The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1871-06-07
Farming with a Difference.

Mr. EDITOR The following, taken from the
San Francisco Bulletin, Is a good example Of the
great Importance, to the agrculturist of thorough
cultivation:
awe were shown a day or two since, a field of
the barley in Alameda County on one-haf of which
straw is as heavy as will stand without lodging.
On the other half the straw is thin and short and if
no more rain comes this part will produce about
half crop of hay. For the half the owner
estimates the value of the yield to be less than
$40 per acre. The difference between failure aud
success in this instance is owing wholly to the fact
that one half of this field powed hroe the last
time the blowing was deep, three or four inches,
we Judge, beyond the ordinary depth for sowing.
The other half was plowed once to moderate
depth, and the grain sown upon both sections at
about the same time. Tie farmer gets heavy crop
of barley by one method of cultivation, which will
bring extra prices this year. By the other method
be gets no crop of barley, and only half of an or
binary crop of hay. And yet he was told by other
farmers that deep blowing was worse than useless;
that q it took the strength out of the land" and
various other objections just about as foolish
urged. This field illustrates the value of the kind
of advice, and of the wisdom which triumphs over
ignorance and thriftless farming in this State"
In this case, it made all the difference between
crop and no crop; and in our cane cultivation it
may easily make the difference between one ton
per acre for plant cane, and two tons or two and
half or threefourths of a ton per acre and one ton
or one and a half tons for rattoOns In travelling
over the Islands, | have seen fields of cane
-, b;,b I tla ,rlfivatinn vros puita
defective. This is often accounted for by the
want Of labor; but l believe it to have been
proved by experience that one acre well cult
waited is better than two badly cultivated. 1t
makes vast difference whether you have to
pick out your cane from the rank weeds and
grass, or whether the grass and weeds are kept
under. If help is deficient, think it will be
found far more profitable to cultivate less, and do
it we'll If your labor is sufficient for the thorough
cultivation of only one hundred acres do not
undertake two hundred acres. 1t will cost less
labor to take two hundred tons from the one
hundred acres than from the two. know that
transient observers are liable to misjudge about
cultivation in such districts as IIilo and Hanalei,
where there is so much rain, and the weeds and
grass grow so rapidly and ranky, yet in Observ-
ing, have felt that the labor which can be OBJ
tanned would bring better returns if expended on
fewer acres, in most parts of the Islands where /
have visited. Where the planter, in commenc-
ing, has reasonably relied upon an amount of
labor which has failed him, Of course there is no
remedy for imperfect cultivation.
l think the blowing is generally deep, here
This is of great Importance in land which has
been considerably worn, and it has been found by
abundant experience that the crops of deeply
plowed land stand the drought far better than
those where the blowing has been slGLlo1O.
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