JAMAICA. 



BULLETIN 



OF THE 



BOTA]S"ICAL DEPARTMENT. 



New Series.] DECEMBER, 1900. '^^^ 



Part XII • 



THE PHILIPPINE HEMP INDUSTRY. 



Among the chief industries in the Philippine Islands is the 

 gathering and export of Hemp. Manila hemp is known the world over 

 for its fine quality and its value for making all kinds of rope, from the 

 biggest hawser down to the finest piece of twine, and it would be very 

 much in order to devote a little of our space to this important feature 

 of Manila's commerce. 



The scientific name of this hemp is Musa textilis, and the tree be- 

 longs to the banana famly. 



Manila hemp" is the name invariably used by the merchants of 

 England and America to distinguish it from the Russian and Indian 

 hemp, which is much inferior. In the Philippines, however, it is not 

 regarded as a product of Manila and districts, but chiefly of the South- 

 ern islands, and it is called " abaca" with the accent on the last syllable. 



The hemp trees of the Philippines have been tried to be introduced 

 in Borneo and India, but without much success. The trees grow best 

 on the Pacific slopes of the southern islands. South Luzon furnishes 

 the best quality and greatest quantity, but there is little difference 

 between Samar and Le> te of the Archipelago as producing districts. 

 The roots of the plants cannot exist in damp soil; volcanic soil, where 

 the ground is dry, and plenty of moisture overhead, is essential to get- 

 ting the best results. 



Here, in these localities, we find large plantations among the hills 

 with the hemp trees in different stages of growth. They require 

 little cultivation ; once a week the native cleaner or gatherer goes 

 through the plantation and does the little weeding that is necessary 

 while in performance of his duty of cutting and stripping the trees. 



The trees are planted from suckers and grow to a height of ten feet, 

 and from five to seven inches in diameter. In appearance they ap- 

 pear to an unpractised eye like the banana tree, and if these trees were 

 allowed to grow five or six years they would develop a fruit something 

 like a plantain ; it is said by some that this fruit is poisonous. 



