(i84 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



l)uiiiio- the year seven farmers' bulletins and four regular bulletins 

 were issued, mostly in both Eng-lisli and Spanish. The editions of these 

 varied from '2,(nj{) to '6^oih}, and it is noted tliat the first editions of 

 several of the farmers' bulletins have been exhausted, necessitating 

 rei)rints. On the IkisIs of replies to a circvdar of incjuiry sent out ])y 

 the bureau regarding- the agi'icultural products of the islands, an 

 annotated list of the principal agricultural plants and products, exclusive 

 of til)ers, has ])een i)rei)ared for pu))li('ation. Information has also l)een 

 gathered regarding the cost of land, conditions of labor, the cost of 

 establishing and maintaining plantations of abaca, cocoanut, tobacco, 

 and other leading crops, as many inquiries came to the bureau from 

 prospective planters. This gives an interesting insight into the pre- 

 vailing conditions and methods, and should prove very useful. 



Nearly 22,000 packages of assorted seeds have been distributed, 

 reaching almost every province in the archipelago. These have 

 included 137 varieties of American-grown field and garden seeds, and 

 it is pointed out that the requests have come very largel}' from native 

 farmers. It has been clearly demonstrated that many garden vege- 

 tables of American origin may be grown to perfection in the islands. 

 A number of native fruits and vegetables are thought to be very 

 promising and worthy of experiment to determine the cost of culture, 

 possibility of improvement by selection, etc. 



A variet}' of the most modern agricultural implements and farm 

 machinery have been introduced by the bureau and put in use. It is 

 interesting to learn that the natives take readily to these and soon get 

 to use them skillfull3^ Native teamsters emploj^ed on the experimental 

 grounds have learned to operate disk and sulky plows, cultivators, 

 and similar implements very satisfactoril}. A machine for thi'ashing 

 rice which the bureau imported for use on its rice farm has attracted 

 much attention, and there has been considerable demand for its serv- 

 ices from native rice growers, who were willing to pa}' a good toll for 

 having their rice thrashed out b}' machiner}^, in preference to hand 

 labor, which otherwise prevails. 



The experiment stations and farms in the Philippines are spread 

 over a wide area of country, and embrace a diversit}^ of agricultural 

 interests. The experiment stations proper include those at Malate, 

 just out of Manila; at Batangas, in Batangas Province; at Trinidad, 

 in Benguet Province; and at La Carlota, in Western Negros, where 

 an agricultural college has also been located. The farms include the 

 government farm at San Ramon, in Zamboanga; a rice farm at Alurcia, 

 Tarlac Province; and a live stock farm on the Island of Culion. The 

 farms at La Carlota and San Ramon were inherited from the Spanish 

 regime, and were in a generally dilapidated condition when the bureau 

 took hold of them. The San Ramon farm is only T degrees removed 



