EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. XIV. Mauvii, lito;;. No. 7. 



'riic tii-st report of the tmn'tiu of agriculture of the Pliilii)pine 

 Islands, In' Prof. F. Lamson-Scribner, has just been published as a 

 part of the report of the United States Philippine Conmiission. 

 Altlioug-h it represents only live or six months' service in the islands, 

 it shows that good progress has been made in organizing the new 

 l)ureau. laying out its work, and getting into contact with the more 

 enlightened class of its constituents. Besides the chief of the l)ureau, 

 the staff includes a botanist and assistant agrostologist; experts in 

 soils, tropical agriculture, plant culture and lu'eeding, and farm man- 

 agement; a superintendent of the San Ramon farm, a chief clerk, 

 a translator, an artist, and clerical assistants. A fiber expert was 

 ap])ointed and served for a time, but has since resigned, and an expert 

 in animal industry is contemplated. 



The experiment stations and farms established or projected under 

 the Spanish Government have been visited by representatives of the 

 bureau, to determine their condition and suital)ility for experimental 

 work. '"In general it was found that ])uildings, where any had ever 

 existed, had been destroyed or had greatly deteriorated, and that farm 

 machinery, tools, etc., had been stolen or scattered or had become 

 useless through neglect. In some instances tracts of land selected by 

 the Spanish Govermnent were found to be well suited for the purposes 

 for which they were intended, while in other cases they were so badly 

 situated as to suggest the advisability of their final abandonment." 



Work has been carried on during the season at one of these farms 

 located at San Ramon, in the district of Zam])oanga, island of Min- 

 danao. The cocoanut groves and abaca fields, as well as the farm 

 generally, were found in a deplorable condition, due to the long 

 period of neglect. The cultivated area has been put in excellent con- 

 dition. There are now nearly nine thousand cocoanut trees on the 

 place, some six hundred of which are in bearing, and thirty thousand 

 plants of Manila hemp were set out during the season. The farm has 

 over a thousand cacao trees, but these were stu!ig during the season 

 by an insect whit-h destroys the beans. Although at present rather 

 isolated, it is thought that the San Ramon farm offers unusually good 

 opportunities for demonstrating the income-producing power of the 

 lands of the islands by the growth of staple crops. 



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