PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 





- the base, in rows 4 ft. 

 This requires about 5,000 

 ■ ifi IS to 20 months. Care- 

 11 weigh, on an average, 

 !■■ us are found weighing 

 muted varieties and they 

 iiy. With encouragement it 



would soon become an important branch of commerce. 

 Up to this time they have been grown simply for home 

 consumption and for the exquisite fiber, sometimes 

 called "pineapple silk," obtained from the leaves. 



Guava, fruit of Psidium Guava, has been acclimatized 

 and finds genial conditions. The beauty of the tree, 

 the fragrance of the flowers and the utility of the little, 

 subacid, juicy fruit, make it a f:i\orit'' ir;ir(l(ii trrt- 

 wherever it can be grown. Its ixn il.nr,. i,,i- j, iiv i-. 

 known, but it has not yet attainod i-i.nniM rcnl iiii|Miri 

 ance in the Philippines. See Gikivh ■.ii\'[ /'snh,ii,(. 



Chocolate bean, fruit of Theobiuma Caniu, is a siiiall 

 tropical evergreen, bearing 

 fruit 5-10 in. long, coutainin; 

 of a chestnut, imbedded in a 

 are known in commerce as eh 

 the green and dry state arr u 

 They contain about 50 per cint u! ..il ;incl have an agree- 

 able flavor. For manufactiin. th.- s,.,.,is, after the re- 

 moval of the husk, are r<':i--tril. th.-ii :rn>und into an oily 

 paste which is mix.'il witli ^ii-^r and flavored, forming 

 the chocolate of foiriui.ici'. As yet, the bean has been 

 produced in a limit. -,1 .|n,, iiiit\ . Imt the industry could be 

 developed into a lai:,'i- Imishmss. 8ee Theohroma. 



All the spices are at boiiiB iu these islands. Allspice, 

 fruit of the Pimenta officinalis (Pigs. 1804-5), a beau- 

 tiful evergreen, attaining a height of 30 ft.; nutmeg, 

 fruit of the Mi/rislica fragrans (Figs. 1452, US."!), a 



elongated, egg-shaped 

 mmerous seeds the size 

 'eet pulp. These seeds 

 olate beans, and both in 

 1 \n- thi- natives as food. 



1754. Ylang ylane. yielding: a famous oil ( 



bushy evergreen 40-150 ft. high; and ginger, the rhizome 

 of Zingiber officinale (which see), a perennial plant, 

 reed-like, with annual stem 3-4 ft. high, have been tested 

 and are or can be produced in the islands. Cinnaniuii. 

 inner bark of Cinnamomiim Zeylanicum ; cloves, ilir 

 fruit of Duqenia cariiophyllata (Fig. 500), a beautiful 

 evergreen 15-30 ft. high; and pepper, the fruit of Pi/t, r 

 nigrum, a short shrub, find a nntur.nl liniiitnt in Miii 

 danao and the Snln ^t-hii.. Siiicrs to tlir irtiHiimi of 

 $2,782,301 were in.|M„i,.,l ini,. iIm- I'niir.i Stm.s in ls:i:i, 

 all of which conl<l lir -ui.i.li.d l.y lii.- I'liilipiunrs uiidrr 

 a proper develoi>mi:ia uf tliis industry. 



It ha 



, faniHa planifolia 

 long, fleshy pod wi 

 which are obtained by fernn-i 

 merce. It commences to Iju: 

 tinues for 30 years or nioi-i 



I'iniii 'in I..- L'r..\vn liixiiriimtly on all the Visaya and 



t'.irn.n.ui li.dni. r,M,-.i ii»f/Y(.>-a (Figs. 506, 507, 1497). 

 is an uluiosi uni\Lr>:d cuast product of these islands. 

 Its certain germination, vigorous growth, number of 

 months in fruitage, and long life without cultivation, 

 give it value in the estimation of the natives. The tree 

 in full lii-aring produces about 150 nuts annually and 

 I'liiiiu.. ill iiiiii im:iiI\ I lie entire year. The fiber of 

 Ml- ! i ' : : i I lie nut is manufactured into 



I I I 1. I ' , liags, etc.; the shell of the 



the 



sun till the milk is di~s,|,:,i,d nnd the kernel shrinks 

 from the shell. The ^h. II is tlien hniken and the meat, 

 further dried, beo<nii<-s ihr .niirn <if commerce. This is 

 largely transported ns l.nllnsi to Kui-ope, where the oil 

 is expressed. In 1807 the export of copra from the 

 Philippines amounted to 113,178,240 lbs., and this amount 

 could be increased indefinitely to meet the demands of 

 trade without trenching upon other products. 



Ylang ylang, Cananr/a odorata (Fig. 17.54), anative of 

 the Philippines, is a tall tree with large, generally (.roop- 

 ing, yellow flowers, from which is obtained tlie oil of 

 comriierce. The average annual ex].ort from 188G to 18'JO 

 was $21,937, u.sed liy perfumers. 



Candlemit or caniilelicrrN - the finif of Aleurites tri- 

 loba, a tree 30-40 ft. liiuh. is , \|Huted inconsiderable 



lly. 



The 



of 



lime. The annual export has not averaged more tlian 

 300-400 lbs., mainly to India. 



Many fruits, valuable only for home consumption, are 

 produced in the Philippines. The best known of these 

 are bread-fruit, custard apple, mango, mangosteen and 

 mulberry. 



Bread fruit, fruit of Artocarpus incisa, is found in 

 all of the principal islands. It is about 6 in. in diameter. 

 When nearly ripe it is gathered and baked. The crust 

 is then removed and the farinaceous pulp is eaten alone 

 or with cocoanut milk. If mashed, packed in a bumlle 

 and covered with earth, it undergoes a slight fermenta- 

 tion at first, which soon ceases, and it will then keej* f(U' 

 some time. In some islands it is one of the principal 

 foods. 



( bustard apple, fruit ot Anona relicvlafa, a large, dark 

 brown fniif with a soft, creamy pulp like custard, must 

 be .ni.ii s„,,n nfferit ripens. This variety was Intro- 



;i(;o. 



I lint <if .]finigifera [ndica (Fit,'s. 



i:;u: . I ' iidiii;,' m-namental tree, is abiinl 



hill- hmI i;' m. i:iII\ uhovate, flattened on one side- 

 yellow when ripe." The flesh is subacid, rich ami ,ii 

 somewhat fibrous, attached to a large stone in *he 

 ter. There is a slight turpentine flavor, not onse 

 after a taste for the frtiit has been acquired. The 



M.,H,,osi,u,„[V\a. 

 ot the apple, with 



