89 



Estimate of the approximate cost of caring for 1 hectare of land already planted 

 and allowed to ratoon unthout replanting from the time the first crop has 

 been taken off and the field burned until the second crop is ready for cutting, 

 based on the cost of labor at 40 centavos per day, no charge being made for 

 work animals, implements, or supervision. 



Nature of work performed. 



Preliminary cleaning of field 



"Pahulug" (two furrows between rows) 



"Pacad" (cleaning dirt away from roots of old plant with 



days 

 required. 



10 



man-day.s 

 required. 



hoe) 



"Tudling" (straight plowing to kill weeds) 



First weeding (with hoe) 



"Pasandig" (three furrows between rows) 



"Pahulug" (two furrows between rows) 



Second weeding (with hoe) 



"Pasaea" (final plowing of four furrows, banking up rows) 



Total 



10 



Cost in 

 Philippine 

 currency. 



48 



62 



Pesos. 

 1.G0 

 2.00 



5.60 

 1.60 

 4.00 

 2.00 

 1.60 

 4.00 

 2.40 



24.80 



Thus, it will be seen that on the average for a fairly well equipped and managed 

 plantation in Negros, growing half plant cane and half ratoons, there will be 

 required for each hectare of land in cultivation the services of one carabao for 

 72 days and of one laborer for 89.5 days, at a cost for the latter of 35.80 pesos. 

 The period of time over which these cultural operations extend, from the burning 

 of the first field to the closing of the last, may be placed at approximately seven 

 months of 25 working days each, or a total in each year of 175 working days, 

 and for purpose of calculation it can be stated that 1 hectare of land requires 

 for its cultivation jY^ or 0.441 "carabao-year," if the term may be admitted, and 

 «4;j or 0.511 "man-year," the value of a man-year for field work being put at 

 7() pesos. If carabaos are not owned by the hacienda, but rented, or charged for 

 as rented, at the rate of 50 centavos per day, a carabao-year would be worth 

 87.50 pesos, and the expense charged to cultivation would be almost exactly 

 doubled. Perhaps the better way of calculating, however, is to charge for the 

 bare cost in wages of men and figure in the work animals later together with 

 the cost of implements and general equipment. 



Land cultivated in the previousl}^ described manner may be expected 

 to yield from 40 to 80 piculs (2.53 to 5.06 metric tons) of raw sugar 

 per hectare and will average, between plant cane and "kalaanang," 

 fully 60 piculs (3.79 metric tons), so that the average amount paid 

 .out in wages and maintenance of laborers for field work in cultivating 

 and caring for the cane, when reduced to the unit basis of sugar pro- 

 duced, comes to 60 centavos per picul, or 9.49 pesos per metric ton. 



This figure will undoubtedly be considered too high by some growers and too 

 low by others, depending largely on the amount of ratoon cane they raise, but it 

 approximates very closely the average cost throughout Negros. It may be ob- 

 jected, with some degree of truth, that the average production of Negros is not 



