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archipelago, and to laboratory work and assays on such material as could be obtained. The work performed has been large in amount, and it has been well done.

AGRICULTURE.

The Philippine Islands are fundamentally an agricultural country. So much has already been said, and said truly, as to the great productivity c the soil and the diversity of climate within the archipelago that this subject may here be passed over. The methods of cultivation at present employed are of the crudest. Modern agricultural implements are practically unknown. Artificial fertilization of the soil is almost unheard of, and, as a rule, land is not deemed worth cultivation unless it will continue to produce crops indefinitely without enrichment. On the recent trip of the commission up the Cagayan Valley in Luzon inquiry was made as to what percentage of the tobacco lands of that region were under cultivation, and we were informed that practically all the good lands were cultivated. We inquired what constituted good tobacco lands, and were told that those lands overflowed annually by the river were considered good, because they were thus annually fertilized and never became exhausted. Upon asking as to the lands not annually overflowed, we were informed that they were not considered valuable, as they would only produce tobacco for about twelve years without enrichment. There can be no reasonable doubt that judicious use of fertilizers on ground which grows sugar cane and other valuable products would be far more than repaid by increased

crops.

There is a wide field for the introduction of new fruits, fodder grasses, grains, rubber and gutta producing trees. Grapes, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, figs, and walnuts have already been planted in Benguet, and are growing well. Tea has also been introduced with encouraging results.

The loss of a large percentage of the draft animals by rinderpest in many of the provinces, the ravages of vast flocks of locusts, which have multiplied unchecked since 1896, and the disturbed condition of the country within the same period, which has in many instances prevented the tilling of the soil and allowed a rank growth of tropical vegetation to overrun extensive areas of land formerly cultivated, have combined to throw a heavy burden on the agriculturists of these islands. In many provinces they are struggling under it manfully, and all possible help should be given to them.

Much of the agricultural land of the Philippines is admirably adapted to cultivation by steam plows and harrows. The water buffalo, which has suffered most heavily from rinderpest, has always been at best a slow and unsatisfactory draft animal. The American mule, on the other hand, thrives here. It is believed by the Filipinos that mules P C 1901-PT 1——4

would be unable to work in soggy or flooded lands at the beginning of the rainy season, which is the time when plowing is at present usually done, and they are equally confident that the sun-baked earth is too hard, before the oncoming of the rains, to be plowed even by mules. In any event, active steps must be taken looking either to restocking of the islands with water buffaloes or to their substitution by some more satisfactory draft animal.

Burros might be bred here at a handsome profit for use as pack animals in the mountains. There are thousands of square miles of the finest grazing lands in the archipelago, and beef cattle better than the Indian humped cattle now found in the islands might profitably be introduced.

A bureau of agriculture to conduct investigations and disseminate useful information with reference to the agricultural resources of the islands, the methods of cultivation at present in vogue and the possibility of their improvement, the practicability of introducing new and valuable agricultural products, the best methods of combating the diseases of domesticated animals and of plants useful to man, the introduction of new domesticated animals and the improvement of the breeds now found in the islands, and, in general, to promote the development of the agricultural resources of the archipelago is an urgent necessity, and the creation of such a bureau has been provided for in act No. 261.

FISHERIES.

Marine and fresh-water fisheries afford a very important source of food supply for these islands. The only legislation thus far enacted with reference to fisheries is contained in the municipal code, and authorizes municipalities to levy taxes upon the privilege of fisheries within their respective jurisdictions.

WEATHER BUREAU.

The maintenance of an adequate weather service and the issuing of daily storm warnings is of unique importance in the Philippine Islands because of their position with reference to what may be called the "breeding ground" of typhoons. The large majority of these destructive storms have their point of origin to the east or southeast of this archipelago, and the signs which unfailingly forecast their approach are to be noted here much sooner than at any other point, so that warnings can be sent to threatened portions of the Philippines, or of the Chinese, Formosan, or Japanese coasts, in time to allow the taking of suitable precautions. The Manila Observatory, with a few outlying stations, rendered the Spanish Government efficient service up to the time of the capture of Manila by the American forces. The official support previously furnished it by the Spanish Government was continued by the United States military government.

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PART OF THE IGORROTE TOWN OF KABAYAN, BENGUET; HOUSES SURROUNDED BY COFFEE BUSHES.

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