The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-04-27


a distinct period in the limited liter
allure Of these Islands. Many books of
travel have been written regarding
the geological and botanic features of
the Islands, many more or less valu-
able accounts of the history of the
people that have lived on these Isl
ands
But for the first time since the dis
covery by Capt. Cook, and the estab-
lishment Of civilized institutions here,
a treatise is before the public, which
deals rigidly and in the true scientific
spirit of accuracy with the lavas and
soils of Hawaii, that is, its surface
geology. 1t is written with the true
spirit of inductive philosophy, the col
Letting and grouping of facts, in the
first instance, followed by a judicial
reasoning and determination of their
value and practical use. 1t is a single
and broad study of the history of our
lavas and soils, and a presentation of
the laws which have modified and
changed them. The changes and Sc
quences are considered, which take
place from the moment the internal
earth forces eject upon the surface
the molten lava and it's concomitants
down to the operations of atmos-
pheric and chemical agencies until it is
ready for the production of forest fruit
and vegetables.
While this treatise has a practical
aspect, of the highest value, from an
economic standpoint and concerns
profits of agriculture, manufacture and
commerce, it has to the student the
larger and more far reaching use in its
contribution to geology from the stand
point of the study of freshly created
soils, down to the late period, in
which these Islands came into exist
ence.
The author states that Hawaiian
soils are derived from volcanic lavas.
These have the composition of normal
basalts in some cases, while in others,
the same compositions have altered,
through chemical and mechanical ac-
ton into radically different substances,
and vary in color. In these transfOr-
nations, the author shows at length,
the action of steam acid VapOrs and
of ''weathering."
The action of steam is described as
one of the powerful agents in the
changes of conditions. On page II, he
states what seems to be a fact of i'm
portance that the absence of chlorine
in water obtained by condensing steam
at the crater indicates that the water
of the ocean has not penetrated within
the rims of the Islands during vol
canic action.
The author makes a geological
classification of the soils into the
dark red, formed by the simple
weathering of normal lavas, the
yellow and red light soils, in the for
nation of which steam and sulphurous
vapors have mainly acted, and also the
sedimentary soils, which are derived
from the decomposition of lavas at
| higher attitudes, and have been re-
moved to lower attitudes by ralnfalls'
There is, again, a climatic classln-
| cation of the upland soils, formed at d
! lower temperature, containing larger
| percentage of organic matter ana nj
| trogen, and with a lower percentage OF
plant food in an available state, anu
| the lowland soils formed under higher
| Temperatures, and lesser rainfall, con-
tanning less. organic matter and nitro
| gen than the upland soils. Ihe per
| centage of available plant tood Is
| larger, owing to accommodations from
the upper lands, and the smaller rain
fan upon the lower levels.
The conclusion is, and in this
scientific research becomes eminently
useful and practical, that the dark rec
soils and sedimentary soils have more
fertility than the yellow or Tight rec
SOILS. Tables of analysis are set fortL
which Justify this conclusion.
The author gives to us clear de-
fnition and origin of ''laterites" which
! are the red earths or ochres, founc
widely distributed over the surface OF
The earth in many places. Lyell, Oar
win and others have described these
| siIicates of alumina and oxides o.
iron. as they are found at the Giants
Causeway, in Ireland, and IN Indla
and North America. The indefinite
views of these observers as to theu
formation, lying upon jbasaltic or tTaI
rocks. have been explained by tht
author of this treatise, who has nae
the rare advantage of watching the &C
tual formation, of seeing the grea
natural laboratory in operation. II
this respect this treatise is a valuable
contribution to knowledge.
The author also treats of the process
of ''weathering," and the resul1an
soils.
One portion of the authors investl
CATION will excite much interest among
the American biologists. His anaIyse
show that soluble silica in the Hawai-
ian soils is just double the amour gu
found in the American samples. I'M
fact has a valuable economic aspect
It is one of the indications OF IN
greater fertility of Hawaiian SOIL an
its capacity for sugar cane prouuc
, ton.
The author. however, is able to sho'