The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-11-03
Interesting Facts Concerning Its
Cultivation.
the METHODS " MANUFACTURE
Sugar M Is Hase Existed In Eatavis
Since the B.s ming Of The
Seveneeath Century.
[By II. C. Prinsen Geerligs.l

Inc sugar Industry, winch ever IuT-
nishes one of the chief products Of Eu-
ropean cultivation, in Java Is of COM
paratively recent date. Ever since the
beginning of the seventeenth century
few sugar mills existed in the vicin-
ity Ut Batavia, but their capacity was
SO insignificant that they did not turn
out more than 5000 tons of sugar even
in the most advantageous years. 1t
was not before 1880 that the Govern
ment, in virtue of the so-calied "cul-
tural system" strongly assisted the SUI
gar industry and granted loans free
from interest to any people willing to
start cane-sugar factory. The Gov
eminent had the canes planted and
carried to the mil by the natives in
return for which the manufacturers
had to deliver a certain percentage of
their sugar at a fixed price. The bal
ance between this price and the mar
ketable value was distributed among
the native planters save certain COM
mission which the Government kept
for herself. This system has been
gradually abandoned and since 1890
the sugar industry Is quite independent
Of the Government.
The sugar estates are exclusively to
he found in the central and eastern
part of the island. the climate of the
western part being too rainy for profit
able cane-growing. Planting and man
ufacturing are in the same hands. but
in Java we do not find, properly
speaking, sugar plantations, as the
land is owned by the natives in COM
mercial possession and is rented from
10
cd Is rather expensive since the rent
amounts to about S. to $40 per acre per
annum, but the right in irrigation wa
ter is included In the price, and, more
over. this system Of renting. for one
year brings a very useful rotation of
crops with 1t. AS rule the planters
come back with cane In the same field
every third year and during the inter-
walls the natives plant rice, maise. corn,
indigo, etc, of which rotation the fol-
lowing scheme may give an idea:
April, 1S99-June. 1899, digging
trenches, land lying fallow.
June, 1S99-AugGst or September,
1890. cane.
August, 1900 October. 1900, maise
for fodder.
October, 190O-March, 1901. rice.
April, 1901-October, 1901, maise.
beans. indigo.
October. 19O1-March. 1902. rice.
April. 1902-Preparing for cane
again.
Apart from this rotation of crops
being very valuable for growing canes,
the irrigation required for the two con-
secutive rice crops brings huge quanti
ties of fertile volcanic ashes and silt
on the land and thus improves its
quality.
In the parts of the island where cane
is grown we distinguish two very dis
tinctly marked seasons, each lasting
six months. viz, the dry season be-
tween the 18th of April and the 18th of
October. and the rainy season during
the other six months.
All planting and grinding operations
have to take place in the dry season,
as during the other time outdoor work
is hardly possible. whilst the roads are
impracticable and would not allow any
transport of canes.
As soon as the rice crop has been
harvested the sugar planters start
working the land. digging trenches
around and through the fields for
drainage. and ploughing them in those
parts OF the island where the clay IL
not too heavy. Next the drills are
made in the fields. ordinarily they are
aug at n distance between the centers
of 4 feet. "a or 20 feet long. / foot deem
and IL TO 18 inches wide The land ia
allowed TO lie fallow In this state for
six to eight weeks. exposed IN the ac.
tion of the weather and sunshine
which will decompose the particles of
volcanic ash and cause them TO give IN
the fertilizing constituents they con-
tain. Fortunately we have not to fear
an overrunning OF the land with nox-
ious grasses and weeds which In many
other countries would neutralize the
effect OF this following.
In proper time the ane-tOps are
planted in the drills, covered with a
little earth and then the field is irri-
gated. which is repeated every fourth
or sixth day until the canes have
reached a certain length. Occasionally
The fields are weeded and the canes
trashed and banked. causing them to
stand on rather high banks or ridges
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