The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-11-25
FERTILIZATION
Report of Mr.. A. Lidga e
to Planters Association.
Comparison Of Methods Us-d In Ha-
waiI-Experim-n tS Made
Soiling,

Does commercial fertilizer build NJ
our soils and render them more fertile
from year TO year, or is it only a slim
uIant by the use OF which we are able
in a comparatively short time to force
from the soil great amount OF its fer
tility or stored plant food, thus getting
from it at some expense for stimulants
a larger yield of sugar for short pc
riod. leaving the soil at the end of this
time in an extreme state of poverty
which, by natures methods, would
never have occurred?
In my opinion, true fertility can only
be maintained by rational methods OF
cultivation, such as rotation Of crops,
bare fallow, green sOiling, the liberal
use of stable manure and all waste
products from the sugar-house and
farm.
Burning our fields after harvesting
the cane is a great waste of plant food.
The reason of it's universal practice is
the troublesome nature of the work re-
quired to get it back into the soil; this
can be done for the sum of 81 per acre,
for either plant cane or rattoOns. In
ne former case it often means the loss
OF the use of a field for one year, but
are not our fields entitled to this rest
We have not found that $40 worth of
fertilizer will equal the 81 spent IN the
trash burying; when a years rest can
be given the field the result is much
more satisfactory. In rattoOns a very
simple method is employed which gets
the trash thoroughly under and at the
same time gives the field a partial
deep blowing. For dry years this is
a great help to the crop as the mass of
rotting trash furnisnc~ - of moist
TIRE through which cane roots will be
found in abundance.
The reasons for not burying trash
are it's expense and a fancied increase
of bOrer; the first has no weight, as the
expense is small and the gain on the
immediate crop will repay it many
times to say nothing of the gain to the
land in fertility and mechanical con-
dition. We have not found that 1t in
creases the bOrer; on fields that the
trash has all been put back for eight
years the borer is no worse than on
fields burned; perhaps it would be well
tC state that there is very little borer
liz this district.
Stable manure, night soil and waste
products from the mill or sugar-house
10I
acres each year gets a liberal dose of
these materials. The land so MANFRED
invariably grows the best cane, not
the extent of fields treated with COM
mercial fertilizers. Stable manure is
treated as follows: Large sheds are
built convenient to the stables into
which the manure and saturated bed
ding are wheeled each morning this is
spread evenly and quantity of pot
ash salt or DR.. Averdam's manure pre-
server is scattered on the top of it to
help in retaining the ammonia, at night
a flock of several hundred sheep are
folded on this; by their tramping and
leavings they compact the heap as well
as add to its fertility, thus preventing
the burning up of most of the val liable
part Of the manure, as usually is the
case.
For several years this estate has had
from 1,200 to 1900 tons Of manure each
year, whose value by analysis is 81 per
ton. We think $4,000 year worth
saving. Night soil Systematically
gathered will go over a good many
acres Of poor places each year and
help the WELD of doubtful field quite
good deal. Cheap and convenient
sanitary arrangements can be made so
that the expense of gathering the night
soil will be slight and at the same time
the camps can be kept perfectly free
from the nuisance of feeking vaults
Green sOiling, we have practiced this
for several years and have derived
great benefit from it. The only plant
that is used for this purpose is the
lupin; this planted in the beginning
of winter grows in four months to a
height of three to four feet, covering
the field with heavy growth. AT first
considerable difficulty was experienced
in blowing this under because OF the
size of the plants and the immense
amount of foliage; this has been over
come by the use Of the Secretary disc
piow," which cuts them clean and
turns them completely under, at the
same time doing an excellent Job of
blowing and narrowing combined.
Green-soiling, in my opinion, is per-
haps the nearest we can come to copy
ing natures methods of creating plant
food that is at once available Bare
fallow, which is a weak method of
green-soiling, for us has very little
value as compared with the former;
owing to the climatic conditions, the
natural grasses do not grow rapidly
and there is very little if any root or
plant formations returned to the soil:
however, it has this in it's favor, while
the field is in bare fallow it is resting
from cane.
These methods are very old ones
that have been in use in older coun-
tries for centuries; they were adopted
for just the reasons that are forcing us
in this country to make use of them.
While our fields are new and full of
fertility We can draw on them from
year to wear and have orr drafts hon