Land grants were obtainable from the Spanish Government by proving priority of claim, but the concession was only given after wearisome delay, and sometimes it took years to obtain the title-deeds. Then large capital was requisite to utilize the property, the clearance often costing more than the virgin tract, whilst the eviction of squatters was a most difficult undertaking: "_J'y suis et j'y reste_," thought the squatter, and the grantee had no speedy redress at law. On the other hand, the soil is so wonderfully rich and fertile that the study of geoponics and artificial manuring was never thought essential. The finest sugar-cane producing island in the Archipelago is Negros, in the Visaya district, between N. latitudes 9 deg. and 11 deg.. The area of the Island is about equal to that of Porto Rico, but for want of capital is only about one-half opened up. Nevertheless, it sent to the Yloilo market in 1892 over 115,000 tons of raw sugar--the largest crop it has yet produced. In 1850 the Negros sugar yield was 625 tons. The price of uncleared land there, suitable for sugar-cane cultivation, in accessible spots, was, say, P35 per acre, and cleared land might be considered worth about P70 per acre. The yield of sugar-cane may be estimated at 40 tons per acre on the estates opened up within the last ten years, whilst the older estates produce per acre nearly 30 tons of cane, but of a quality which gives such a high-class sugar that it compensates for the decrease in quantity, taking also into account the economy of manipulating and transporting less bulk. Otaheiti cane (yellow) is generally planted in Luzon, whilst Java cane (red) is most common in the southern islands. _Tubo_ is the Tagalog generic name for sugar-cane. The following equivalents of Philippine land-measures may be useful, viz.:-- 1 Quinon = 40,000 square varas = 10,000 square brazas. = 5 cabans = 6.9444 acres = 2.795 hectares. 1 Balita = 4,000 square varas = 1,000 square brazas. = .69444 acre = .2795 hectare. 1 Loan = 400 square varas = 100 square brazas. = .06944 acre = .02795 hectare. 1 Square Braza = 3.3611 square English yards. = 4,355.98 square English inches. 1 Square Vara = .8402 square English yards. = 1,088.89 square English inches. 1 Acre = 5,760 square varas = 1.44 balitas. = .72 caban = .404671 hectare. The average yield of sugar per acre is about as follows, viz.:-- Pampanga Province, say @ 6 1/2% extraction = 1.95 Tons of Sugar. Other Northern provinces, say @ 5 1/2% extraction = 1.65 Tons of Sugar. Negros Island (with almost exclusively European mills), say @ 7 1/2% extraction = 2.75 Tons of Sugar.