November, 1910.] 



427 Agricultural Finance & Co-operation, 



Individual effort can obtain some small 

 successes, but the great ones are reserved 

 to the organisations. It will not be 

 possible to root out the inveterate vices 

 and faults of our system of agriculture 

 without the combined effort and 

 organisation of farmers. The extensive 

 lands of our country which are uncult- 

 ivated, and those so poorly cultivated, 

 that the crops are practically confided 

 to the hazards of the weather and to 

 the natural fertility of the ground, 

 without tne help of the improved pro- 

 cesses of modern agricultural science, 

 offer the most dismal proof of the short- 

 age of means and individual efforts for 

 the general and thorough development 

 of the agricultural resources of our 

 country. I am glad to p^int to the fact 

 that, in many ways flattering to native 

 pride, steps have been taken in Manila 

 and in the provinces for the formation 

 of organisations among agriculturists. 

 The Agricultural Associations for Negros 

 and Panay, the Panpanga Sugar Asso- 

 ciation, and associations to be found in 

 other provinces foretell the first signs of 

 our awakening to economic modern life, 

 promising in the near future a strong 

 reaction toward the source of our wealth 

 and days of fuller prosperity and great- 

 ness to our country. Each province, 

 each region, in which the same products 

 prevail, must organise its association. 

 Central and local associations must be 

 organised in order to obtain more advan- 

 tageously the common benefit. It will 

 be most important to constitute these 

 associations on practical and solid found- 

 ations, and to choose farmers who are 

 able, intelligent, and faithful to their 

 duties to manage them and carry out 

 their true purposes. 



These organisations will be very useful 

 in promoting sympathy, love, and united 

 strength among those who devote them- 

 selves to the same kind of work or trade, 

 The encouragement of such feelings 

 will necessarily result in the generous 

 moving of the heart which makes every- 

 one ready or inclined to extend a hand 

 to the friend or brother in time of trial 

 or failure which may occur. By means 

 of these organisations information on 

 the selling price, the condition of 

 markets, the invention of new machines, 

 etc., can reach a greater number of 

 men, so that each one can make his 

 calculations according to his parti- 

 cular advantage. The exchange of ideas 

 and experience, which is impossible 

 when each one shelters himself behind 

 his individual interest, will be stronger ; 

 so that one will profit by the help of 

 another, and through it the general 

 interests will experience a vigorous im- 

 pulse toward growth and progress. 



It is not well that man should be shut 

 up in an unreasonable selfishness to pay 

 attention to his particular gain only ; 

 he must show the same interest for his 

 country's wealth as for his own. Man 

 ought not to forget that he is a citizen 

 of his country, and civil duty requires 

 him to extend to his neighbours the 

 benefit of his discoveries and experience. 



In the first place, these organisations 

 must try to profit by the process indi- 

 cated by science in order to maintain 

 and improve the fertility of the soil and 

 make use of modern implements for the 

 ploughing of the ground and improve- 

 ment of cultivation. The reduction of 

 time and space, as well as of the cost of 

 production, by introducing machinery 

 and mechanical appliances, have been 

 proved in other countries. We are 

 fortunate to be able to take advantage 

 of the result of such experience, acquired 

 by such countries in the course of years 

 and centuries. The use of scientific 

 processes and of agricultural machinery 

 on the lands which need them will not 

 only place a more abundant production 

 in the hands of the farmer, but also a 

 greater return for the capital invested. 

 The rule of obtaining the greatest produc- 

 tion with the greatest possible economy 

 is well established, and must be ob- 

 served and practised by the Filipino 

 farmer. 



In the second place, these organis- 

 ations will also do much good if they try 

 to extend the planting of certain 

 products not well exploited yet, to 

 extend and better the quality of those 

 already known which may be more 

 remunerative under more favourable 

 circumstances, and to introduce and 

 encourage the cultivation of several 

 crops in one field. The Bureau of Agri- 

 culture with its acquired experience is 

 always ready to furnish the best inform- 

 ation concerning crops little or not at 

 all exploited, the cultivation of which 

 is recommendable in this country on 

 account of the advantageous prices they 

 meet in foreign markets. The farmer 

 must not be satisfied with one kind of 

 crop, and it is necessary to recommend 

 to him a diversity of crops, in accord- 

 ance with the conditions of the ground, 

 in order to face the setbacks which 

 each product has to uudergo necessarily 

 and periodically. The sudden fall in 

 price of a special product can cause 

 impoverishment or ruin, as has recently 

 happened to some abaca planters. It 

 will be prudent to recommend to him 

 also the cultivation of the necessary 

 products which are to be consumed at 

 home and by the farmers and other 

 labourers, as it constitutes an excellent 



