March, 1912.] 



203 



Edible Products. 



but a peculiar dwarf variety was met 

 with in Misamis that is claimed to fruit 

 when only four years old, The fruits are 

 considerably smaller than the ordinary 

 nut, with a somewhat thicker flesh. 



Cacao (Theobroma cacao), so important 

 a crop in certain parts of the tropics, 

 has never developed to an industry in 

 the Philippines, and yet some parts of 

 the Archipelago are undoubtedly well 

 adapted to its culture. The cacao re- 

 quires, to succeed, somewhat more 

 attention than is bestowed upon fruit 

 trees by the average planter in the 

 Philippines, and this was well attested 

 by the appearaDceof the specimens seen 

 here and there during the trip. 



The banana ( Musa 8pp.) is found 

 universally planted in all places that 

 have been visited. The house is indeed 

 rare, in the yard of which does not grow 

 one or more clumps of bananas, but 

 those grown are mostly inferior varieties. 

 It is a remarkable fact that in only two 

 places, lloilo and the near-by town of 

 Jaro, there were found in the markets 

 fruits of the " Chinese dwarf," a variety 

 that has no superior in the Philippines, 

 and is one of the best varieties in exist- 

 ence. Aside from the superior quality 

 of its fruits, and its greater productivity 

 than that of the kinds usually planted, 

 the dwarf habit of the plant enabling 

 it to better withstand the violence of 

 the typhoons than the varieties com- 

 monly grown, should recommend it to 

 the planter. 



Of the citrus fruits, the pomelo, or 

 "lucban" {Citrus decumana), the 

 tangerine or " narangita " (Citrus 

 nobilis), the " cabuyao " (Citrus torosa), 

 the orange or"cajel" (Citrus auran- 

 tium), the lemon or "limon" (Citrus 

 limonum), and lime, also called " limon " 

 (Citrus limetta), are planted with fre- 

 quency in the order enumerated, the 

 pomelo is found about evenly distribut- 

 ed in the points visited, and invariably 

 the trees observed were vigorous and 

 thrifty, considering the absence of care 

 and attention ; two types exist, one white 

 fleshed and one whose flesh is more or 

 less pinkish, with an exceedingly great 

 variation in form, from roundish oblate 

 to a very distinctly pyriform fruit ; the 

 presence or absence of pubescence noted 

 on the young twigs of the trees of this 

 species is probably correlated to other 

 distinctive characteristics in the fruit. 

 The tangerine is somewhat less exten- 

 sively planted than the pomelo. This 

 species was found in greater numbers in 

 Taeloban, Palo, and Tanauan, Leyte, 

 than at any other point, Samples of 

 the fruit were obtained only at 

 Mambajaoi those being markedly larger 



than tangerines generally found in the 

 market in Manila, and of fairly good 

 quality. Wherever trees of this species 

 were observed they appeared to be per- 

 fectly at home. Next to the tangerine, 

 the cabuyao seems to have a place in the 

 affections of the native population. 

 This is a very vigorous tree, and while 

 the fruit seems to be of little value, it 

 may, on trial, prove to be a very 

 desirable stock for the cultivated species. 

 The lemon is planted rather rarely, and 

 to a less degree the orange ; the lime 

 is but seldom seen and the citron exists 

 only in the gardens of the more well-to- 

 do. In Taeloban, Leyte, and Catbalogan, 

 Samar, excellent fruits of the calamon- 

 din (Citrus mitis) were obtained, juicy 

 and pleasantly acid. This fruit under 

 cultivation might develop to a very 

 good''ade" fruit, but it is now very 

 little grown. A fruit called "sua," used 

 by the natives in cleaning clothes, was 

 offered in the markets of Cebu and 

 Taeloban, aud it was also seen in Misamis. 

 The fruit is very distinct from all other 

 citrus fruits and is best described as a 

 small, oblately flattened citron, pro- 

 minently ribbed longitudinally, and is 

 possibly a variety of Citrus medica; it 

 appears to be almost unknown outside 

 the Visayas. The samuyao is an 

 unidentified, small, round, citrus fruit 

 Avith a wrinkled surface and a con- 

 spicuous dent at the apex, about 25 

 millimeters in diameter, found in the 

 market of Cebu, also very distinct in 

 appearance from other known citrus 

 fruits ; it is used by the Filipino women 

 in washing their hair and in making a 

 pomade. 



Perhaps nothing illustrates better the 

 condition of the citrus industry in the 

 Philippines than the fact that California 

 oranges are sold, not only in Manila, but 

 in lloilo and Cebu. In these places, as 

 well as in the small town of Catbalogan 

 in Samar, Sicily lemons were for sale in 

 grocery stores, and yet there is scarcely 

 room for doubt that good lemons can be 

 cheaply produced in the islands. 



Considering the attention they receive, 

 the citrus trees in all parts of the Archi- 

 pelago appear to be thrifty, vigorous, 

 and free from scale insects to a remark- 

 able degree. With the introduction of 

 scientific methods of culture, Porto 

 Rico having a climate similar to that 

 of the Philippines, produces a very 

 superior orange and pomelo, and it seems, 

 therefore, reasonable to believe that 

 the orange, as well as the other citrus 

 fruits, may in the future not only be 

 produced here for home consumption, 

 but also for export to Japan, Australia, 

 and the mainland of Asia, 



