The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1908-06-11
FARMING IN THE PHILIPPINE
ISLANDS.

Aessrs. Editors: The Agriculture
CT the islands would naturally In
terest your readers more than any
other subject, so / will confne my
sci! TO that subject this time.
The main crops grown here are
rice and sugar cane. Hemp IL
grown to q large extent on some of
the islands. Cocoanuts are found
In some sections.
PIows and PIew Teams.
The methods used are very crude:
or at least they seem 80 to one lust
from the States. Their plows are
made Of crooked stick with an Iron
point. and has only on handle.
This plow does not turn the soil, II
only stirs 1t; hence grass and weeds
on the land must be burned before
blowing. You can see what this
practice will lead to. The motive
power ia the carabao and indian
bull. Both are slow, and tbs cara
boa can work only three or four
hours per day on account Of the fact
that he has a thick skin and few
sweat glands. like a hog. 30 that
when he gets hot he must get TO the
water. 1t is no uncommon sight to
see a herd in the river with just
their heads out of the water. The
bulls are some better. but they cost
more.
Farming Set TO Music.
Rinderpest has killed most of the
animals in the islands, and work
stock that sold at one time for S12
In gold now bring $50 and SIS. &c
that many poor Toms" as the ma
tive Is called, cannot affort one
The poor tom" Is forced to raise
his rice by going into the woods and
cutting down the timber and under.
brush to form a clearing, and this IL
burned at the end of the dry season
Rice Is then put in by taking a sharp
stick and punching holes in the
ground in which grains of rice are
dropped by women and children
who follow the men. In order tc
keep the work going a man walks
along picking guitar or mandolin
and they all keep time with the mu
sic. The musician has a man to &C
along and hold an umbrella over
him. He Is a very important per.
son. This method is followed where
any large gang of people work
! They sometimes have a band in
81 - A.
mon.
l have frequently asked why they
aid not use planters. The reply i:
that hand labor is so cheap that i
will not pay.
Taking Life Easy.
The native works very little aftel
the rice Is planted until the harvest
| After the harvest they have {
''fiasta," native word for frolic
Then he works no more until tn,
rice Is gone, except to get few
cents to bet on his chicken at cock
pit, which he attends every Sunday
Where the rice Is grown under irri
| CATION, the rice is sown In a seed
bed and transplanted by hand. Thi
transplanting is done by music a
mentioned before. This method i
more satisfactory and cheaper thai
by using drills, etc.
How Sugar Cane is Grown.
| Sugar cane is planted about tn
same as in the States. except that i
is planted thicker because tall cam
blows down. 1 noticed that the,
soak the seed cane in water for SOM
days before planting in order t.
sprout it and get some of the suga
tout. If this is not done the ant
destroy it. The seed cane is also s.
planted that one end sticks out o
the ground. The cultivation AM
harvesting is very much like tn
methods followed in South Georgi
and Florida.
We have tried steam blowing, blu
unless we keep Americans in charg
of the work it Is not success. Dis
cultivators and disc plows have beel
used some, but the native does no
know how to hitch up two caraba
together, and as labor is SO chea
they prefer to work one animal an
one plow. Iron plows rust out in