Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-06-12
Dr. Eaaard.s Isiisr. :

way, III lnS "FF-o; 800 FSndPo
the most stupendous task ever &C.
complished by thoroughly savage
race, is to be found in the marvellous
rice terraces in the mountains of cen.
nal aud northern Luzon' island. Here
the igorrotes have built terraces Oh
the growing of rice, like giant steps
up the steep mountain sides Of can.
yons to height Of three thousand f.
or more. These: terraces, each q
which is flooded with water at certain
seasons of the year, are wonderful
feats of engineering; sometimes they
follow the contour of canyons for
half annie without varying 2 inches
from dead level. The Summit OF
retaining wall of each terrace is
so arranged as to be about Is inches
above wafer level and at lines Of
flooding, it is found that this condi
ton is invaribly complied with.
The Igorrotes are the most remark
able of all the pagan. races of the
Philippines. Perhaps no people,
either savage o civilized, have ever
further developed the art Of extensive
cult, alton Of the soil. None, so far
as now known, have ever progressed
as far in methods Of irrigation as
many Of the Igorrote communities.
In these regions the Igorrotes run
the streamlets which have been de-
Aected for irrigation, through a mass
of manure, .decaying vegetable loan,
ashes, black alluvial soil, and then
conduct it to their rice paddles, as
the tops of the rice terraces are called
They thus fertilize and irrigate the
land in one operation, since the water
thus enriched, carries with itself the
fertilizing elements, and by force. of
gravity distributes them'evenly where
ever it comes in contact with the soil
This is decided advance over meth
DDS in use in many Of the civilized
countries, where the fertilizer is first
'laborously distributed over the sol
and then most Of it washed away
when the irrigating water is turned
on.
In some places the 1gorrotes have
circled mountains a thousand feet OF
more In height with unsuccessive ter.
races, each terrace going completely
around the mountain, Often, too,
these terraces are not built up from
the soil but are carved out Of solid
rock on which the soil is afterwarc
placed. the terraces are an iaSpir
ing sight. Viewed in connection witt
the most primitive condition Of the
people, there is nothing like them. If
the world The pyramid of Cheops
or the tallest sky scraper of New Yorl
would appear insignificant besid,
these clear cut, Herculean achieve
ments of the simple ancestor worship
ing Igorrotes. Some may compare
the terraces of the lgorrotes with thl
terraces Of Japan. but in neither size
perfection of workmanship, nor the
overcoming of obstacles can the .worl
in Japan compare with these. In Jaw
and also parts Of Central Americ;
there are terraces for cultivation, bu
but in.neither instance do they com
pare with those in the PHILIPPINES.
. The men who built these terraces
. the head hunting Igorrotes, were
probably weak and timid race whe'
driven to the mountains by the sea
going Malay races OF centuries ago,
but today they are strong, a physi'
allydeveloped people, and though kin
hearted and pleasant. to foreigner:
they are fierce in their wars upon ajat
emf tribes. The villages of thes
Igolrotes are surrounded by the ter
races, and the yield is so abundar
: that in case:of siege the villagers ar
.plentifully provisloned from the rice
The wonderful advance made b
these Igorrotes indicates that it
within the power Of the Malays I
make. great industrial advances. II
Z. Igorrotes are much more advance