The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1895-11-29

aoout one third Of one per cent. {
lime, potash, phosphoric acid an
nitrogen respectively, and there al
analyses which show that on an avel
[ age, in each 100 tons of our soils,
tons, and in a few examples % tons, {
metallic iron are contained. 1t
true that one third of one per cent. {
lime, or of the other three elements, i
the soil would be ample for a va:
number of crops of cane were it avail
/. able. If these elements in the so
were available, however, what woul
be the end of system of agricultur
will continue to draw upon the soil an
place nothing in return? Exhaustion
must be the result And such a sys
l tenn Is one of plunder, and in set op
position to modes of fertilization
which aim to maintain and increas
the fertility of soils, not only by max
ing good the substance which crop
have taken out but by providing Ii
greater amplitude the special ele
ments of food that certain plants re
quire.
In the report on soils, by way o
explaining the reasons why in the
beginning only partial analyses were
being made it was stated that "the
only elements OF plant food which We
purchase in fertilizers are nitrogen,
phosphoric acid, potash and lime. y
Account is not taken of any other
constituents which are found in the
organisms of plants. Therefore our
attention will be given to the four ele
ments mentioned, and first in the
order to Nitrogen. This element is
OF the greatest moment to the life
and growth of plants. 1t is a constitu
ent If the albuminoids, and these
bodies compose in great measure the
living protOplasmic fluid which is
contained within and moves between
the minute cells which form the inte-
rior structure of plants. At this place
Professor Maxwell went into an ex-
haustive examination of the needs of
the cane based upon the nature Of the
soils, which was explained in his re-
port on soils to which attention was
called yesterday. He shows that
nitrogen is the "great want of our
Soils" and discusses that element as
follows:
The source of the organic nitrogen
present in soils is not only a question
of scientific interest, it may be made
to involve the further practical sub
ject of green fertilization. The cane
grows by the multiplying of the cells
by which 1t is constructed, and as
these cells grow and new ones are
formed by aid of the nitrogenous fluid
which exists and moves within them,
nitrogen is indispensable TO the eco
nomy OF its organism, and probabl,
the element most vital to its life.
The time Of greatest growth, or cell |
production, is from the time OF plant |
ing up to the period when the cane
gives its attention more exclusively |
to making and storing up sugar in its
cells; consequently it is at the begin.
ming, and during the early part of its
life, that the cane demands nitrogen.
Sugar is composed exclusively Of the
elements carbon, hydrogen and oxy-
gen; therefore in the making of sugar
BY the nitrogen does not directly play
my part. ASS matter Of experience we
.now that excess of nitrogen prevents
he formation OF sugar, by prolouging
he period Of growth and preventing
normal maturity.
In our mauka virgin soils, the nitro.
ZEN content is found to be almost
hree times greater than in the low
and virgin soils. The rainfall upon
he average Of the mauks lands, SO |
sr as the data in hand show, is not 4,
ute twice that Of the mskai lands.
Rains bring down nitrogen 10 the
orms OF ammonia or nitric acid from I
he air into the soil, and this is great
ource OF available nitrogen. II how I
ver, the ammonia and nitrates con.
aimed In rain are the only source Of I
itrogen which plants make use OF it I
difficult to explain how it is that 6
be nitrogen found in upper lands il 9
ven more than three times greater I
han that OF the low lands, whilst the G
ainfall OF the upper lands is Lot quite e
vice ss much as that of the maksi G
ands. Moreover, it has been shown {
the report on soils that the waste I
nitrogen from the upper lands is q
cry notable by reason Of the heavy Il
much of which goes direct 4
the ocean, whilst there /, still the @
mailer waste to be included which v
roceeds from surface vegetable de-
These considera tions d
ppear to suggest that, in addition to 3,
he nitrogen which has been taken up b
om the soil, by means OF the greater o
egetable activity upon the upper
nds, caused by the greater rainfall,
me free nitrogen has been taken
ON the air and used by vegetation. tc
he grasses, weeds and trees upon the IL
Iper lands are not the kinds which ii
ipertments have shown to be great "
,trogen gstherers; but this circum- oI
ance only suggests, further, that ol
ooably the abstraction OF the FREE "
trogen from the air Is o constant v,
ocess OF vegetation universally, but r,
most Instances the amount OF ab- dt
rsction is 80 minute and the rate 80 "
w that experiments, so far, have I'll
It detected 1t. At this time, how to
er, we have no need to consider at NJ
igth the secondary sources Of nitro pr
q, all Of which element 1 consider 90
me originally from the nitrogen of d.
atmosphere, as certainly does the hi
,meDt carbon; and we are interested eli
speaking Of q few well known th
ants that are believed to be special at
therers OF nitrogen from the air, and fe
, valuable green fertilizers. .u
Professor Maxwell, at this point. m
We some extremely interesting data AL
owipg the effect of sea spray upon
charac er of the cane, and then br
ike of phosphoric acid as follows: re
Acid.-Phospborus, the gr
al element OF this acid, is q con- m
ut constituent of vegetable organ cd
ls 1t is present in some kinds of otl
'uminoids and invariably, In some tn
'portion, in plant oils and fats. va
ring The course q a long studv of an