El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-06-26
Islands War on Disease
Philippine bureau of Agriculture Is
Successful in ImprOv-
ing Crops.
-BT Frede erie j. HngkIn--

WASHINGTON. D. c., June 20
/ M One of the most important


/ Nv One of the most important
agencies of the Philippine
government is the bureau of agricUI-
ture, which was created in 1901. The
scope Of the bureau includes the cOuec-
ton and dissemination of useful infOr-
nation on the agricultural resources Of
the islands, the Improvement OF meth
DDS OF cultivation and the practicable
" OF introducing new and val uaDle
agricultural products; the introduction
OF new dOmesucated animals now found
IN the Islands, particularly the reduc-
tIoh OF the diseases OF livestock and
IN general the promotion and the de-
Velopment OF the agricultural resources
OF the archipelago.
Demonstration Farms.
Inc FIRST director or agriculture was
l.. LamsOn- SCribner VINO served Tor
NO years. his successor was Wayne
T. eIDOrn, who, after -FOUR years, was
succeeded by George G. NesOm, TO whom
the great success Of the bureau is due
Ii NeSOm served seven years as as
. SlSJdnt director and director of the bu-
reau OF agriculture, resigning TO so in
LHe sugar business The present dl-
rector OF agriculture is Frederic W
taylor d noted hOrt1culturist OF Ne
braska-
One way by which the bureau hopes
70 get great practical results is through
the eSta bllshmcnt of small demOustra-
LOn farms In different provinces, in the
equipment and management OF which
operate They viii be established as
the funds become available until final
~ there VIII be one in each OF the 81
provinces
stock farms are maintained at Ala
bans, few miles from Manila, at
Trinidad, in tie Bensuet fslanus. and La
~ 1[lo i---- az the Ilagan tobacco station
Inc bureau IS trying to improve the
native breeds of cattle, horses and
swine Good results have been had
from the Chinese animals and their
sos a H=Tn srgHs.
uraI range grasses They also have
been successful with indian cattle
Public livestock breeding and livestock
exhibits have been a feature Of the
Campaign Against Diseases.
Inc bureau has been up against many
stunning propositions such as animal
diseases. drOuths and pests, but the
greatest Of these has been animal dis
eases, such as riEderpes1 and surra.
hlnderpest has ragged in the islands for
nearly 200 years Statistics from Span
Ism times are Incomplete, but il is
known that the inrOads made by this
disease among the carabaU, which is the
only work animal OF the Philippines,
were terrible, and a fight OF 10 years
by the bureau OF agriculture has not
wholly succeeded in stamping il out
Rluderpest is an internal disease, the
exact cause of which never has been
discovered. 1T affects cattle not only
IN the Philippines but also in India.
Egypt and South Africa The Philip
pine government spent thousands and
tho uSanuS OF dollars Tor several years
in NEGOTIATIONS. an expensive serum
laboratory was built and the bureau Of
science was provided with increased
facilities for the manufacture Of serum.
Ihls policy began In 1903 and was
abandoned In 1912 when wholesale
quarantine was tried In 1910 over 5000
animals died OF rlnderpesu and 63 900
inocula1ons OF rinderpest serum were
made. The quarantine system which
is now used has been very trying and
fruitful of great hostility on the part
OF the people In 1911 IL was ueCes-
sary to call on the army FOR assistance
and at one time Philippine scouts were
on duty However, the difficulty re-
mains mat as soon as the strict quar-
anline IS WlthdraWn, single affected
animal may enter the entire district
making II necessary TO do the work all
over again
Lose 10000 Animals Yearly.
In 1911 contagious pIeurO-pneumo-
MA was discovered in cattle imported
from northern Australia. These ami
mails were imported for meat purposes
and IL appears that the disease has not
been permanently introduced in the
islands All Importation of cattle from
northern Australia was stopped and
through the modification Of the order
they are now slaug htered at Sisiman.
several miles from Manila, out in the
bay The bureau had 10 face and solve
ms ms proDIeIn- II is sale to say that the
Islands lose annually 10,O1O animals.
mostly carabaOs, through rinderpest
surra, foot and mouth disease. CLAN
ders and ANTHRAX This veterinary di-
vision consists of one Filipino and 40
American veterinarians "a American
livestock experts, 223 Filipino livestock
inspectors and a Few other specialists.
Increase Forage Crops.
The division OF agrOnOmy is conduct
ING experiments OF great practical value
under the direction of G. NJ Conner.
/ hOrtlculturist Of South Carolina For
instance, In the matter Of forage alone
results have been obtained which will
save the islands thousands Of dollars
every year The bureau secured the
services Of professor G. v. Piper, of the
United states department OF agriCul-
Jure- He worked in the islands many
months, visiting many provinces, and
Introducing number of new forage
plants, His Investigations and those
made by local aEronomists showed that
satisfactory hay could be brown in the
Islands at a cost that viii enable the
producer to market il for lower price
than that paid Tor the imported article
crops were raised by irrigation at the
+ ia bang stock farm TO such good ad-
vantage that the government expects
within few years TO raise all its own
forage and thus save large sum to
/ the Filipino taxpayers every year. In
IacI, the time seems not too far dis
consumer OF imported forage, viii be
able to supply its daily feeding wholly
J with hay raised ia the Philippines
Experiment With Corn Meal.
Recent experiments with a substitute
! for imported grain have also been con-
I Quoted at the Pandacan forage factory
Experiments with corn meal are also
Z being made, so that in time the farmers
Of the islands. with this valuable as
slStance Of the bureau. Will produce a
large part of the food which is an
I nually consumed in the islands. Elk
I tensiye experiments with imported
sugar canes are being made. The quail
1ty of Philippine sugar is fairly salts
factory, but milling operations are still
so crude that very low grade sugar is
pT Oduced, consequently the bureau is
doing all it can to develop the local
cane and to encourage the Importation
I and use of modern sugar machinery as
well as combating the pests which at
! tack the cane
Improve Grade Of Fiber.
For many years the bureau has been
doing great work in regard to fibrous
| products. such as hemp and maguey.
Hemp, perhaps the greatest product OF
\ the Islands and one possible OF ire
I mendOus development has been studied
I with great care since 1903. Because
of defective methods of cleaning and
preparing for market the bulk OF the
ftbrOus products is below standard
I grade. The work of persuadinE grow
ers to produce a better quality has been
quite discOuTaginE. In many sections
they claim that they are at the mercy
Of the local buyer and so far as prices
are concerned p ma iSns little difference