THE IRRIGATION AGE 187 



In some places the native farmers were irrigating by means of 

 deep sunken wells, but this is a tedious work as the water has to be 

 elevated about 100 feet from below the surface. The ground becomes 

 very hard and dry in the course of two or three months sunning with- 

 out moisture, and the little water which the natives are able to apply 

 counts for hardly nothing. 



SYSTEMS OF UNDERGROUND STONE PIPING. 



I observed that on some of the plantations they were using water- 

 corrying systems built up by using sand stone piping. This sand 

 stone of the Philippines is soft enough to permit hollowing into pipe 

 form with crude tools and it makes a good water conductor. Again I 

 saw soap stone pipes. There are strata of soap stone in the country 

 among the clay deposits and some has been located by the coal miners. 

 The stone is useful to irrigating farmers for making pipes. The pot- 

 ters of the islands also make piping which is being used by the farmers. 

 This form of piping is perforated with holes and the water oozes out 

 at different points. 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE FARMS. 



There are very large plantations of rice, tobacco, sugar cane, 

 chocolate, coffee, peanuus and other products in these islands awaiting 

 proper development by irrigation. At present many of the planta- 

 tions are in a state of idleness owing to the continuance of dryness 

 which might be overcome if the water supplies of the country were 

 properly utilized. The sugar lands of the country are very promising 

 and there are chances for Americans and others to make considerable 

 money at this work alone. I have seen abandoned sugar plantations 

 which might be worked to advantage if under proper management, 

 which are for sale at almost nothing. I know of discharged soldiers 

 who have bought up deserted sugar works and plantation and engaged 

 in the business with trained overseers in charge, and who have made 

 money the first year. There are hundreds of idle sugar grinding 

 mills distributed throughout the country which were deserted at the 

 beginning of the present war. In many cases the ladrones and free 

 booters of the islands have played havoc with the machinery by re- 

 moving the brass work and salable parts, but in most instances the 

 steam plant and the grinding machinery can be put into working shape 

 at slight cost. I have observed fully equipped steam plants, with 

 good boilers, engines, pumps and grinding and conveying machinery 

 abandoned in the islands, and ready for some claimant, the property 

 having evidently belonged to one of the insurgents, who either lost 

 his life in battle, was captured, or ran away, not daring to present 

 himself as the owner of the plant. Such plants have been taken up 

 by first comers, the lands properly irrigated, the cane crop produced 

 and harvested, the grinding machinery put into order, and money 

 made in large amounts. 



