36 



in advance of the first breaking as it tends to dry out and becomes hard 

 to plow. On sandy lands, or others that are deficient in organic matter, 

 it is advisable to plow under as much of the grass and other vegetable 

 matter as possible, in order that it may decay and furnish additional 

 humus in the soil. Whenever a growth of wild bananas, tropical vines, 

 or scrub brush is found it is best to grub them out 

 by hand before attempting to break the land, using 

 strong grubbing hoes or mattocks. In such places 

 there will be but little grass and burning is not 

 practicable. 



Fig. 1. — The Luzon one-handled steel-beam breaking plow. 



The clearing of tropical forest is a difficult and expensive operation, 

 as the trees usually grow in dense jungles, are of the hardwood types, have 

 large buttressed root systems and the stumps are very difficult to grub or 

 blast out, especially in the heavj'^ types of land best suited for the growing 

 of sugar. 



Fig. 2. — Two-handled steel-beam breaking plow. 



At the present time most of the new land being planted to sugar was 

 cultivated in cane fifteen years ago or more, and has since become over- 

 grown with grass which burns off annually, thus destroying any tree 

 seedlings and preventing the reforestation of the land. 



Breaking. — The breaking of sugar lands which have become over- 



