18 



Much interesting information which has heretofore not been available concern- 

 ing the actual condition of the sugar industry of Negros may be deduced from 

 these figui-es. Thus, in the whole island there was a total of 484 planters, who 

 controlled in all 65,041 hectares of land adapted to sugar culture, of which 27,096 

 hectares were actually under cultivation and 38,545 for various reasons left 

 unplanted. In addition there were 16,904 hectares of sugar land left unoccupied 

 principally because of the lack of transportation facilities. During the year there 

 were produced a total of 1,161,446 piculs or 73,462 metric tons sugar. Each 

 planter, then, possessed on a average 135.6 hectares of cultivable sugar land, but 

 planted only 56 hectares of it, allowing the remaining 79.6 hectares to lie idle. He 

 produced from the 56 hectares planted 2,400 piculs, or 151.8 metric tons of sugar. 

 Out of a total of 82,545 hectares of land certified to as being well adapted to the 

 culture of the sugar cane 32.8 per cent was actually being cultivated, 46.7 per 

 cent was owned by sugar growers but not planted, and 20.5 per cent was unoc- 

 cupied, or at least unused because of lack of transportation facilities, animals, 

 or capital. In considering these figures it should be borne in mind that they 

 refer not to the total area of land comprised by the various municipalities, but 

 to that portion of it, generally a small per cent, which is well known and certified 

 to as being fit for cane growing. 



Dividing the total production of sugar by the number of hectares 

 planted, we find that the average yield per hectare throughout Negros 

 is 42.9 piculs, or 2.71 metric tons. This question of the average yield 

 has long been a much-disputed point and one which it has been im- 

 possible hitherto to state with accuracy. Depending upon the locality 

 which is visited, it is possible to form estimates which may vary several 

 liundred per cent from the truth, in either direction. I have seen 

 cane fields so sparsely sown and of such poor quality as to produce not 

 more than 10 to 15 piculs (0.G3 to 0.95 metric tons) to the hectare, 

 while on the other hand there are well-authenticated cases in the richer 

 districts where fields of several hectares in extent have averaged as 

 higb as 200 piculs, or 12.6 metric tons, to the hectare. The average 

 yield for the island is greatly reduced by the comparatively large number 

 of small growers who lack either the resources or the ability properly 

 to care for their cane. I may state from personal observation that on ' 

 a well-managed plantation — and there are a few such in Negros — the 

 yield per hectare under normal conditions of land actually planted in 

 cane will rarely fall below 60 piculs" (3.8 metric tons), and frequently 

 comes nearer 70 piculs (4.4 metric tons) ; this should hold true in 

 the poorer as well as the richer sections, as the difference in quality of 

 soil is in a measure made up for by the fact that cane grown in the 

 former is as a rule richer in sucrose and is replanted every year on 

 fresh soil, whereas in the latter it is allowed to ratoon until the yield 

 becomes greatly diminished. 



VARIETIES OF CANE GROWN IN NEGROS. 



As far as I have been able to ascertain, the only variety of cane ever 

 groAvn here to any considerable extent is the so-called "cana morada," or 



