18 BULLETIN 473, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



before replanting. The planting of cane is carried on throughout 

 the year, but the best season for planting is from the middle of 

 September to the middle of January. The crop matures in about 18 

 months, and the greater portion is harvested during the period from 

 January to June. Practically all of the sugar produced on the island 

 is shipped to the United States, less than 10 per cent being retained 

 for home consumption. The shipments of refined sugar from the 

 United States to the island varied from 1,065 tons in 1903^ to 8,428 

 in 1912-13. The annual consumption of sugar varied from 18,000 to 

 28,000 tons, or a per capita consumption of from 30 to 50 pounds. 



PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 



The sugar production of the Philippine Islands has more than 

 doubled during the last 12 years. In 1902-3 the area of sugar cane 

 and the production of sugar were, respectively, 177,628 acres and 

 198,654 tons, which increased in 1913-14 to 418,676 acres and 408,339 

 tons. 



In 1902-3 two islands, Luzon and Negros, produced 90 per cent of 

 the sugar of the entire Philippine Archipelago. Luzon contained 50 

 per cent of the area of cane cultivated but produced only 38 per cent 

 of the sugar, while Negros contained only 40 per cent of the area 

 under cane but produced 52 per cent of the sugar. During the same 

 year two Provinces, Occidental Negros and Pampanga, contained 

 56 per cent of the area under cane and produced 57 per cent of all the 

 sugar produced in the islands. Occidental Negros contained 38 per 

 cent of the area under cane and produced 49 per cent of the sugar, 

 while the Province of Pampanga, in the Island of Luzon, contained 

 18 per cent of the area under cane but produced only 9 per cent of 

 the sugar. 



The cane grown in Negros is apparently much richer in saccharine 

 matter than that from any of the other islands. The average pro- 

 duction of raw sugar per acre of cane cultivated in all of the islands 

 was 2,237 pounds, while the average production for Negros was 2,863 

 pounds, and for Luzon 1,739 pounds. In 1912-13 the production of 

 sugar per acre of cane cultivated for all the islands was 1,585 pounds. 

 For Negros the production was 1,842 pounds, compared with 1.531 

 pounds for Luzon. In 1913-14 the production of sugar per acre of 

 cane cultivated was 1,951 pounds for all the islands, 2,536 for Negros, 

 and 1,536 for Luzon. 



Prior to 1901 the commercial value of the sugar crop of the Phil- 

 ippine Islands was exceeded only by that of manila hemp, but subse- 

 quent to 1900 the annual export value of sugar was three-fourths of 

 a million dollars less than that of copra, and was much less than that 

 of manila hemp. The total value of sugar exported during the 



