29 



The following data give the area of land and production of sugar 

 in Bago during 1908 : 



Area and production of the Bago district. 



Number of growers in the district, 42. 



Area of growers' land actually cultivated in sugar 



Area of growers' land adapted to sugar culture but not planted 



Total available sugar land 



Average area of land per grower: 



Planted 



Not planted 



Total 



60.8 

 68.4 



129. 2 



Pkuls. 



Average of .sugar produced . , 1,993 



Average yield of sugar per hectare ! 32.8 



Total sugar produced j 83,691 



Metric ton^. 

 126.1 

 2.07 

 .i,293 



The average grower of this district, while owning somewhat less 

 sugar land than is the general average for Negros, has considerably 

 more of it planted in cane. The decidedly low yield per hectare of 

 land is brought about by ineflBcient cultivation because of lack of capital 

 in many haciendas. In this district, moreover, the yield per hectare 

 computed from these figures is probably much further from the true 

 average yield than in other localities. The year 1908 was a decidedly 

 poor one for Bago, while, on the contrary, a considerably greater amount 

 of land had been planted for the year 1909, as will be shown by the 

 following figures: 



'I^otal yield of sugar. 



Piculs. 



1907 91,775 



1908 83,691 



1909 (estimated) 103,620 



The only figures available over the whole island for calculating the yield per 

 hectare were the area of land planted for 1909 and the total production in 1908, 

 which, taken as a whole, give fairly correct results, although a trifle low, but 

 in the case of Bago, in particular, they lead to an erroneous conclusion. Assuming 

 the estimated yield for 1909 to be the true one, the yield per hectare in Bago 

 would be 40.6 piculs, a figure more nearly approximating that for the whole of 

 Negros. In addition, some of the figures reported from Bago were decidedly 

 irregular, due probably to some misconception on the part of the planters as to 

 the information desired. The Government was obliged to depend for this infor- 

 mation almost entirely upon statements made by the planters themselves, and I 

 know of at least one instance where the yield per hectare of land planted, 

 calculated, from a planter's statement, averaged only 20 piculs, whereas I have 

 positive knowledge that ordinarily it would run nearly 60. 



