28 



always produces a juice of low purity, out of which it is impossible 

 to make good sugar by the milling methods commonly used in the 

 Philippines, 



CLIMATE AND SOIL. 



Range of climate. — "Sugar cane is essentially a tropical plant but 

 under certain favorable conditions is successfully cultivated in sub- 

 tropical districts." ^ 



The Hawaiian Islands, Cuba, Java, and the Philippines are typical 

 sugar countries within the tropics and furnish a large part of the 

 world's supplj'. Sugar is grown in Spain as far as 37° north and 

 in New Zealand down as far as 37° south. The center of the Louisiana 

 sugar district is in 30° north, while in Argentina the bulk of sugar 

 is grown between 22° and 25° south. It is generally believed that 

 sugar cane grows best near the seacoast in warm, humid climates, 

 although there is much evidence to show that periodic dry spells with 

 irrigation afford a very favorable condition for its growth. The sea 

 breezes are thought to benefit the cane by being laden with moisture 

 carrying a small amount of salt spray. Land breezes, particularly those 

 passing over dry, hot countries, are injurious to the growth of cane 

 by evaporating the moisture from the soil. The leaves do not resist 

 hard winds and are readily injured and the stalks are often blown 

 down by even light storms, particularly when the ground is wet so 

 that the roots fail to support the great weight of the stalks. In 

 level countries, subject to hard winds, frequent rows of trees having 

 dense foliage should be planted to form windbreaks. 



On the Ewa plantation, on the southern coast of the Island of Oahu 

 where it is comparatively dry and irrigation is supplied from artesian 

 wells, the largest sugar yields of the world have been produced. It is 

 a well-known fact that in the Philippine Islands sugar cane does not 

 suffer serious injury during moderate dry spells, especially when planted 

 on the heavier types of soils which resist the evaporation of moisture. 

 During the growing period it flourishes best when there is a constant 

 high temperature and the development of the cane is generally in 

 direct proportion to the total heat which it receives while growing. 

 Low temperatures tend to produce small stalks, with sbort joints 

 and consequent low tonnage yield. The maximum production can 

 only be secured under tropical suns. A cool season greatly favors 

 maturity and high purity of the juice in the cane if it occurs after a 

 normal period of growth. In the Philippines this cool season is not 

 well marked but generally occurs in most parts of the Islands in mid- 

 winter, soon after the close of the rainy season. 



Rainfall and irrigation. — The ideal conditions of water for growing 



* Deerr's Cane Sugar, page 18. 



