32 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



FERTILIZER IN THE CANE FIELD 



The necessity of fertilizing the soil of sugar estates is dealt with very fully by Mr. G. E. 

 Neesom, director of agriculture, Manila, Philippine Islands, in a very interesting way 

 in his last report, which contains man}' illustrations and maps. Noting some years ago 

 the heavy yields of sugar per acre obtained in Hawaii he expressed his surprise at the 

 yield which was officially stated to be nearly nine tons of pure sugar per acre, but 

 wihen he saw the manure bill his wonder vanished, for he then understood how such 

 yields had been secured. 



The usual practice is to use a "complete" fertilizer (containing a considerable amount 

 of nitrogen), and later on to top-dress with a liberal quantity of nitrate of soda. When 

 it is stated that in some instances as much as 1,000 lbs. of nitrate of soda per acre have 

 been applied (in three separate dressings) and paid well, and that it is quite a common 

 thing to use from 600 lbs. to 800 lbs. of nitrate of soda per acre in Hawaii, it will be 

 realized that what may appear to be extravagant fertilizing gives excellent financial 

 results. 



Heavy manure bills pay well, and if there is a cry of no profitS; then, says Tropical 

 Life of London, "we shall know the cause, for if you do not cultivate and manure you 

 cannot expect to reap." Mr. Xeesom says in pant as follows : 



"Like most plants of the grass family, the sugar cane is a rank feeder and rapidly 

 impoverishes the soil where grown, unless special care is taken to restore and maintain 

 its fertility. If nothing but the sugar in the cane were removed from the fields, soil 

 exhaustion would not occur, but unfortunately under the ordinary process of harvesting 

 and milling cane, the leaves are stripped off, the stalks entirely removed, and the bagasse 

 is burned as fuel instead of being returned to the soil. Cultivation of the stubble is very 

 difficult unless the leaves and tops are burned when dry, which practice is very common 

 in all sugar-growing countries. Where the cane is thus removed and the trash on the 

 field burned, there is a constant loss in the soil of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. 

 The burning of the trash causes total loss of the nitrogen, but the phosphoric acid and 

 potash are partially recovered in the ash resulting from the burning. .. .As much of the 

 trash and leaves as possible should be left on the ground to decay, and leguminous crops 



EL SABER A CIENCIA CIERTA LO QUE SE ESTA HACl- 

 ENDO CONDUCE AL MEJOR EXITO EN LOS NEGOCIOS 



it lid 



la caiitiilad de jugo que extrae de cada tonelada dc cana? 

 sistenia que eniplea actualniente para detcrniinar la extrac- 

 no demuestra claramente a vcces que los resutlados no son 

 correctos? 



;.Tiene la seguridad de que los rodillos 

 estan en tal condicion que puede extraer la 

 mayor cantidad de jugo? 



La Balanza Aiitomdtico de Richardson 

 para Jugo de Carta registrara continuamente 

 la verdadera cantidad de .jugo. 



;. Por que no pesar el jugo? La medicion 

 es meramente una aproximacion — el peso 

 es la exactilud. 



Por el sistema de pesar se atiende a los 

 diversos grados de espesor. 



Esta Balanza esta construida bajo la base 

 de una bascula de brazos con pesas regu- 

 lares. 



Los tanques para depositar y pesar el jugo 

 estan hechos de cobre laminado. 



Todas las palancas de funeionaniiento 

 estan heclias de bronce fosforado, y por 

 tanto son a prueba de acidos y de he- 

 rrunibre. 



Se garantiza que pcsa con una aproxima- 

 cion de 1 10 de 1 por ciento. 



Richardson Scale Co. 

 passaic, n. j. 



12 PARK ROW. NEW YORK CITY 



AoKNTEs: Galban & Co., Apartado 83, Habana, Cuba 



