The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-11-28
Fertilization
Report of Mr.. A. Lidgate
to Planters Association
Compavsson o. Methods Ussd IN IA
waii-Rxpesimsnts made
oroonsoulng.

Does commercial fertilizer build up
our soils and render them more fertile
from year to year. or Is It only slim
ulant by the use Of which we are able
in q comparatively short time to force
from the soil great amount OF its fer
tility or stored plant food, thus getting
from 1t at some expense for stimulants
a larger yield Of sugar for short Pc
Rod. leaving the soil at the end Of this
time in an extreme state Of poverty.
which, by natures methods, would
never have occurred? NJ
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 q great waste Of plant food.
The reason of its universal practice Is
the troublesome nature of the work re-
quired to get 1t back into the soil; this
can be done for the sum Of - per acre.
for either plant cane or rattoons. In
the former case 1t often means the loss
of the use of 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 "a spent IN the
trash burying; when years rest can
be given the field the result Is much
more satisfactory. In rattoons very
simple method is employed which gets
the trash thoroughly under and at the
same time gives the field partial
deep blowing. For dry years this Is
a great help to the crop as the mass OF
rotting trash furnishes nod OF moist
ure through which cane roots Will be
found in abundance.
The reasons for not burying trash
are its expense and fancied increase
of borer; the first has no weight. as the
expense Is small and the gain on the
immediate crop will repay 1t many
times to say nothing Of the gain to the
land In fertility and mechanical con-
d!'''. We have not found that 1t In
.reases the b0rer; on fields that the
trash has all been put back for eight
years the borer is no worse than on
fields burned; perhaps 1t would be well
to state that there is very little borer
in THIS district.
Stable manure, night soil and waste
products from the mill or sugar-house
are 20 husbanded that at least zoo
acres each year gets liberal dose OF
no 1on M q rod
invariably grows the best cane. not
suffering from occasional droughts to
the extent OF fields treated with COM
mercial fertilixers. 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 a quantity OF pot
ash salt or DR.. Averdam's MANURE pre-
server is scattered on the top OF IL u
help in retaining the ammonia, at night
a flock of several hundred sheep are
folded on this; by their tramping and
leayings they compact the heap as well
as add to its fertility. thus preventing
the burning up of most Of the valuable
part of the manure, as usually Is the
case.
For several years this estate has had
from 1900 to 1900 tons of manure each
year, whose value by analysis Is "a per
ton. We think $1,000 year worth
saving. Night soil systematically
gathered will go over q good many
acres of poor places each year and
help the yield Of q doubtful field quite
q good deal. Cheap and convenient
sanitary arrangements can be made &C
that the expense Of gathering the nigh
soil will be slight and at the same time
the camps can be kept perfectly fret
from the nuisance of feeking vaults.
Green soiling. we have practiced THU
for several years and have derived
great benefit from It. The only plan
that Is used for this purpose is thu
lupin; this planted In the beginning
OF winter grows in four months to I
height of three TO four feet, covering
the held with heavy growth. At FRS
considerable dimculty was experienced
In blowing this under because OF TIL
size OF the plants and the immense
amount OF foliage; this has been over
come by the use Of the Secretary dis
plow," which cuts them clean ant
turns them completely under. at tn
same time doing an excellent Job o
blowing and narrowing combined
Green-soiling. In my opinion. IL per
haps the nearest we can come to copy
Ing natures methods Of creating plan
food that IL at once available. Bar
fallow, which u weak method o
green -aoiling, for us has very littl'
value % compared with the former
owing 20 the climatic conditions, tn
natural grasses do not grow ranldl!
and there II very little II any root o
= plant formations returned to the coll
however, II has this In Its favor. Will
the Aeld IL In bare fallow II 10 resting
from cane.
These methods are very old one
that have been In use In older coun
tries for centuries; they were adopte'
for Just the reasons that ara forcing u
In this country 10 make use Of them
while our fields are new aud full q
fertility We can draw on them iron
year 10 year and have our drafts non
ored, but when they fall, as they snrel