II 
BULLETIN 35, PUERTO inco i:\PERIMENTSTATION 
Tabli 10. h'rsults of first ratoons sugarcane variety teats on lowlands at Centrals 
< ia and Carrm n, ( .tinned 
Variety, culture, rise <»f Held, ;m<i oharactex of -oil 
i re! ratoons • cut In Janu 
Field do. 9 (5.75 acres), Campanulas, Irrigated poorl] 
drained claj loan (low-lying) 
P.i i i 2878 (first ratoons • cut In March): 
Field no. i (1.78 seres), Campanulas, Irrigated poorly 
drained sill loam - 
P. O.J. -NTs (9-month fir>t ratOOnS CUt Ul March): 
Field do. * (4.8 acres), Monserrate, Dorado/ Irrigated 
poorly drained silt loam 
H.II. 10(12) (9-month first ratoons cut in April): 
Field do. fi (3.79 acres), Monserrate, Dorado, Irrigated 
poorlj drained silt loam 
I 2878 I i-'-inonth first ratoons cut In March): 
Field DO. 1-1 (3.83 acres). Monserrate, Vega Baja,' unirri- 
gated fairly well-drained loam 
P. 11. H) (12) (12-month first ratoons cut in February): 
Field no. 11 (13 acres), Monserrale, Vega Baja, unin 
fiirly well-drained loam 
Acre 
yield 
of cane 
Ton* 
32.35 
46.00 
18 00 
55.00 
37.00 
.Normal juice 
anal 
Purity 
Percent 
10.57 
1 1. 64 
. 
81. SO 
in cane 
8.76 
11.00 
8.24 
Avail- 
able 96° 
Tun* 
2.86 
2.45 
3.56 
1.80 
4.80 
3.06 
' Where age of cane is not given no data were available. 
6 Monserrate, Dorado, and Monserrate, Vega Baja, belong to Central Carmen. 
The reaction of the first ratoons was the same as for gran eultura. 
Sucrose contents generally were unsatisfactory and inferior to those 
of B.H. 10(12) on poorly drained soils, regardless of type. In the 
only instance where a satisfactory sucrose content was secured, the 
soil was a clay loam of a semiupland type. This favorable result 
was duplicated on the same type of soil in the 1933 crop of Central 
Constancia; among 13 fields of P.O.J. 2878 ratoons reported upon, 
13.25 acres of the crop on this soil, harvested in March, averaged 
the highest sugar in cane, 12.45 percent, and the highest in sugar 
production, 3.87 tons per acre (field no. 60, Rosario, Dorado). The 
average sugar in cane for the 13 fields was 10.1 percent and 4 lowland 
fields ranged betw r een 7 and 9 percent. On a well-drained lowland 
loam at Central Carmen, P.O.J. 2878 in one instance exceeded B.H. 
10(12) by 0.74 ton of sugar per acre. The following explanation 
is offered by Ray C. Roberts for the low juices of P.O.J. 2878 on 
certain soils: 
If P.O.J. 2878 is thrown down by wind or by rain on hill land, it will fail 
to germinate, because the surface is seldom wet enough to enable the variety to 
take root at the joints. On the other hand, on some lowland soils, because of 
the frequent flooding, the surface is wet enough for the cane to germinate as 
soon as it comes in contact with the ground, and many water suckers then 
develop and lower the sucrose content. 
In general, the results both in gran eultura and ratoons offer no 
encouragement for the cropping of P.O.J. 2878 on friable or flooded, 
alluvial lowlands of the north coast. Had the experimental prima- 
vera crops of Centrals Oambalache and San Vicente been duplicated 
in gran eultura, both on friable alluvial and on imperfectly drained 
clays, before the very rapid extension of P.O.J. 2878, the financial 
losses resulting from low percentage of sugar in cane could probably 
have been avoided. 
P.O.J. 2878 should not be planted on poorly drained or on friable 
alluvial soils subject to overflow. In this connection, E. W. Brandes. 7 
of the Division of Sugar Plant Investigations, Bureau of Plant In- 
" In personal letter to the Chief of otliie of Experiment Stations. 
