-------------------------+--------------------------------------------------- | Calendar Year +------------+------------+------------+------------ | 1909 | 1910 | 1911 | 1912 -------------------------+------------+------------+------------+------------ | Pounds | Pounds | Pounds | Pounds Exported in the leaf[182]| | | | To the United States | 13,503 | 12,269 | 4,946 | 93,928 To other countries | 21,218,588 | 26,469,800 | 28,354,636 | 28,041,374 +------------+------------+------------+------------ Total | 21,232,079 | 26,482,069 | 28,359,582 | 28,136,302 -------------------------+------------+------------+------------+------------ Note.--All figures given above are for unstemmed leaf. There are numerous varieties of bananas in the Philippines, and some of them are of unrivalled excellence, but fruit of uniform quality is unobtainable, if desired in any considerable quantity. In the course of a brief morning visit to the Zamboanga market I have seen fifteen to twenty different varieties of bananas on sale there, of which a considerable proportion were full of tannin and fit only for cooking. A banana plantation gives returns at the end of a year from the time of planting, and the fruit ought to be grown on plantation scale for the markets of Cebú, Iloilo, Manila and Hongkong. Throughout extensive areas conditions are ideal for rubber production, and Para, castilloa and ceara trees all thrive. Those of the latter species reach their most perfect development in Bukidnon, where they grow at an astonishing rate and produce hemispheres of foliage which look almost solid. A plantation of these trees should be not only beautiful to look upon but very profitable. Conditions in the highlands of Luzón, in the sub-province of Bukidnon, and in other portions of Mindanao, are admirably adapted to the production of coffee. Indeed, one of the few known wild varieties is indigenous to the Philippines. The coffee at present produced is grown in violation of every accepted principle of coffee culture, but is nevertheless excellent in quality, and any surplus not required for local consumption is eagerly bought up for shipment to Spain. In Bukidnon the opportunity for growing coffee upon a large scale is excellent. There is little doubt that tea could be advantageously produced in the Philippine highlands, especially in northern Luzón. Throughout extensive regions the soil and climate are ideal for growing cacao, from which is made the chocolate of commerce. It has numerous insect enemies, and careful scientific cultivation is needed to obtain the best results.