The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-01-01
N MAKING IMPORTANT TESTS NATIONAL Guard SHOOT TIE VESSELS LAST N AM HAWAIIAN ABROAD
LABORATORY AT EXPERIMENTAL
STATION INSTALLED.
r. +. Blouin, New Director Will Pro-
secute Experiments Affecting Sugar
Industry in These Islands


Industry in These Islands
The removal Of the laboratories from
the down town office to the experiment
tai station was a wise course upon the
part of the Planters Association. r.. y.
EIOuiu the new director and chief che
mis' viii iu consequence. br given bet
ter opportunity for watching the
gTess of the various experiments which
are being made at the station On NJ
lki street, as he has also taken up his
residence there.
In making the change. the planters
have spared no pains or expense in fit
ting up a splendid place for Mr. Blouin
and under his direction the station bids
fair to. be the equal Of any in the world.
New buildings have been erected and
the entire plant has now been installed
at the station. In one part of the build
ing are situated the private apartments
and office of the director while in the
Eva end are the laboratories. These
consist of one large airy room, with
splendid light, which is in marked con-
trast to the former dingy quarters used
on Nuuanu street. Adjoining the main
room are the Weighing or balancing
room, the potash room where most of
the work of actual tests are made, store
rooms for chemicals and samples of soil
In addition, there is a miniature sugar
grinding apparatus, which aids mate
rally in getting samples from cane,
which are to be tested by the chemists
Inside the laboratories. the work is
interesting, for it requires the deter
mining of the character of soils. cane.
fertilizer and water. The sight of half
a dozen glass stills filed with a dirty
looking black fluid which goes dancing
and bubbling and boiling up and down
is rather surprising but when the
visitor is informed that the matter boil
ing is soil. his Credulity is put TO a
severe test. 1t is true however for this
examination and analysis Of soil is one
of the most important of the work at
the experimental station. It is neCes-
sary to determine the nature of the
land: how much actual life which will
aid the growth of cane, it possesses:
the extent of the various chemical pro-
peTties and from this knowledge deter
mine the amount of fertilization that is
necessary to bring the soil to a suitable
standard. The character of soil changes
and it is necessary to observe these
variations and compare them with the
conditions indicated by samples tested
i'm former years. one of the store rooms
is lined with jars containing specimens
of soil from the different plantations.
Stiange as IL may sound tins IS one of
Nllt d'N NuSil ltItitllNt bEIlttl Ailltlll ana Is
being constantly increased with fresh
samples.
Fertilizer is another essential mat
ter with which the chemists have to
deal. A careful observation is made of
samples of all varieties used on the diff
ferent plantations and when the mate
rial does not come up to the standard it
is rejected. As the result of this part of
the experimental stations work fully
$4,000 in rebate was allowed the plan
terS by the fertilizing companies.
The properties of the different varie-
ties of cane is the most important and
delicate for it is based upon the former
observations of soil water and fertili-
zer. Indeed, by the thorough scientific
methods which have been brought into
use at the local station, the four narts
of cane growing, the soil water fertili-
ger and cane are so closely allied that
it is practically impossible to divorce
them in the observation. Step by step
the observations are made, the various
stages observed, the effects noted until
the logical conclusion is reached in the
final test of the cane itself
Interesting as is the work inside the
laboratories that in the fields where the
actual growing of the cane is observed
is. if possible, more attractive. The
idea i'm planting the cane has been to
test the various effects which different
MINUS VI llllSdllbl ulutltnl amount OF
fertilizer, stripping, the relative proxi-
nifty i'm planting and various other de-
tails of cane raising have upon the pro-
duct Native Lahaina and Rose Ram-
boo are the varieties which have been
used principally i'm the past with expert
ments but Mr.. Blouin intends to make
extensive experiments with new va
rieties. DR.. Maxwell his predecessor
planted a number of new varieties anC
was able to get COnSidera ble inforua.
tiOn regarding them and this line al
director
Another very interesting experiment
which Mr.. Bloun is now making is tn,
observation which irrigation has upor