THIRTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 57 



death. Up to the time of his death he had submitted 125 pages 

 of a single-space typewritten progress report. This information 

 is of the greatest scientific value, and this, together with work 

 now being and yet to be done upon his collection brought from 

 Euitenzorg by the chief botanist, should be published as a memo- 

 rial to him. The interest in this publication will not be for the 

 Philippines alone, and I have no doubt that the publication will 

 sell extensively and that the money expended in printing it will 

 be recovered through sale in a short time. Therefore 1 have the 

 honor to recommend that ?=2,000 be appropriated for the purpose 

 of publishing this work as a memorial volume to Doctor Robin- 

 son, whose life was sacrificed in collecting the material. 



Iloilo sugar laboratory. — My last annual report gives a clear 

 idea of the routine work of the laboratory and of the large amount 

 of instruction with regard to planting and harvesting of cane, 

 as well as the perfect recovery of the sugar which has been 

 given. The records of the past year and a half show the eager- 

 ness with which both producers and dealers avail themselves of 

 umpire polariscopic analyses in case of dispute and as a basis for 

 valuation. Each year impresses us more thoroughly with the 

 thousands of pesos which could be saved annually to the sugar 

 growers if they had the scientific information necessary with 

 regard to planting, harvesting, and recovering the sugar most 

 efficiently and economically. 



Last year I pointed out the need for a model central sugar mill 

 at Iloilo. There are more and more central mills being erected 

 throughout the country, but the deplorable lack of knowledge at 

 some of the haciendas of the chemical processes involved in boil- 

 ing sugar makes it desirable that men be trained to operate them. 

 If funds are available, it would be an excellent investment for the 

 Government to build and operate a model central mill and to use 

 it in showing the people how the work should be carried on. The 

 work of the sugar laboratory in Iloilo should be extended, and 

 we should have enough trained men to send throughout the prov- 

 inces to give instruction relative to the best chemical processes 

 of handling cane juice. 



There is a large amount of other important sugar work which 

 should be inaugurated. There is no definite information as to 

 what variety of cane is most desirable to plant. One variety is 

 noted for its sweetness, another for the size of the stalk, and so 

 on. The results obtained from different varieties in their home 

 countries are often very different from those in other lands. It 

 frequently happens that a given variety does well only on one 

 kind of soil and in a given climate. The methods of planting. 



