The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-10-23
WATER USED TOO FREELY.
RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS BY
DIR. MAXWELL.
Finds that Plantations in the Islands
Use more Water for Irrigation than is
Necessary or Useful.

In DR.. Walter MaXwell's report to the
Planters Association of the work OF
the Experiment station for the past
year, there is much that is of the great
est intesest. Possibly nothing in it is
more interesting in view of the discus
sion of rainfall and forest preservation
than the following relating to the re-
suits of experiments to determine the
best system of irrigation.
"A reference to the monthly APP
plications of irrigation water enables
us to see the increased volume applied
with the increasing development of the
crop. When the cane is planted and
while 1t is very small, the greater por-
ton of water applied escapes by direct
evaporation from the soil. AS the cane
increases in size, and it's foliage begins
to shade the ground, the crop gives off
more water by Transportation, and the
soil loses less When the crop is in the
fullest vigor of growth, an. is attain
ing maximum development, it's con-
sumption of water is also at the maxi
mum, which is indicated by the appli-
cations in June, July August and Sep
TENDER of the year 1899. The crop at
this stage, however, practically shuts
out the sun, and also the wind so that
the evaporation of water from the soil
is reduced to a minimum.
Concerning the sugar produced by
the given volume of water, as shown IN
the stated results, it must be said that
no plantation is using less than double
the volume of water of irrigation used
in these experiments. Some are using
much more than double the volume,
and with less than One-half the yield
of sugar per acre 1--WE have the records
of the total number of acres on all ir-
rigated plantations and the yield of
sugar per acre over the whole.) As it
has been said many plantations now
see that they have been using a great
excess of water, and have reduced the
amount by 6ne-half, and one plantation
by more than One-half. At this place
il may be said that probably no other
existing producing country could
indulge in such eXtraVaganceS and keep
above water. The fact is that the in
creaSing producing power of our soils
Tan Increase of from 8 tons to tons
per acre., the abundance of labor up to
recent date, and the happy fiscal rela-
tons of these islands with the United
States-all these have made the situa-
ton luxurious, and have also made 1t
unnecessary for the management of
our estates to get down to the bed
rock lines of economy essentially prac-
ticed in other countries.
In the case of rattoons, we inyarI-
ably have found the crop to be too
thick. 1t becomes grassy, and more
canes come up than can ever find stand
ing room. We have found it advisable
to keep the water off for two or three
or more weeks from such dense ration
growths in order to dry out the weakest
suckers. After this is done, the re-
naming, and strongest canes make
more rapid growth, with less imme-
date consumption of soil food and
water.
The analyses of the cane, as we'll as
of the leaves and waste matters, put
before up a statement of the enormous
amount of soil material that is re-
moved by the growing crop. These facts
should sink into the mind, and abide In
the daily consciousness of every one en-
gagged in growing cane.
THE composition of the mineral ma t.
ters in the Is kinds of canes, whilst de-
monstrating the oneness of the family,
indicate extreme variations of behavior
of the canes as varieties Remarkable
Is the scale of variat ton in the silica
which moves between a minimum of
1850 in the Louisiana Purple and
$3.50 in the Moore's Purple"