72 



SOILS FBOM BEBBICE.' 



■■' Analyzed by Deer. 

 MAUBITIUS SOILS." 



=> Analyzed by Deer. 

 COMPARISOX OF NEGKOS SOILS WITH THOSE OF OTHER COUNTRIES. 



Comparing all these soil analyses, it will be seen that, although not 

 preeminently rich in most constituents, the soil of ISTegros may right- 

 fully be classed as among the better of the sugar lands of the world, and, 

 given the proper care in cultivation, should be able to yield eventually 

 as much sugar in proportion to the area of ground planted as any other 

 country depending for its supply of water on its natural rainfall. 

 Practical experience in cane culture tends to establish the fact that 

 production depends more upon careful and intelligent cultivation than 

 upon any inherent richness in plant food possessed by the soil itself, 

 granted, of course, as a starting point a land not utterly deficient in 

 these necessary elements of nutrition. An example of the truth of 

 this statement is the relative productivity of different parts of the 

 Hawaiian Islands. In comparing different sugar-producing countries, 

 Hawaii is almost invariably placed in the lead without a rival, because 

 of "the enormous fertility of her soil," both fertility and average yield 

 being often grossly exaggerated. 



Geerligs * gives statistics regarding the total production of the Hawaiian Is- 

 lands" in recent years, from which it is seen that the average yield of all the land 

 under cultivation during the ten years ending with 1906 was 9.997 metric tons per 

 hectare; the arid portions of the islands, provided with expensive irrigation 



• De Rietsuikerindustrie in de verschillende landen van Productie. De Indischc 

 Mercmir (1909), 32, 897. 



