THE r \- w a R i: V i i: w 25 



However, with only 16,316, 1 T 1 arrobas more cane ground during the 1917-1918 

 crop, your Company made 351,704 bags in excess of the L916 IT crop, thus showing i\ 

 considerably bel ter j Leld. 



SUCROSE IN THE CANE 



The average percentage of sucrose In the cane of the IT plantations during the 



three crops was as follow s : 



L915-16 L916-17 1917-18 



13.879? 13.009? L3.31% 



I'r these figures it will be seen thai last year's average sucrose in the ci was 



0.31$ more than in the previous year, bul still ".'><'>'', below 1915-16. 



This increase in the sucrose at your plantations was not general throughoul Cuba, 

 many plantations having had a decrease as compared with the previous year. 



Of your plantations the one thai showed the highesl percentage of sucrose in 

 the cane was "Stewart" with 14.49%, which is quite remarkable, as in former years 

 this plant at ion was noted for its supposedly poor cane. 



LOSSES IN MANUFACTURING 



Our total losses in milling, molasses, mudcake and undetermined, during the 



three crops, were as follows: 



1915-16 1916-17 1917-18 



3.07% 2.67% 2.36% 



By these figures it is seen that we have improved considerably in our manufac- 

 turing, the losses this year being 0.31% less than in 1916-17 and 0.71% less than in 

 1915-16. 



The decreased percentage of losses shows the greater efficiency due to the im- 

 provements in the sugar houses and manufacturing control. We hope in time to 

 reduce the total losses to 2% or under; at present we have only three estates with 

 losses below 2%. 



In order that the stockholders may appreciate the material importance of a de- 

 crease in percentage of losses resulting from greater efficiency in the work of the ma- 

 chinery or from gain in the sucrose content of the cane, it is well to point out that 

 1 ', gained in either way, on the quantity of cane estimated for the coming crop. 

 would mean an additional yield of 100,000 hags of sugar without any outlay other 

 than the cost of the hags, railroad freight and shipping expenses. Therefore, %% 

 decrease in losses in manufacturing or increase in sucrose in the cane, would mean, 

 at present prices, from $1,500,000.00 to $1,750,000.00 increased net earnings. 



AMOUNTS PAID TO COLONOS FOR THEIR CANE 

 As our supply of cane increases in the Eastern plantations, where the colonos 

 receive a smaller percentage of sugar for their cane, the average percentage given 

 to all the colonos is naturally lower, as can he seen by the following figures: 

 Percentage of Sugar given to Colonos; in Payment for their Cane: 



1015-16 1016-17 1917-4.8 



0.383% 0.337% 0.254% 



YIELD OF 96° CENTRIFUGALS 

 The yield of the three crops in 90° Centrifugals is as follows: 



1915-16 1910-17 191T-1S 



n.2r.7 10.76% 11.4V; 



These figures show an average increase of .65% over last year and .16$ over 

 1915-16, notwithstanding that in the latter crop the sucrose in the cane was .56$ 

 higher than this year, as already reported, thus proving the greater efficiency of the 

 sugar houses derived from the improvements recently made to the machinery. 



