The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-12-03

climatic conditions, by winch quite
new truths were brought 10 light.
Upon the rainfall his words were a
follows: On all the islands the vaTia-
ton % rainfall j. cO-incident with the
changes IN elevation. Without doubt,
then, the greater rainfall il the means
of the va-ter vegetation, and this
vegetation the cause auh seat OF the
higher nitrogen content Of the high.
In the light OF these observations
upon the nitrogen contents OF the
makai and mauka lands We can low
return To our first table % results and
find an ample explanation Of the diff
fereut amounts Of nitrogen ioInd III
the soils Of Oahu, Maui and Kauai.
On Oahu our plantations rest almost
exclusively upon makai lands. As
result, one sample of soil from Eva
gives the lowest nitrogen on our
Tecord-O O73 per cent. Waianae soils
show less than o. per cent. When
we move round to the windward side
of the island the nitrogen in the soil
rises with the increased fall Of rain
and the beginning elevations Of the
land, a. at Heei4, where the nitrogen
in the soil is 30 per cent. On Kauai
are found similar conditions. The
lOwlands which form the plantations
in the district of Kekaha and Mana
contain on an average only o. per
cent. of nitrogen, whilst soils from
the mauka lands Of Kealia and Kiia-
nae, with the wiudwar1 exposure and
more rain, are found To- cOutain O.32l
per cent. On Maui are extremes of
conditions yet more illustrative
Spreckelsville, whose lands occupy
the isthmus which ties together the
two great crater mountains Of Maui.
There are still remnants Of reefs I'M
DERIVING the soil in places, and in one
place, where coral chips were found
mixed up with the surface soil, the
lime content Of a sample analysed was
1852 per cent, and which are very
little above sea level and the rainfall
only about twelve inches per year, are
notably poor in nitrogen, tine mean of
five soils being OILS per cent. In the
Hama district, where the rainfall on
the highlands is very considerable,
the average of ten mauka soils taken
at elevations of from 400 feet to 800
feet, showed a nitrogen content of
O.635 per cent.
There considerations show us that
the difference in the nitTOgens given
in the table of averages of the three
islands is a matter of elevation and
rainfall upon each of the islands, and
no Indication of a difference in COM
position of the soils OF the islands re-
garded as a whole.
After this DIR. Maxwell proceeded to
speak of the sO-called mechanical
state of our soils, drawing attention to
completely new features in the study
of soils. He then referred to- the eli
mate in its probable relation to the
sugar production of the islands in the
following words:
CLIMATIC EFFECTS.
To the explanations which have
been offered of the causes of differences
in the productiveness of the low and
upper lands, the matter of tempera-
ture must be specially added. | am
impressed that the temperature of our
islands Is one of the most important |
factors the ease with !
which sugar is produced here. Soil Is /
and water is important, |
but these two factors make miserable |
results in the absence of the true sugar
climate. We see this even on these |
islands. Canes on our dry, low lands
upon the sheltered sides of the islands,
with enough water, very much sur
pass the windward crops; and on the
uplands we know that it is quite
question Of elevation, for il we 60 high
enough the cane actually refuses to
mature. Probably il is the evenness
Of the temperature and the absence of
extremes Il have noted my theTmOm-
eter vary in it's maximum summer
only between SO and 50 deg.
or a whole month, and for ten con
days reach 81 deg, and the
minimum readings behave in the
same way, and going down To
about 10 degrees), which is
he significant feature. High day
aud low night temperatures are
lot favorable to even growth, what
.ver the effects OF these extremes or
inactivity may be. With evenness OF
warmth the cell production in the
,ane structure is continuous and uni
Orm aud, from some mild examples
IN these islands, we have learned that !
climatic variations stop growth, make I
Ong end short joints, contract the
hort joints so that the circulation Of ;
he juice Is almost stopped, upon
which impure juices follow, with high
mounts of gums.
/ am with the present knowledge of
he soils, quite unable to- find an ade-
Iuate reason for the munificent pro-
luctIveuess of these islands outside OF
he vitality favorable nature of the
climate. II this is the truth, it is a
truth; for we may feel reas-
'nably sure that climate is prop
.rty which will not become ex- .
lausteG.
In this beginning of the work of our
we have already learnt =,
of the nature of our soils, ,
md of the original similarity in
he composition of the soils of ;
he islands as a whole. The diff
erences, We have observed, are main
Y between upper and lower lands, ,
nd these differences are caused by
distinctions in elevation, exposure, or
,riefy, by climatic conditions. We t
lave seen that these climatic differ
noes operate, on the Que hand, in
ausing the accumulation of organic
nitrogen in the upper lands by means
f the vaster vegetable activity. These
will not only aid in lay
ng the foundations of a thorough
tudy of the soils of these Islands, ,
hey must guide us in the matter of .
which merely means the !
he supplying and restoring of ele- !