The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-09-16
DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURE.
Possibilities of Hawaiian Soil for
CrOpS.

Possibilities of Hawaiian Soil for
Crops.
The Hawaiian Experiment Station,
which is, in the first place, for the
study of problems bearing on sugar
production, is also engaged in expert
ments with general agricultural crops,
and Is kinds of cereals, legumes and
| roots have already been tested, with
results which show that most tenn
perate climate crops will thrive well in
these soils and climate. The latest ex-
periments completed were with the
marigold wurzel and the sugar beet.
| These experiments were made in re-
Spouse to several plantations asking:
Whether some root crops could not be
grown that would furnish succulent
| feed to cattle, sheep and mules, as we'll
as hogs, when no cane tops were avail
able?"
These root crops were planted, and
grew rapidly and without mixed fertl-
liZers, and the results were as follows:
Mangold wurzel, 30.5 tons per acre;
sugar beet, 22.5 tons per acre. In order
to Judge of this production compare
lively, the figures bearing on the sugar
beet crop are placed by the side OF the
yields of beets obtained by the expert
ment stations in France and the united
States (the data from France were re-
ceived by the French Government, and
the data from the United States were
the results obtained by DR.. Maxwell,
who began and conducted the sugar
60. In Init
eminent in Nebraska): Capelle
(France), IT'S tons per acre; Nebraska
Omitted States), 1870 tons per acre;
Hawaii, 22.5 tons per acre.
The results of Hawaii however, have
to be doubled, because this climate al
lows two crops of beets to be grown in
one year, against one crop in the other
mentioned countries. Mangolds and
beets will thrive best on the low Una
kai) lands, but will not do we'll on the
high (mauka) lands, for reasons that
DR.. Maxwell will publish at length
later. Upon the low lands one trouble
may be want of water. DR.. Maxwell
advises the selection of piece of
ground with the water laid on, which
if fertilized with some manure and
nitrate of soda will grow two crops
of 80 to 40 tons each per year and can
be cropped onward LOT HumDeI VI
years.
The Experiment Station has given
careful attention to experiments which
indicate which crops will flourish in the
conditions of soil that characterize the
high lands, and as a result, DIR. Max
well advises corn, but particularly mill
let, the latter giving two and three
crops of feed in a year. Millet will
thrive perfectly where beets, turnips,
carrots, etc, cannot bear the soil in
it's present state. DR.. Maxwell asks
the Advertiser to place these observa-
tions before it's readers in order that
small farmers, dairymen, as well as the
plantations, can judge in what way,
and to what extent, they can be uti-
lized.
DR.. Maxwell remarks that these mat
tiers should be specially considered by
the coffee planters, who have to fur
nish food for themselves and their
cattle. He remarks: ''The small plan
ters can grow everything in the way
of vegetable food that they can require
for themselves and their cattle while
they are waiting for the coffee to turn
into cash.
incidentally, DR.. Maxwell remarks:
''The use of beets and other succulent
food for swine has largely killed out
swine fever in given districts in parts
OF the United States"