Much attention has of late been devoted to the Philippines, and as
one result considerable interest has been evinced in their natural
products. In the matter of vegetation they are highly favored. Fruits
grow in great abundance, and the reputation of some of them is already
established abroad, as is the case, for example, with the mango.
Other fruits grown in the islands are the ate (the cinnamon apple of
the French colonists), the mangosteen, the pineapple, the tamarind,
the orange, the lemon, the jack, the jujube, the litchi (regarded by
the Chinese as the king of fruits), the plum, the chico-mamey (the
sapodilla of the West Indies), the bread fruit, and the papaw. The last
named is eaten like a melon, and is valued as a digestive; its juice
furnishes an extract which is used as a medicament under the name of
papaine, or vegetable pepsin. The banana grows abundantly and is a
great boon to the poor people, supplying them with a cheap, delicious,
and exceedingly nutritive food; there are many varieties, ten of which
are in particular highly esteemed.
Plants which are cultivated for industrial purposes include the sugar
cane, of which four varieties are grown--yellow cane, Otaheite cane,
purple or Batavia cane, and striped cane. Of vegetables there are
several pulses used as food by the natives which never appear on the
tables of the European settlers. These include the mango, mentioned
above, and three or four kinds of beans, such as the butingue, the
zabache, the Abra bean, and the Patami bean. These suit the natives
much better than the garbanzos, or chick peas, that are so highly
prized by the Spaniards. Among the tuberous roots valued as food the
sweet potato ranks first, with an annual production of 98,000,000
pounds. The common or white potato, although of inferior quality,
stands next in importance. Then follows the camotengcahoy or manihot
(cassava), the root of which is made edible by the removal of its
poisonous juice in the same way as in the West Indies. After expression
of the juice the pulp forms a sort of coarse-grained flour that is
very nutritious, pleasant to the taste and easy to digest. Besides
these tubers other plants, such as the ubi, the togui and the gabi,
are cultivated in the fields for the sake of their edible roots.
Other edible vegetables include calabashes, melons, watermelons,
cucumbers, carrots, celery, parsley, tomatoes, egg plants, peppers,
capers, cabbages, lettuce, endives, mustard, leeks, onions, asparagus,
and peas. Of the cocoa palms the ordinary cocoanut tree is the most
important, the oil of which is put to many and varied uses. The bamboo
is much valued, the young and tender shoots making a very acceptable
article of food, in the form of salads and other dishes, and the
fibre is used for numerous purposes. Tobacco as a cultivated crop is
generally grown in the same field as maize. Of spices the Philippines
grow cinnamon, nutmegs, pepper, ginger, and majoram. Of medicinal
plants the most familiar are the papaw, already mentioned, and
ipecacuanha.
Among aromatic and ornamental plants may be mentioned magnolias,
camellias, clematis, several kinds of roses, dahlias, ylang-ylang,
papua, jessamine, and many species of orchids and ferns. These,
however, grow wild in such profusion that little care is bestowed upon
their cultivation.--_Gardener's Magazine._
[Illustration: CARBONS.
Bituminous Coal
Anthracite Coal
Graphite
FROM COL. CHI. ACAD SCIENCES.
A. W. MUMFORD, PUBLISHER, CHICAGO.
COPYRIGHT 1900, BY
NATURE STUDY PUB. CO., CHICAGO.]