Edible Products. 



400 



[November, 1911. 



out the Islands, there are extensive 

 regions in Mindanao, Palawan, and the 

 intervening southern islands where these 

 storms are practically unknown; and it 

 is well, in selecting a site for a plant- 

 ation, to eliminate possible loss from 

 this source by first studying the storm 

 maps of the Philippines and selecting a 

 region where typhoons seldom if ever 

 occur. 



In considering soil conditions, one 

 should remember the old saying that 

 the proof of the pudding is m the eating. 

 Owing to the haphazard cultivation 

 methods which have been followed, 

 adult trees, demonstrating fully the 

 capabilities of the soil to produce 

 coconuts without cultivation, may be 

 found in the vicinity of almost any 

 available tract of land, aud it is safer to 

 consi ler facta than to be swayed by 

 theories. However, it can be stated with 

 entire certainty that soil conditions on 

 the numerous flat-topped coral islands 

 rising only ten or fifteen feet above sea 

 level are most satisfactory. On such is- 

 lands the permanent water-table lies 

 near enough the surface of the ground, 

 so that the roots of coconut trees readily 

 reach it, and the possibility of harm 

 from drought is completely eliminated. 

 The soil is so poor in the food required 

 by ordinary plants and weeds that com- 

 paratively little cultivation is required 

 to keep it clean. Mosquitoes do not exist 

 cn such islands as there is no opportunity 

 for them to dreed, and in general health 

 conditions are ideal. Proximity to the 

 sea insures that free circulation of air 

 which is essential, and incidentally the 

 complete absence of wild hogs does away 

 with the necessity tor fencing. The 

 majority of those islands are uuinhab- 

 ited and the absence of human thieves is 

 a factor of no small importance. 



Insect pests, which are sometimes to be 

 feared on the mainland of the larger 

 islands, are also conspicuous by their 

 absence, a3 are monkeys. 



Cost op Land and Amount op 

 Suitable Land Available for 

 Coconut Growing. 

 It is sometimes possible to purchase 

 from private persons land suitable for 

 coconut growing, but it will usually be 

 found more advantageous to purchase 

 or lease from the Government. Under 

 the provisions of existing law, an indi- 

 , vidual may not purchase more than 16 

 hectares (40) acres) of public land. A 

 corporation may purchase 1,024 hectares 

 (2,500 acres), but if authorized to engage 

 in agriculture must, by its charter, be 

 limited to the ownership and control of 

 this amount of land, and persons who 



are members of a corporation authorized 

 to engage in agriculture may not be 

 members of any other corporation so 

 authorized. The minimum price at which 

 public land may be sold is 10 pesos per 

 hectare ($2 00 per acre). In selling wild 

 public land it is the custom of the Insular 

 Government to charge the minimum 

 price. Actual title to the land may not 

 pass until after five years of occupation 

 and cultivation. Payment may be made 

 as follows : twenty-five per centum at 

 the time the bid is submitted ; the 

 balance upon the making of the award ; 

 or it may be paid in one instalment at 

 the expiration of five years from the 

 date of the award. Sums remaining 

 unpaid after the date of the award bear 

 interest at the rate of six per centum per 

 annum from such date until paid, 



The provisions as to leasing are more 

 satisfactory. Either an individual or a 

 corporation may lease not to exceed 1,024 

 hectares (2,500 acres). Leases run for 

 twenty-five years with the right of 

 renewal for an additional twenty-five 

 years. The rental during the first period 

 of twenty-five years may not be less 

 than 10 cents per acre per year, and 

 during the second period of twenty-five 

 years it may not be more than 30 cents 

 per acre per year. The rental is payable 

 annually in advance. 



There are in the Philippine Islands 

 very extensive areas of unoccupied 

 unclaimed public land suitable for 

 coconut growing. Such land is especi- 

 ally abundant in Mindoro, Mindanao, 

 Palawan, and the small islands adjacent 

 to Palawan. Some of the latter offer 

 very many ad van cages, such as the lack 

 of necessity for fencing against wild 

 hogs ; the absence of monkeys ; the 

 absence of undesirable human neigh- 

 bours ; freedom from insect pests ; tree 

 access to all winds ; a permeable soil 

 especially suited for coconut growing, 

 aud the presence of the permanent 

 water-table near enough the surface of 

 the ground to make it certain that there 

 will be no harmful results from drought 

 after the trees are once well established. 



The chief drawbacks, are isolation and 

 the absence of fresh water, which is 

 lacking on the smaller islands. Rain 

 water, sufficient for all domestic purposes, 

 may, however, leadily be caught. These 

 islands vary greatly in size. A. number 

 of them have been already surveyed in 

 connection with work necessary; in 

 surveying for several lease applications, 

 and information as to their whereabouts 

 and extent, and as to the whereabouts of 

 land suitable for coconut growing on 

 the larger islands above referred to, 



