The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-08-10

abaca plant. which closely resembles the
banana tree. Tt grows wild in the Phil
lppines. and although attempts have been
mace 70 cultivate It In the West Indies
and other tropical islands. no success has
been met with. This natural monopoly
Is certain TO continue to be a source OF
wealth, and railroads now being projected
INTO the hemp growing sections VIII slim
ulate the industry. Because OF its hard
ness, as compared to other vaTities, Man
Ia hemp is In demand as binder tWine,
as wen as for cables in oil wells.
Hemp growing, II the planter lives on
MS plantation. entails Tesidence in the
warmest climate in the islands. The plant
tlourishes in a humid and hot atmOs-
phere- The old fashioned method was &c
devote little cultivation 10 hemp growing
and in the slipshOd Spanish days many
families owning large holdings drew good
incomes from hemp lands where rival
Vegetation and hungry wild hogs Gid what
they could TO destroy the crop. II IS
pointed out by the insular bureau OF ag-
riculture that. like other crops, hemp
should be planted IN prepared soil. fenced
ana given attention. A few years ago eN-
pert agriculturists employed by the gov
eminent made estimates as to net re
turns from hemp plantations, hut the re-
cent slump knocked out all calculations
Tor the present, Philippine hemp IS US
ually cut with the bOlO. which is at once
the native chief implement of industry
and instrument Of war
Sugar is the second crop IN the Phil
lpplnes. Enough sugar is produced m
the Islands TO meet the home demand, but
lack OF refineries. A ar's exnorts of
unrefined sugar have run 20 s5,f09,OGO
There Is no centrifugal sugar making IN
the Islands. The cooking is done by the
crude product is nut INTO hays made Of
cane stalks and exported chiefly to Hong
kong. The Philippines were made a
sugar country by the Crimean war. as
Of the blockade incident TO the Civil war.
The price Of sugar during the Crimean
war suggested the possibility Of its being
grown profitably in the Philippines
In Hawaii a sugar mil eats cane
at the rate Of thirty truck loads a min
ute. and so brushes it that IL is imme-
diat-ly usabl2 a fuel In the Philippines
cane is led into thu old fashioned NIL
by hand. one stalk at a time, while a
cara haO SaUnters leisurelF along hitched
TO the end Of pole that causes the roll ers
to revOlve.- With the American demand
for sugar inCr asiuE at the rate Of 2O0.-
600 tons year tin Philippines viii have
an opportunity. when modern methods
Of production are introduced TO help sup
ply this market. But tha present archaic
mills, the absence of refineries. and tn .
impoverished condition of the owners Of
the old sugar estates. prevents the Islands
from figuring prominently as sugar pro-
ducers at present.
In Manila good cigars made from Phil
ippine tobacco may be bought for the
equivalent of three cents IN United States
currency. Tobacco growing has been one
Of the major industries of the Islands
since COTtez invaded Mexico. In the six
tenth Gentry tobacco from the Philip
pines was introduced into China. Wher1
It became so popular and over indulgence
so common. that the Chinese throne for
bade its sale upon penalty OF death. I'm
like other features of the industrial de-
velopment Of the Philippines, the Manila
equipment. From Isl until 1882 tobacco
was government monopoly, from which
Spain enjoyed a large revenue.
During the last year Of the monopoly
the government sold tobacco in Manila
at SIP. Mexican, per 100 pounds. the
Mexican dollar then being worth about
ninety-five cents gold In other words
tobacco sold at wholesale in the country
that produced il for more than 81 a
pound. The land was considered the
property Of the state, and any native who
wished to farm 1t was compelled to raise
a certain amount OF tobacco and deliver
crown. He was not allowed to reserve
any of his tobacco for his personal use,
and his house at all times was open to
search. Now and then an Infatuated
farmer boloed a Gardiner who insulted
his wife or daughter under the pretense
of searching her for concealed tobacco.
The farmer was usually EarrOted.
After selecting the best leaves the gov
eminent burned all that did not come up
10 requirements. To gauge the hardship
put upon the farmers by burning the
tobacco for which the government did
rot wish to pay the stipulated price, 1t is
only necessary to reflect that toNacco is
so much necessity TO FilipinOs that the
prisoners in Bilibd. both men and women,
are now allowed a certain number OF
cigarettes a day at government expense.
1t is estimated by the Philippine COM
mission that the islands now produce
sufficient amount of tobacco TO supply
the natural increase in the American mar
ket Under improved conditions this crop
might be materially expanded. although
good tobacco land. like that for growing
Temp and sugar is limited.
Tomorrow-America in the Philippines.