1302 



PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



suckers, which spring from the base, in rows 4 ft. 

 apart and 2 ft. in the row. This requires about 5,000 

 plants per acre. It bears fruit in 18 to 20 months. Care- 

 fully cultivated the fruit should weigh, on an average, 

 6-8 Ibs. Occasionally specimens are found weighing 

 16 Ibs. There are many cultivated varieties and they 

 vary much in size and quality. 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 favorite garden tree 

 wherever it can be grown. Its excellence for jelly is 

 known, but it has not yet attained commercial import- 

 ance in the Philippines. See Guava and Psidium. 



Chocolate bean, fruit of Theobroma Cacao, is a small 

 tropical evergreen, bearing an elongated, egg-shaped 

 fruit 5-10 in. long, containing numerous seeds the size 

 of a chestnut, imbedded in a sweet pulp. These seeds 

 are known in commerce as chocolate beans, and both in 

 the green and dry state are used by the natives as food. 

 They contain about 50 per cent of oil and have an agree- 

 able flavor. For manufacture, the seeds, after the re- 

 moval of the husk, are roasted, then ground into an oily 

 paste which is mixed with sugar and flavored, forming 

 the chocolate of commerce. As yet, the bean has been 

 produced in a limited quantity, but the industry could be 

 developed into a large business. See Theobroma. 



All the spices are at home in these islands. Allspice, 

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

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

 fruit of the Myristica fragrans (Figs. 1452, 1453), a 



1754. Ylang ylang, yielding a famous oil (X %). 



bushy evergreen 40-50 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. Cinnamon, 

 inner bark of Cinnamomum Zeylanicum ; cloves, the 

 fruit of Eugenia caryophyllata (Fig. 500), a beautiful 

 evergreen 15-30 ft. high; and pepper, the fruit of Piper 

 nigrum, a short shrub, find a natural habitat in Min- 

 danao and the Sulu group. Spices to the amount of 

 $2,782,301 were imported into the United States in 1899, 

 all of which could be supplied by the Philippines under 

 a proper development of this industry. 



Vanilla, Vanilla planifolia (which see), is a climber. 

 It has a long, fleshy pod with numerous seeds, from 

 which are obtained by fermentation the vanilla of com- 

 merce. It commences to bear at 3 years old and con- 

 tinues for 30 years or more. In 1899, the value of 

 $1,235,412 was imported into the United States. This 

 plant can be grown luxuriantly on all the Visaya and 

 Sulu islands. 



Cocoanut palm, Cocos nucifera (Figs. 506, 507, 1497), 

 is an almost universal coast 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 bearing produces about 150 nuts annually and 

 continues in fruit nearly the entire year. The fiber of 

 the thick husk enveloping the nut is manufactured into 

 cordage, matting, brushes, bags, etc.; the shell of the 

 nut is made into drinking cups ; the kernel or meat of 

 the nut is manufactured into sweetmeats or becomes 

 the copra of commerce; the pint or quart of sweetish 

 liquid in the center of the nut is used for drink, fresh 

 or fermented. For copra, the ripe nuts, after gathering 

 and removing the husk, are allowed to remain in the 

 sun till the milk is dissipated and the kernel shrinks 

 from the shell. The shell is then broken and the meat, 

 further dried, becomes the copra of commerce. This is 

 largely transported as ballast to Europe, where the oil 

 is expressed. In 1897 the export of copra from the 

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

 could be increased indefinitely to meet the demands of 

 trade without trenching upon other products. 



Ylang ylang, Cananga odorata (Fig. 1754), a native of 

 the Philippines, is a tall tree with large, generally droop- 

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

 commerce. The average annual export from 1886 to 1890 

 was $21,937, used by perfumers. 



Candlenut or candleberry the fruit of Aleurites tri- 

 loba, & tree 30-40 ft. high, is exported in considerable 

 quantities, averaging about 16,000 Ibs. annually. The 

 berry, when dry, burns hence called candlenut. The oil 

 has the property of drying rapidly, and is used by artists. 



Betel-nut, the fruit of the Areca palm, Areca Catechu, 

 is about as large as a hen's egg. When the tough, 

 fibrous shell is removed, a nut about % in. in diameter, 

 having an albuminous rind, remains. This is chewed to 

 aid digestion and sweeten the breath. It is supposed to 

 strengthen the gums. Previous to chewing, it is boiled 

 and wrapped in a betel-leaf with a small quantity of 

 lime. The annual export has not averaged more than 

 300-400 Ibs., 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 bundle 

 and covered with earth, it undergoes a slight fermenta- 

 tion at first, which soon ceases, and it will then keep for 

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

 foods. 



Custard apple, fruit of Anona reticulata, a large, dark 

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

 be eaten soon after it ripens. This variety was intro- 

 duced by the Spaniards. 



The mango, fruit of Mangifera Indica (Figs. 1360, 

 1361) , a large, spreading ornamental tree, is about 3 in. 

 long and generally obovate, flattened on one side light 

 yellow when ripe. The flesh is subacid, rich and juicy, 

 somewhat fibrous, attached to a large stone in the cen- 

 ter. There is a slight turpentine flavor, not observed 

 after a taste for the fruit has been acquired. The tree 

 is a constant and prolific bearer, which, with its value 

 and beauty as a shade, makes it a desirable home tree, 

 especially with the better class of people. It is abun- 

 dant in uncultivated places. The fruit is picked when 

 partially ripe and made into sweet pickles or is pre- 

 served, but it is principally eaten in the natural state. 



The mangosteen, fruit of Garcinia Mangostana (Fig. 

 893), is esteemed the most delicious of the oriental 

 fruits. It is about the size and shape of the apple, with 



