ABACA (MANILA HEMP) — EDWARDS 343 



nurseries at Flat Rock. These plants soon began to sucker freely, 

 the nurseries became crowded, and a small field planting was made. 



REMOVAL TO THE MAINLAND 



In May 1926, about 8 months after the abaca was planted at the 

 quarantine station on Columbus Island, all the plants remaining in the 

 nurseries were removed to the mainland and a planting of approxi- 

 mately 1 acre was made on Farm Nine of the Almirante Division of 

 the United Fruit Co. From the progeny of the plants grown on this 

 1 acre nearly 29,000 acres of abaca have since been planted in four 

 countries of Central America. 



By 1926 it was thus considered that abaca was at least temporarily 

 established in Tropical America, and a planting of even 1 acre made 

 possible the study of some of the problems relating to this plant and 

 fiber. It was necessary to determine the degree of suitability of the 

 climatic and soil conditions of this region for abaca, the resistance of 

 this plant to diseases and insect pests, the relative value of the different 

 varieties, the systems of planting and cultivation that might be used, 

 and the quality of the fiber that might be produced. It was hoped that 

 by selection and breeding, new and improved varieties of abaca might 

 be produced. J. H. Permar, a plant breeder in the service of the United 

 Fruit Co., who had received the abaca plants on the day of their arrival 

 at Bocas del Toro, and who had nursed them through the critical period 

 on Columbus Island, continued in charge of this work. For a period 

 of about 15 years and until large commercial projects were developed, 

 Mr. Permar directed the abaca work in Panama. Had it not been for 

 his unbounded faith in abaca as a crop for Tropical America, together 

 with his intelligent and persistent effort, it is very doubtful if this 

 work would have been continued. 



THE PANAMA PLANTINGS SHOW DEFINITE PROMISE 



Within a year after the planting was made at Farm Nine, it became 

 clearly evident that the climatic and soil conditions of this region are 

 exceptionally favorable for abaca. The plants at Farm Nine, although 

 they had not yet reached the flowering stage, were larger and more 

 luxuriant in their growth than plants of the same age and variety 

 grown under the most favorable conditions in the Philippine Islands. 

 In the earlier stages of this development disease hazards gave promise 

 of being very serious. Many of the young plants became infected with 

 the "Panama" disease which, under similar conditions, would have 

 completely destroyed the closely related banana plants. Fortunately, 

 however, abaca proved to be highly resistant to this disease, which prac- 

 tically disappeared as the abaca became adjusted to its new environ- 



