49 



Such may be the case with the four soils, numbers 42, 44, 45, aud 48, which 

 are called "poor," since they do yield many ratoon crops. Analysis shows them 

 to be just about as rich as any of the other soils of the district in every element 

 except potash, in which latter they are uniformly lower, the figures ranging in 

 the surface soils from 0.10 to 0.11 per cent. It will be remembered that in Bago 

 and Silay, whose lands average 0.11 per cent of potash or less, ratoons are very 

 uncommon, and one might be almost justified in making the statement that, under 

 the conditions prevailing in Xegros at the present time, a soil which contains less 

 than 0.11 per cent of potash will in all probability not yield profitable ratoon 

 crops, even though it be in other respects very fertile. The converse of this is 

 by no means to be inferred, as a dozen other factors might be just as important 

 or more so than the amount of potash, or, for that matter, of any other element 

 which it contains. Still, it would be interesting to try the effect of a potash 

 fertilizer on some of the non-ratooning soils of this district. 



H.OG-CABAXCAiAX. 



The last of the large sugar districts in Occidental Xegros lies .20 kilo- 

 meters south of Binalbagan in the Hog Eiver valley, and consists of a 

 strip of land about 7 kilometers wide and 25 kilometers long. Trans- 

 portation between this district and Iloilo is carried on in the same way 

 and requires about the same length of time as from Binalbagan. Freight 

 on sugar to Iloilo is from 20 to 25 centavos per picul (3.16 to 3.95 

 pesos per metric ton). The Hog Eiver is navigable by sugar lorchas 

 at high tide as far inland as the hacienda San Isidro, about the center 

 of the district, but. owing to a sand bar at the mouth of the river and 

 shallow places farther up, at least two high tides must be awaited 

 in order to get a boat in or out from this place. It takes about one 

 hour to come down the river in a banca from the town of Cabancalan 

 to the hacienda San Isidro; from there on to the town of Hog an 

 hour and a half longer; and thence to the mouth of the river from 

 one to two hours, according to the tide. A low moimtain range, distant 

 from 5 to 10 kilometers, lies on the right bank, going up. The sugar 

 lands along the left bank are best within 2 or 3 kilometers of the river, 

 then deteriorate into low rice lands for a short distance, and finally 

 merge into the rough, stony country between this point and Jimamaylan. 

 A fairly good wagon road exists on this side between the towns of 

 Hog and Cabancalan, and a passable trail northward to Suay, Jima- 

 maylan, and Binalbacan. The roads on the right side of the river 

 are limited to those kept up by the individual haciendas. 



The sugar lands of this district have been formed by alluvial de- 

 posits from the river, which overflows annually, flooding a large pro- 

 portion of the cane fields, but doing, as a rule, little damage to the 

 growing cane. They are classified locally according to their physical 

 make-up into three main t\-pes of soil. ''Bombon," a light, very sandy 

 soil, found in high places close along the river banks, is made up of 

 the fine sand and other heavier sediment which first settles as the 

 river overflows its boundaries. It has only a comparatively shallow 

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