The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1861-11-21
Correspondents 0, the pae, Commercial Advertise
Rice.
Extract Of q Esftsr.J

@-""' @@4
My object in planting rice is to realize the most
benefit with the least expense. Planting out rice
by hand. gives no doubt very prolific crops, but to
advise any one. who intends to 90 largely into the
culture of rice, 10 plant out the entire crop, would
be, in my opinion, wrong, as l myself do not follow
that plan. l leave a few patches implanted, and SOW
all the rest broadcast. If the crop IS not very even,
what may happen. l FL up where lacking and pull
out where too much, and with the oyerplus l fill up
the empty patches. Planting in rows is also unne-
cessary labor. Plant all around you, and wherever
you can stick a plant handy.
To shelter the rice land agains, wind, l can recon-
mend nothing better than the Brazil banana and
sugar cane, planted on the kuaunas. The banana in
9 few years will make a perfectly solid wall, and
groSing very high, and at the SANE time able TO
withstand the hardest blows, I conceive Of nothing
better. In regard to the stone walls which most in
yIriably compose the kuaunas, l advise you to get
rid Of them by degrees 1t is not needed that the
kuaunas are either very high or very broad, with the
exception OF those destined to be planted by bananas
or sugar-cane, and you will find that the stones are
but a harbor for rats and mice, while at the same
time q kuauna composed Of earth alone, and con-
s;antly kept moist by the surrounding water, offers
not a very desirable habiration to vermin.
Although rice receives a large amount Of nourish-
nent from the water, and the most from running
water, manuring will greatly benefit the yield. Cow
manure, as far as my experience goes, is of great
bentft. l shall try this time n mixture of lime and
soda, and inform you of the result. | have no doubt
that alkaline manures must be very useful. In re
gard to planting, | wish to tell you, that | think one
single plant sufficient in its place. | am aware that
some innovations have been made, but would not
advise you to follow the example, although a trial
would perhaps not be q great loss.
Where the land intended for rice can be laid dry,
n great advantage in labor and expense will accrue
20 fha D1an.ar ly ,rArEsn- shn -rr,,l NH .~a.
which is a great saving of manual labor. I first cut
the rank grass reeds and PUSHES short, and when dry
burn them. Next | cut, with Mr.. Ladd's newly i'm
ported spades. the Jumps and knobs, which are a
mass of roots. and throw them aside. After this, my
ground is even, and | proceed to turn it over in broad
burrows very nicely, so that one furrow claps even on
the other. Then | let the water on, say n foot high,
for about q fortnight, and by that time the whole sod
is rotted. By going over the ground in the water
with n light harrow, SO as not to disturb the sod I'M
derneath, you have n fine mu 1, well MANFRED I'M
derneath, and ready for sowing. If the ground is
not quite level, l take a long two inch board, fix a
rope to each end, put two boys on the board, flsten
the oxen to the rope aud give the boys n most de-
lghtful circus ride over the slick mud, till the ground
is perfectly level. You have asked me, of our taro
lands are suitable for rice. 1 have visited the rush
land at Waikiki, and as far as my opinion goes, l
would advise nobody to burn his fingers by under
taking rice culture in that delectable situation. As
long rs any taro land can be had at any price, it is
better than those rush ! nds Mt a gift. The whole so
called soil is but a tangled mass of rush roots. The
labor and expense TO extinguish those PUSHES must be
immense, q know a little about that, but when you
have taken out all the noxious roots, I would ask you
where is your soil: Just about one foot deep under
the dirty, %stagnant, brackish water, and just about
six or eight inches over the hard coral bed. You
have no means to regulate the water. which takes its
level from the ocean. Where you want to SOW your
seed, / don't know. Every year your soil becomes
less and your water more, and stagnant water ut
that. imrregnated by the salt of the sea- Rice in
Carolina is raised Oh the IN rshes. but the planter has
perfect control over the water. Although anxious to
see as much land cultivated in rice rs is possible, l
would advise none to 60 to work in land where be can
neither SOW nor reap. IIoLsTEIN.