Il6 PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE 



The foremost of the islands in the production of sugar 

 is Negros, and the foremost province in Luzon for its 

 production is Pampanga. The United States consumes 

 more than half of the cane sugar from the world's 

 markets. 



CONDITIONS OF GROWTH 



Heat. Cane' is distinctly a tropical plant. It grows 

 north as far as 32 in the United States, and beyond 36 

 in Spain ; but its cultivation in these places would be 

 unprofitable if it were not for protective tariffs, which 

 enable those who grow it to get high prices for all they 

 produce. Frost kills cane promptly. The temperature 

 should be high and uniform. In the Philippines it grows 

 at an altitude of at least 1200 meters, but it is not raised 

 on a large scale except in the lowlands. 



Moisture. A moist air is usually regarded as very 

 necessary for the vigorous growth of cane; and the cli- 

 mate of tropical islands, because it is uniformly warm and 

 moist, is said to be the best possible for sugar-cane. 

 Unless the cane is irrigated, it will not reach its best de- 

 velopment where the rainfall is less than 2 meters during 

 the year, nor where there is any dry season while the 

 cane is growing. A drought before the growth is com- 

 plete, results in plants with little sap, which is poor in 

 sugar. However, a dry season while the cane is matur- 

 ing is advantageous, if the crop is gathered before it 

 turns brown. 



Soil. Good sugar soil must contain abundant lime, ni- 

 trogen, and phosphorus. It is possible for a soil to con- 



