74 



the fields is becoming appreciated, although the latter are more fre- 

 quently used for improving the "plaza" and the roads near the mill. 

 Lime is sometimes employed, although to a very limited extent. In 

 one place I was informed that several fields had recently, been treated 

 with slaked lime to the extent of about 200 liters per hectare. When 

 asked with what object, the native foreman replied that the cane from 

 these fields yielded a juice which required an excessive amount of lime 

 for its defecation; his idea being to save lime in the sugar house by 

 adding it to the soil ! The use of artificial fertilizers is almost unknown, 

 this not being the fault of the planters so much as because thus far no 

 reliable fertilizers have been offered for sale in the lloilo market at prices 

 anywhere nearly commensurate with their real value. The amount of 

 mineral matter removed from the soil by a crop of sugar cane is not 

 excessive, and, provided the greater part of this is returned to the 

 fields each year in the form of bagasse ash and factory waste, there 

 is apparently very little need of extra fertilizers if these are considered 

 simply as a means of replenishing plant food in the soil. 



Analyses of bagasse ash from different parts of Negros indicate 

 that the cane grown there is comparatively low in mineral matter, as 

 might be expected from its low fiber content. Three samples of bagasse 

 ash collected by me from mills in the districts of Bago, Ilog-Cabancalan, 

 and San Carlos were analyzed by Mr. E. E. Williams, of the Bureau 

 of Science, with the following results : 



Analyses of bagasse ash. 



Constituents. 



Water (H,0) at 110° 



Loss on ignition^ 



Silica (SiOj) 



Ferric oxide and alumina (FeaOa+ALOa) 



Lime (CaO) 



Magnesia (MgO) 



Potash (K2O) 



Soda (Na^O) 



Phosphoric acid (PjOs) 



Sulphuric acid (SO3) 



N 



Total 



1. Hacien- 

 da Lu- 

 mangab, 

 Bago, 

 Occiden- 

 tal Ne- 

 gros. 



Per cent. 

 0.77 

 1.43 

 63.91 

 15.22 

 4.27 

 2.54 

 8.14 

 4.13 

 0.60 

 0.08 

 0.01 



2. Hacien- 

 da San 

 Isidro, 

 C a b a n- 

 c alan , 

 Occiden- 

 tal Ne- 

 gros. 



Per cent. 

 0.68 

 1.04 

 68.50 

 10.22 

 5.79 

 1.96 

 8.28 

 3.66 

 0.60 

 0.15 

 0.01 



3. Hacien- 

 da San 

 Jose, 

 San Car- 

 los, Occi- 

 d en tal 

 Negros. 



101.09 



100. 88 



Pa' cent. 

 1.32 

 4.61 

 64.27 

 11.42 

 3.85 

 2.83 

 8.16 

 3.20 

 0.59 

 0.13 

 0.03 



100. 38 



» All the samples contained ferrous iron to such an extent that many particles of ash 

 were attracted by the magnet. As no determination of ferrous iron was possible on 

 account of carbonaceous matter, no correction has been made in totalling. 



