The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1880-07-14
In rnr nrosant smear excitement much en.

In THE present sugar excitement much en-
ergy and intelligence is shown in putting mp
machinery and apparatus, in clearing and pre-
pairing land, and in bringing water past great
obstacles. for irrigation, but few trouble them
selves about keeping up the richness of the
soil. There is with some fever Of desire for
realizing the greatest profits Immediately, re-
gardless of the future. Others, lacking conf
dence in their ability to make profits by making
sugar, look forward only TO driving affairs for
two or three years and then when appearances
are at high-water mark, to selling out at
large profit. Thus inferior work and exhaust
i've methods of cultivation become matter of
course. This is not creditable to those guilty
of it, nor fair to those who may succeed them
az purchasers or heirs. Intelligent agriculture
will preserve the resources of the soil, as 0
duty the land owner owes to the country. To
exhaust fertile soil is as really waste as it
would be to destroy forest. Some Of the
best plantations here are specially cared for in
this particular. Not only are the cane fields
allowed long periods of rest after period Of
cultivation, but they are thoroughly manured
before re-planting; such plantations owe it to
this treatment that they hold their own and
even improve their condition from year to year.
Other plantations, which have been recklessly
cropped year after year with little or no rest
to their over-worked lands and with no return
to the soil of plant food, are surely and rapidly
deteriorating, and are raising less sugar to the
acre each year. The manuring of cane lands
by herding cattle or sheep at night in movable
pens, as practiced by several of the Kauai
plantations, is an inexpensive and very eff
fective method of enrichng the soil, where the
plantation has cattle or sheep. All plantations
should make an immense quantity of enriching
material from the waste of the sugar-mill dur
ing the grinding season. The fine remnant of
the trash which collects over the trash yard
and in the trash houses, the ashes and other
waste matter from the different furnaces, the
skimmings from the boiling house would, if
properly treated, combine in one admirable
fertilizer, and this at small expense. The
ashes and trash dust should be carted and
scraped to place set apart near the mill for
the compost heap, slight depression in the
ground being most favorable for the purpose,
and drains from the boiling house for conduct
ing the liquid waste led to the same locality
other suitable materials could be added to the
pile from time to time--it would in fact be-
come a convenient receptacle for many things
which would be nuisances everywhere else.
The heap would be benefited by being worked
over occasionally; for this purpose hogs would
be as effectual as anything. Such plan faith
fully carried out could not fail in the produc-
tion of vast pile of good fertlizing material
every year, to the great benefit of the cane
fields and 10 the profits of owners. A ton of
manure has its cash value as really as a ton Of
sugar, and to realize this marks an intelligent
cane grower as distinguished from an Ignorant