136 



PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE 



or the product has been of poor quality. Some abaca has 

 been exported from the Philippines for nearly a century. 

 The following figures show the amounts (in tons) ex- 

 ported in the years indicated : 



Since 1887 abaca has been the 

 most valuable export every year ex- 

 cept 1892 and 1893, when sugar 

 held first place. Abaca is now more 

 valuable than all other exports com- 

 bined, being worth nearly fifty mil- 

 lion pesos a year. The Census of 

 1903 shows the following to be the 

 principal abaca-producing prov- 

 inces, beginning with the most im- 

 portant : Leyte, Albay, Camarines, 

 Samar, Misamis, Surigao, and Ta- 

 yabas. Ladronism has since de- 

 prived Leyte of first place. Min- 

 danao and Negros are rapidly 

 increasing their production. 



Conditions of Growth. Abaca is 

 a plant with enormous leaves, and 

 roots which do not reach deeply into the ground. There - 



Fio. 96. 



Primitive abaca press 

 in Albay 



