The Central Philippines. 779 
second year. Perennials may live on for several years but if they 
are not allowed to develop much herbage and no flowers the old 
plants will gradually die of starvation and, being without heirs, they 
will leave the land to revert to its rightful owners. 
Proper tillage will keep the weeds within safe bounds in the open 
fields of hoed crops. By proper tillage is understood that culture 
which the crop demands even when no weeds encumber the soil. 
The hot-bed for weeds is the neglected corners where the cultivator 
and hoe do not naturally go. It is in such places, along road-sides, 
barn-yards, open wood lots and fence corners that weeds sneak in 
_ and bear their young. It will be difficult to keep the cultivated 
field clean when all around is breeding ground for foul seeds. 
Rome was not built in a day and neither will our weeds be 
destroyed in a generation. It is only hoped that, as all roads lead 
to Rome, so may all the inward desires and open acts of every 
producer of crops tend toward the destruction of our worst weeds. 
THE CENTRAL PHILIPPINES. 
BY J. B. STEERE. 
(Concluded from page 626.) 
AFTER much enquiry for a suitable place to collect in, we heard 
of virgin forest in the north part of the island of Panay, and 
finding a little steamer running up the coast we took passage to the 
village of Concepcion, some twenty miles north of Ilo Ilo, and 
nearly in front of the curious conical island called Pau de Assucar. 
Woods were in sight, but we found that they were steep and rocky, 
and difficult to hunt in, and rather unproductive of forms new to 
our collections, most of the birds being identical with those already 
procured in Guimaras. The forest had a curious half-dead appear- 
ance, which was due in part to most of the leaves having already, 
in January, fallen, preparatory to the coming spring, and in part to 
much of the timber having been injured by large gashes in the 
trunks to collect the gums from them. Before we left the place | 
Some of the trees were already showing the purple and bright yel- 
