THE PHILIPPINE 
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE 
VOL. 17 AUGUST, 1920 No. 2 
MILLABLE CANE IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 
By H. J. CaRsTEN 
Sugar Chemist, Bureau of Science Sugar Laboratory, Iloilo 
ONE PLATE 
In the Philippine Islands it frequently happens that cane of 
very low purity is sent to the factory. The actual cause of such 
low purity is of little importance to the manufacturer or the 
contracting planter. Often, however, the cane is so low in purity 
that it cannot be ground without loss to the central, and some- 
times to both the central and the planter. When both are equal 
losers no controversy may arise, but if only the central is the 
loser a means should be devised by which it can refuse such 
cane, 
Sometimes, when there is excellent planting weather, it may 
be advantageous to the planter to plant for his next crop, even 
though the mill cannot immediately handle the cane which fur- 
nishes the points; so that it often happens that the cane, having 
been cut for seed, remains in the field and starts its second 
growth, thus decreasing in purity. Should the cane be acciden- 
tally burned the purity would also be decreased, and in either 
case the material coming to the mill would be unfit for grinding. 
If such low-purity cane were milled separately, the rendement 
might be ascertained and the planter who furnished cane of a 
better class would not suffer. In actual practice, however, such 
separate milling cannot always be done; consequently, no stim- 
ulus is given for the production of better cane, and the result 
is that both the planter of the high grade and the central suffer 
considerable loss at the hands of the producer of low-grade cane. 
If the planter were willing to allow the factory to refuse his low- 
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