44 il 1 i I TIN 85, PUERTO RICO EXPERIMENT STATION 
RETARDED DEFECATION WITH P.O.J. 2878 
Retarded defecation during the grinding of P.O.J. 2878 has been 
reported from Centrals Coloso and Constancia. The cane of other 
varieties lias had to be ground along with thai of P.O..!. 2878 when 
the purity of the Latter was very low. No trouble was experienced at 
either centra] when the purity of P.O.J. 2878 was satisfactory. Cen- 
tral Guanica pound about 600 acres of P.O.J. 2878 in 1932, but had 
no serious difficulty with defecation. This cane was grown largely on 
well-ditched clay where the variety ripens well and high purity is the 
rule. Normal defecation may be had on proper soil-. P.O.J. 2878 
should never be grown On humid lowlands where it doe- not ripen well. 
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 
At Pajardo and the eastern end of the island gran-cultura P.O.J. 
2878 did not equal B.H. 10(12) in sugar production, either in pre- 
liminary or in general field trials on lowland. The value of P.O.J. 
2878 on upland soils in this area is not known. 
P.O.J. 2878 outyielded B.H. 10(12) in sugar production in primavera 
and ra toons near Cambalache and San Vicente. These results were 
not, however, corroborated by general field gran-cultura plantings 
on lowland. 
General field results along the entire north coast and in the Anasco 
Valley demonstrated the superiority of B.H. 10(12) over P.O.J. 
2878 in gran-cultura plantings on lowland soils subject to overilow; 
this was particularly true of the friable alluvial soils. In the same 
area the sugar production of P.O.J. 2878 in gran cultura has been 
superior to S.C. 12/4 and to P.O.J. 2725 on uplands. 
In the gran-cultura variety trial at Central Coloso on siltv clay, 
P.O.J. 2878 equaled B.H. 10(12) in sugar production. This result 
was confirmed by general field tests largely on soils of a heavy type, 
either clay or silty clay. 
At Isabela, in general field trials, P.O.J. 2878 was superior to S.C. 
12/4 in cane production, but generallv lower in sugar yield. Neither 
S.C. 12/4 nor P.O.J. 2878 is satisfactory for this district, but both give 
better results than does B.H. 10(12). 
At Anasco P.O.J. 2878 was definitely inferior to B.H. 10(12) in the 
1931 variety trial on friable alluvial soil subject to overilow. In two 
other gran-cultura variety trials at Anasco, near Central Pagan, on 
soil of a heavier type the difference between B.H. 10(12) and P.O.J. 
2878 was insignificant in one instance, but P.O.J. 2878 was superior 
in sugar production in the other. 
General field results in the San German Valley were favorable and 
corroborate those with P.O.J. 2878 in variety trials. Both primavera 
and gran cultura outyielded adjoining fields of B.H. 10(12) or P.O.J. 
2725. P.O.J. 2878 is considered the outstanding variety for the clay 
soils in this area where it has uniformly given a high sucrose content. 
On friable alluvial soils which were flooded over its juices were inferior. 
Because of an inadequate number of variety trials along the south 
ccast, it is not certain whether P.O.J. 2878 or B.H. 10(12) is the better 
variety for that area. 
The objections to P.O.J. 2878 are tendency to uproot, reduction in 
cane girth in ra toons, hairy leaf sheaths, profuse arrowing, and 
retarded defecation due to low percentage purity. 
