22 



FARMERS BULLETIN. 



row in order that a good stand may be obtained and that seeds which 

 are not permitted to grow may act as a fertilizer for the young plants. 

 When the plants are well up they are thinned to 15 to 18 inches apart in 

 the row. During the growth of the plants such cultivation is given as 

 will keep down the weeds and grass and keep the soil in good tilth. 



The bolls do not all ripen at the same time, thus necessitating several 

 pickings before the crop is harvested. The picking must be done by hand, 

 as no machine has yet been devised which will gather the fiber free from 

 the leaves and bolls. 



USES AND YIELD. 



The uses of cotton are numerous. Indeed, it is more extensively used 

 than any other fiber. It is most extensively used for cloth, thread, ropes, 

 pillows, and cushions. In Ilocos blankets are made which, though not 

 of the finest finish, are very durable. Most of the cotton of the Philip- 

 pines, however, is used for weaving into coarse cloth for shirts and panta- 

 loons. The entire cotton plant is useful. Aside from the lint, the seeds 

 are valuable for the oil they contain, and they are very valuable for cattle 

 feed and as a soil fertilizer, being rich in nitrogen. A valuable fiber is 

 produced in the bark of the plant which will be useful when a machine can 

 be made to extract it. The roots contain medicinal properties. 



The proportion of cotton gr i in the Philippines to that consumed is 

 very small. As none is exported it is difficult to know the exact produc- 

 tion, but it is safe to say that not more than 100 tons has ever been pro- 

 duced in a single year. The importations for the twelve months ending 

 June 30, 1900, and for the twelve months ending June 30, 1901, are 

 shown in the following table : 



This does not include many of the finer weavings, laces, carpets and 

 the like. 



The Philippines offer many advantages for cotton raising. It may be 

 that in many localities there is not enough sunshine for that part of the 

 rainy season during which the cotton is growing, but the labor conditions, 

 the good soil, and the demand for the fiber and its products are strong 

 arguments for a more extensive industry. 



RAMIE. 



Two plants, Boehmeria nivea and B. tenaeissima, belonging to the 

 family Urticacece, produce fibers which, in commerce, are recognized in- 

 discriminately by the names China grass and ramie or rhea. It has been 

 proposed by Dr. Morris, cf the Kew Gardens, that the name ramie refers \ 



