90 



60 piculs per hectare, but only 42.9 piculs. It will also be found true that those 

 haciendas which produce much less than 60 piculs per hectare spend proportionally 

 less in caring for their cane, so that the cost per unit of sugar raised thus tends 

 to equalize itself. 



Since each hectare of land planted in sugar cane under the previously stated 

 conditions requires 0.441 carabao-year and 0.511 man-year for its proper cultiva- 

 tion, the approximate number of animals and laborers needed for field work on 

 a hacienda of a given size can readily be determined; thus on an average-sized 

 plantation of, say, 150 hectares of cultivable land, 50 hectares of which are in 

 plant cane, 50 in ratoons, and the remaining 50 uncultivated, there will be 

 necessary some 44 carabaos and 51 laborers for field work in caring for the 

 cane before it is harvested. All this refers to cultivation by the methods now 

 in vogue. An American planter "in Negros states, however, that by the use of 

 disc plows for all operations except that of marking off cane rows for planting, 

 and by a more liberal use of the harrow, he has succeeded in materially reducing 

 the cost in animals and men required to take care of a field, and, at the same 

 time, keeps his land in better condition than under the old methods. A few of 

 the larger haciendas are equipped with steam plows, nearly all being of the direct 

 traction type. These, in light soils and in dry weather, are said to do the same 

 amount of work much more satisfactorily and at a less cost than is possible by 

 means of carabaos, although they labor under the disadvantage of not being able 

 to work well in wet or heavy clay. Quite recently a few sets of cable plows 

 have been introduced, which have to a large extent overcome this latter difficulty 

 and should prove a valuable acquisition to those who can afford them. 



CUTTING THE CANE. 



If cane tops are in immediate demand for seed, a Avhole field may 

 be topped at once and then cut later as needed for giinding. If cut 

 within two or three days after topping, there is said to be very little 

 deterioration in the juice. Sometimes, during a temporary stoppage 

 of the mill, enough cane is cut for several days' supply, a practice 

 which at times leads to serious losses when, for instance, because of 

 wet weather or some slight accident to the mill, grinding is delayed 

 longer than was intended. I once saw a mill which was crushing some 

 very good looking cane, but was turning out a sugar of 68.6 polarization 

 and 17.4 glucose. 



Juice from the mill was analyzed as follows: Brix, 20.86; sucrose, 16.18; 

 purity, 77.6; glucose, 2.76. I was informed that this cane had been topped ten 

 days previously, and owing to a breakdown in the mill had lain for five days 

 after cutting before being ground! Twenty canes were taken at random from 

 the lot, sections of about 20 centimeters in length cut from top and bottom of 

 each, and the juice from tops, middles, and bottoms analyzed separately, with the 

 following results : 



Tops. 



Bottoins. Middles. 



Brix j 21.40 



Sucrose 15.81 



Purity * 73.89 



Reducing sugar 3. 51 



Reducing sugar per 100 polarization.! 22. 2 



23.60 

 18.88 

 79.98 

 2.81 

 14.9 



21.72 

 17.34 

 79.84 

 2.75 

 15.9 



