64 



woody growth. Neither this nor number 44 were quite mature when cut. An 

 excessively dry spell at the time forced many planters to cut fields which were 

 not yet ripe in order to save them from total loss, especially in the case of 

 much cane planted late in the previous year, which had not attained sufficient 

 maturity to enable it to withstand the severe heat and dryness, and was withering 

 in the fields without ever becoming fully ripe. Nujnber 46 was taken from a 

 field similarly afi'ected. Although one of the best soils on the hacienda under 

 normal conditions, it had so badly suflPered from drought this year that probably 

 20 per cent of the cane growing on it was either too green to cut or was dead 

 and partially decayed. The canes taken for analysis, being selected with the view 

 of securing only fairly mature specimens, are apparently very good, although a 

 little young, ten months old, but canes from the same field which were being 

 ground at the mill at this time and could not be so carefully selected, despite 

 instructions which had been given to throw out dead canes as much as possible, 

 yielded a mill juice of the following composition: Brix, 16.75; sucrose, 13.46; 

 purity, 80.34 — which of course produced a very poor quality of sugar. 



Number 49 is from one of the best fields I have seen in Negros, the cane itself 

 being large and quickly grown, yet erect and of very good quality. Soil number 

 70, from this field, is very high in potash and lime, but only moderately so in 

 phosphoric acid and nitrogen. 



Number 51 is an analysis of cane from a field of very luxuriant growth; in fact, 

 much of it had fallen down so badly that the cane, although thirteen months old, 

 had not been able to ripen as it should, and as a consequence had suffered some- 

 what in quality. The soil from which it came, although very good, does not on 

 analysis show any extraordinary richness. 



About 100 kilometers south of San Carlos, or ten hours' sail by 

 water, lies Bais, the only important sugar district in the Province of 

 Oriental Negros, 43 kilometers north, by the provincial road, from 

 Dumaguete, the capital. The harbor of Bais, the best in Negros, is 

 formed by a fairly deep indentation in the coast line and is well pro- 

 tected from rough weather at all times of the year by two small islands 

 directly at its entrance and by its proximity to the Island of Cebu, 

 which at this point is only 16 kilometers distant. At present it is 

 only available for vessels of comparatively light draft, as it only con- 

 tains 3 or 4 meters of water at low tide anywhere within a kilometer 

 of the shore. Transportation to Iloilo follows the same route as from 

 San Carlos, but, owing to the longer distance to be carried, freight rates 

 on sugar are somewhat higher, averaging 30 centavos per picul (4.75 pesos 

 per metric ton). Some lorchas load at a small dock on a projecting 

 point of land near the town, others at private landings on the hacien- 

 das. The haciendas of Bais are not spread out over so great an area 

 as in other districts, but are fairly well crowded together in a level 

 plain nearly surrounded by mountains, having a total extension north 

 and south of 6 kilometers, and inland from the coast from 2 to 3 

 kilometers, a large proportion of this area being cultivable sugar land. 

 Thirteen kilometers south of Bais is the barrio of Tanjay, containing 



