinces these con-
ditions do not exist, while in others,
like AIindorO and Palawan, where soil
and climate are ideal, scarcity of la
Dor renders the production Of abaca
upon a large scale impracticable.
Furthermore, abaca plants are serio-
Ously damaged, or even killed, by long
uprooted during severe typhoons. The
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 years
from drought.
AS conditions now stand many
abaca-grOwing provinces have practical
ly no other resources than those derived
from this valuable plant, so that if
the abaca crop during any year is
failure laborers are left without work
and small growers find themselves in
financial difficulty.
The fact is gradually dawning upon
the inhabitants of the Philippine is
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 fibers variously known as maguey,
hannequin and sisal, is native Of des-
ert regions, and when once established
is not injured by the severest droughts
ever experienced in the Philippine is
lands, the only effect of such lOng-con-
tinued periods of dry weather as oc-
centage of fiber which the leaves con-
tain.
Maguey has a further advantage over
abaca in that it cannot be blown down
or uprooted by violent winds. 1t has
no known insect enemies of Importance.
In very exceptional instances plants
may be observed with some of their
leaves perforated by the great beetle
which so often attacks the trunks and
leaves of growing cocoanut trees, but
the plants are SO rarely attacked by
this insect that the damage caused is
of insignificant Importance.
Another great advantage incident to
maguey culture is that it may be grown
upon soil so sandy and poor that it
is absolutely worthless for the produc-
ton 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.
If fragments of undecomposed lime
stone are present in abundance, so
much the better 1 have seen splendid
ly developed maguey plants growing in
pure beach sand on the coasts of Min
dOro and Tablas.
The cultivation Of the soil before
planting it with maguey is not neces-
sary. It suffices to clear away the
brush and grass with the bOlO, and aft
er planting to repeat this operation
two or three times q wear