27 



local conditions. Ordinarily they should be from 20 to 30 meters apart. 

 In all cases where shade trees are not used, com or some other quickly 

 grown crop should be planted to protect the young abaca plant during 

 the first months of its growth. 



FERTILIZERS. 



Commercial fertilizers have seldom, if ever, been used in the gi'owing 

 of abaca. Virgin land, where the soil is deep, fertile, and filled with 

 decayed organic matter is usually selected for this purpose. When the 

 plant is cut and the fiber extracted all of the waste material, which 

 constitutes by far the greater part of the plant, is left on the ground. 

 This practice results in the return to the land each year of a large amount 

 of organic matter, and tends to keep up the fertility of the soil. 



The rapid growth of abaca on land that has recently been burned 

 over, together with the fact that chemical analysis shows a large percentage 

 of potash in the composition of both plant and fiber, indicate that the 

 application of ashes or other potash fertilizers would be attended with 

 beneficial results. Until a series of systematic experiments with different 

 fertilizers have been made, their relative value for abaca or the practic- 

 ability of their applicatioo can not be definitely stated. 



DRAINAGE AND IRRIGATION. 



The most important requisite for successful abaca cultivation being an 

 abundant supply of water, and one of the most undesirable conditions 

 being a wet soil, the value of both irrigation and drainage becomes very 

 apparent. 



Besides supplying moisture to the soil, irrigation, especially when 

 the water of small mountain streams which is always rich in organic 

 matter and humus is utilized, enriches the soil by supplying the most 

 desirable manure. If simple methods of irrigation are used where 

 climatic or soil conditions are unfavorable, the total output of hemp can 

 be increased considerably and the area that might profitably be planted 

 to abaca would be largely increased. Even in locations where natural 

 conditions are suitable, irrigation has increased the output to such an 

 extent as to warrant the extra expense. 



The introduction of any thorough system of underground tile drains, 

 or the use of any very expensive methods of irrigation, will not ordinarly 

 be practicable where the amount of cheap unoccupied land is as large as 

 it is at the present time in these Islands. On many plantations, however, 

 there are opportunities for utilizing, at little cost, an available water 

 supply, or draining by means of surface ditches, the cost of which would 

 be inconsiderable when compared with the beneficial results. 



