68 



in June or July. Efficient canalization also is found to be of great help 

 in reducing the loss occasioned by water stagnating on the fields. 



Just one soil of the entire district, number 79, is reported as being unproductive 

 for sugar growing. In the past it has been cultivated to a certain extent, but 

 never successfully except in extremely dry years, when it is said to produce a 

 cane small in size, but of very good quality. Several years ago the owner sustained 

 such severe losses through having almost the entire crop of cane planted on this 

 land killed by too much rain, that some 400 hectares of it have been completely 

 abandoned as far as sugar raising is concerned. Analysis shows this soil to be 

 fairly rich in everything except lime, in which it is very deficient compared 

 with other soils of the district. In physical composition it is. shown to contain 

 more clay and silt, and less sand than the soil from other parts of the district 

 An attempt is now being made to improve this field by means of deep drainage 

 ditches as a protection against stagnant water. Judging from the surrounding 

 country, it is quite possible tha,t treatment with lime up to 10 or even more tons 

 per hectare might be of gi-eat help in loosening up this soil and destroying the 

 plasticity of the clay, although of course the value of such treatment could only 

 be determined with certainty by actual tests on small portions of the field itself. 



At the time of my visit to Bais all of the estates had finished grind- 

 ing. It was therefore impossible to procure samples of cane for analysis ; 

 but, according to statements made by the planters, the cane here presents 

 no marked difference from that found in other portions of Negros. The 

 proportion of plant cane to ratoons is said to be about the same as in 

 Ilog-Cabancalan. 



THE SOIL OF NEGROS COMPARED WITH THAT OF OTHER SUGAR-PRODUCING 



COUNTRIES, 



AVERAGE COMPOSITION OF NEGROS SOIL. 



The following table shows compactly the average composition of 

 the surface and the subsoils of each of the important sugar districts 

 of Negros, together with the general average for the entire island: 



Average composition of the sugar soils of Negros. 

 SURFACE SOILS. 



No. 



District. 



Fine 

 earth. 



Per ct. 



Silay.etc | 98.17 



Bago i 98.43 



K,0. 



Na„0. 



Pontevedra-La Carlota 



Binalbagan-Isabela 



Ilog-Cabancalan 



San Carlos - ^. 



Bais 



General average 



93.03 

 99.76 

 99.51 

 94.03 

 98.78 



CaO. 



97.39 



Per ct. 

 0.52 

 .38 

 .79 

 1.50 

 3.51 

 1.94 

 2.98 



MgO. 



1.66 



Per ct. 



0.45 



.25 



.31 



.88 



1.34 



1.60 



2.00 



P=0. 



0.98 



Per ct. 

 0.09 

 .10 

 .17 

 .20 

 .19 

 .15 

 .17 



0.15 



N. 



Vola- 

 tile 

 imatter. 



Per ct. 

 0.11 

 .10 

 .17 

 .14 

 .13 

 .17 

 .15 



Per ct. 

 6.55 

 9.57 



10.68 



10.01 

 8.91 

 8.67 



10.77 



0.14 9.31 



