PUERTO RICO 
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT 
STATION 
MAYAGUEZ, P.R. 
Under the supervision of the 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 35 
Washington, 
D.C. 
June 1934 
SUGARCANE VARIETY P.O.J. 2878 IN PUERTO RICO 
By Robert L. Davis, Agronomist 
CONTENTS 
Page I Page 
Introduction 1 
Experimental methods 2 
Seasonal conditions 3 
Comparison of P.O.J. 2878 with other sugar- 
cane varieties 4 
Uprooting as a storm risk with P.O.J. 2878 37 
The advantages of ratooning P.O.J. 2878 40 
Reduction in cane girth of P.O.J. 2878 in 
stubble crops 42 
Advantages and disadvantages of P.O.J. 2878 
during harvest 43 
Retarded defecation with P.O.J. 2878 44 
Summary and conclusions 44 
INTRODUCTION 
Sugarcane variety P.O.J. 2878 (fig. 1) was introduced into Puerto 
Rico from Java in March 1927. In view of its outstanding behavior 
in Java, eveiy effort was made to propagate it rapidly. The experi- 
ment station at Mayaguez instructed planters how to propagate 
it by both the Javan method, which consists of separating young 
shoots from the original stool, and by the single-eye method. The 
variety is very prolific and grows rapidly — characters which facilitate 
propagation. Within 2 years after its introduction, the area on which 
the variety was grown had been extended to several thousand acres — 
a hasty extension winch proved disastrous in some cases. 
Soon after distribution of the variety in March 1928, the experi- 
ment station cautioned cane growers against extending its culture 
on too large a scale until more was known of its sugar-producing 
qualities as compared with varieties already in cultivation. Seed 
was distributed with the express understanding that it was to be 
used for experimental purposes only. Disregard of this caution 
resulted in large-scale failures in some cane-growing districts. 
In view of the contrasting climatic conditions in various parts of 
the island, the behavior of P.O.J. 2878 will be discussed by localities, 
considering in particular the east coast, the north coast, Central 
Coloso, Central Pagan, the San German Valley, and the south coast, 
respectively. Special consideration, was given to soil types in which 
P.O.J. 2878 was grown, uprooting as a storm risk, reduced culti- 
vation and replanting costs in ratoon crops, the advantages and 
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