The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-03-07

than soils of similar origin in older
countries. Such has been found TO be
the case, as has been so lucidly portrayed
in that valuable cont ibution to agricul-
tural science, SOILS and Lavas,' by Dr.
Walter Maxwell, former director of the
Hawaiian Experiment Station, now of
Queensland.
He has shown that the soils of the ISL
ands may be geologically classified as:
% Dark red soils. which have been
formed from normal lavas by sinaple
weathering in a climate of great heat
and dryness. (2) Yellow and light red
soils; these are derived from lavas, that
suffered great alter alton at the time Of,
or soon after, emission, under the action
of the steam and sulphurous vapors
resident within the lavas at the time of
eruption. Through the action of these
imperSonal agents, these lavas have
undergone such radical alteration, both
in chemical composition and color. as to
mislead scientist as to their origin,
were it not for the presence of the living
volcanoes on the Island of Hawaii, which
permits of spec al study along these lines
Dr. Maxwell has shown that the lateral
or "tufa cones" exist all over the ISL
ands and the lavas therefrom have given
soils widely distributed, over all the ISL
ands. These soils are inferior in fertili-
ty to the dark red soils. Some of them
yield well when first brought under cul-
tivation, but We way rapidly in pro-
ductivity In a few years, requiring care
full and special treatment for mainte-
nance or restoration of fertility. There
are other large areas of these soils which
are not productive, due to the presence
of Ferrous sulphate, ain active poison to
plant life. These can, by proper physi-
cal and chemical amendments be made
productive.
| Besides the above, which are found
In situ, there are considerable areas
/ Of CD sedimentary soils formed by de-
mutation and deposition mainly on the
lleeward sides of the islands and in Sec
tons of small rainfall. The coral reefs
which begirt the islands have served as
shelves to catch the deposition produced
by falling rains in the mountain regions
These sedimentary deposits have covered
i the coral reefs from One to thirty fee,
deep, and form today the most fertile
soils of the islands, and used mainly by
/ the sugar planters, though the deltas
OF the small valleys next to the ocean
are cultivated in rice by the Chinese
Large areas marked by a predoni.
nance of these soils shoe that they have
been derived from normal lavas. which
have undergone slow decomposition il
a hot climate, with a small rainfall
They are strong deep soils, covered IN.
tensely with iron and -darkened by al
incorporation Of vegetable matter. They
closely resemble pulverized bricks, dark
ened by an admixture with vegetable
mould or humus. They are uniformi,
fertile soils and everywhere highly es.
teemed as excellent sugar lands.
The soils of the islands are marked
chemically by the low content of silica
the larger percentage of which is solu
bic, and by the presence of a large pro
portion of basic elements, against ar
enormous preponderance of acidfc con
stituents in American soils The Ha.
waiian soils are geologica1ly recent ant
have not yet undergone that change o.
structural composition and type which
characterizes the old and perhaps per
manent soils of America
The dark red" soils and the "sedi
mentary'' soils are credited with an av
erage production of about five tons O.
sugar per acre while the yellow ant
light red soils give only a little owe
three tons, but the last, which grow.
the least cane, produces the best qualit,
of juice.
Only small portion of the islands il
! capable of sustaining a dense popula
ton. The most fertile belts are near thu
ocean. The interior is mountainous ant
craggy, with "a very thin soil, adaptabl,
in many instances to pasturage, but un
fit for cultivated crops Many parts O
the shore belt are barren without irriga
ton, but extremely productive with al
1 abundance of water Other parts ar,
covered with lavas not yet converted
into soil, and still others that are gulch
ed and carved into ravines so deep anC
precipitous that access is almost impos
sible. Deep rich soils at low altitude:
form. probably. not over one-fortieth o.
the islands. Thinner soils, perhaps ca
pable of producing profitable crops o
some kind are far more abundant