SUGARCANE VARIETY P.O.J. 2878 IN PUERTO RICO 
15 
dustry, United States Department of Agriculture, has called attention 
to the adaptability in South Africa and the Philippines of P.O.J. 2878 
to well-drained heavy clay soils, particularly of lateritic or ancient 
volcanic origin, and that this cane was originally selected at Pasoero- 
ean on such a soil type on which it has since given the best performance 
in Java. Dr. Brandes also observed that loose alluvial and other 
soil types almost invariably give either poor tonnage, or good tonnage 
and poor sugar. These observations are in harmony with results 
obtained in Puerto Rico. 
GRAN-CULTURA TRIAL AT CENTRAL COLOSO 
In September 1930, P.O.J. 2878, in comparison with 11 other varie- 
ties of sugarcane, was planted on irrigated silty clay flat lowland near 
Coloso. The soil is more friable than are most of the lowland soils 
near Coloso, but is, nevertheless, rather compact and requires good 
drainage. The soil in plats of groups 7 and 8 was clay, calcareous 
phase. The weather was very dry (table 3) and irrigation water was 
applied until 3 months preceding harvest. The varieties were repli- 
cated seven times in Ko-acre plats and were harvested in April 1932 
when 18% months old. All plats fronted on the same margin of the 
field and consisted of two rows 135 centimeters (4K feet) apart. The 
spacings were 1 meter apart in the row and three cuttings were planted 
to a hole. The narrow plats and the method of planting gave some 
advantage to the more prolific canes, P.O.J. 2725, P.O.J. 2878, and 
Mayaguez nos. 28 and 49. A 13-10-12 fertilizer, at the rate of 500 
pounds per acre, was applied to the crop when it was 2 months old; 
and ammonium sulphate, at the rate of 600 pounds per acre, was 
applied 1% months later. The results in tonnage of cane and of sugar 
are given in table 11 and summarized in table 12. 
Table 11. — Results of gran-cultura sugarcane variety tests on irrigated silty clay to 
clay lowland at Central Coloso 
AVAILABLE 
SUGAR PER ACRE 
Yields for plat group 2 — 
Aver- 
age 
ton- 
nage 
Increase 
(+)or 
decrease 
(-)in 
tonnage 
over 
general 
average 
Variety 
No. 1 
No. 2 
No. 3 
No. 4 
No. 5 
No. 6 
No. 7 
No. 8 
V 2 
M. 3 
Tons 
5.93 
4.95 
6.30 
3.49 
5.99 
3.23 
6.36 
6.20 
4.77 
6.85 
3.20 
5.64 
Tons 
4.46 
5.23 
6.42 
5.12 
5.42 
3.37 
6.35 
6.68 
5.65 
7.28 
4.73 
6.70 
Tons 
5.03 
5.25 
6.27 
5.88 
4.88 
2.48 
6.33 
6.54 
4.85 
7.45 
4.74 
6.30 
Tons 
6.68 
5.82 
7.18 
6.92 
6.72 
4.48 
5.39 
7.22 
6.08 
6.73 
4.37 
6.32 
Tons 
5.67 
5.11 
7.00 
5.39 
6.41 
3.21 
6.16 
7.10 
4.65 
6.64 
3.60 
5.49 
Tons 
5.04 
6.95 
8.10 
6.58 
6.55 
3.59 
7.48 
8.12 
5.09 
7.44 
4.47 
6.63 
Tons 
5.66 
4.05 
6.03 
4.38 
5.95 
1.72 
5.02 
6.01 
3.99 
5.51 
2.69 
5.74 
Tons 
4.17 
4.84 
6.34 
4.74 
7.06 
2.44 
4.94 
6.72 
5.61 
6.14 
2.99 
5.29 
Tons 
5.330 
5.275 
6.705 
5.313 
6.122 
3.065 
6.004 
6.824 
5.086 
6.755 
3.848 
6.014 
Tons 
-0.119 
-.254 
+1. 176 
-.216 
+.593 
-2. 464 
+. 475 
+ 1.295 
-.443 
+ 1.226 
-1.681 
+.485 
014 
M.7 
M. 28 
M. 42 
M. 49 
P.O.J. 2714 
.064 
1.515 
.046 
. 352 
6 071 
P.O.J. 2725 
226 
P.O.J. 2878 
1.677 
S.C. 12/4 
196 
B.H. 10(12) 
1.503 
P.P.. 801 
P.R. 826 
2.826 
.235 
Average 
5.25 
5.62 
5.50 
6.16 
5.54 
6.34 
4.73 
5.11 
1 The probable error of the difference between the average tonnage acre yields of sugar of any 2 varie- 
ties= ±0.219 ton. 
3 Groups 1 to 6, inclusive, are silty clay; groups 7 and 8 are clay calcareous phase. 
