Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-07

by the consumption of 1910 grams OF
water was :.6s.9 grams of water-free ma
teriai consisting of roots, BIS grams;
stems, $50 grams; leaves, 1857 grams.
These figures show that in order to form
one pound of water-free substance the cane
organism TRANSFERRED 1915 pounds of water
Salts in Soil.
Mr., Maxwell discusses at some length the
matter of salts in Hawaiian soils and
waters, saying:
1.-THE waters of the Hawaiian Islands are of
excellent quality, provided they do not come
in contace with the sea inflow or with soils
having high contents of salts, due to the
overflow of the sea at some carrier perloo.
In some localities, however, contamination
by sea water has gone so far that the water
Is destructive to vegetable life. In most
Instances the deeteriouS agent Is common
salt; in others there Is mixture OF COM
mon salt with bittern salts, or Chord OF
MAGNESIUM and lime. The latter are most
injurious to plant life, and, in lowlands ly-
ing almost level with the sea, where there
are no means of getting these salts remoV-
ed, their impregnation renders the soil use
less.
: "a considerable portion of the water sup
ply for irrigation in the Hawaiian Islands
Is derived from the underground How.
Ground waters as source of supply for
irrigation present more elements to be con-
sfdered than the waters of rivers or surface
waters, which latter are almost invariably
suitable for irrigation uses. Ground waters,
on account of the considerable proportions
of certain highly desirable elements they
contain, may be very valuable for applica-
ton to crops. On the other hand, because
of the large amount of substances inimical
to plant life held in solution, they may be
quite unfit for irrigation. Numerous in
stances Of the unfitness of some waters
for plant are furnished by other coun-
tries, and special examples have been
found by the writer upon the Hawaiian
Islands.
n
salt, unless a liberal allowance of some
vital element, such as nitrogen, is present
to force on the growth, the sugar cane Is
liable to suffer-
Rice and Sugar Cane.
1.-THE chief crops" writes Mr. Maxwell,
"that are grown by the aid of artificial
irrigation in Hawaii are rice and sugar
cane. The lands used for rice are the low
est flats found at the outlets of valleys and
close on the sea. Irrigation is practiced
upon all these lands, but no means of de-
termining the volume used per acre have
been adopted, and data are not at hand
bearing on the question.
Sugar production is. relatively speaking,
a recent matter so far as the present vol
ume of production is concerned. So late
even as 1880 the output is recorded as
being 80 600 tons, while the production last
year $3.50 was s2.s07 tons. The part
played by artificial irrigation in the produc-
following statement: Sugar grown by nat
ural rainfall 1882 tons; sugar grown by
irriga tion, 166, 42o tons.
1.-THE area to which water is artif1cially
applied is yearly increasing, and in two
years more than two-thirds of the crop,
which is also vastly increasing. will be
grown by aid of irrigation.
1.-THE richest lands upon the islands are
those lying toward and little above sea
level. In most Of the districts. however
the rainfall over the low-lying lands, and
especially upon the leeward side, is utterly
insufficient to produce the sugar crop. Until
the practice Of irrigation was adopted these
lowlands were useless, but now they are
beyond comparison, the richest and most
productive.
The Hawaiian Station.
In presenting variation of his expert
ments at the Hawaiian station, Mr. Max
well says:
Gated in the suburbs of Honolulu and COM
prises five acres of land. In laying out the
area into divisions and plats special pro-
visions were made for the use of irrigation
water. The water supply is that of the city
with very numerous faucet discharges. The
distribution is made by means of rubber
hose. thus controlling the delivery at any
place or time.
'The topography Of the field is favorable
for irrigation Its surface being relatively
level.
1.-THE soil Is exclusively derived from the
decomposition of basaItic Iavas. There is a
depth OF fifteen inches of tsllable earth rest
ing upon a porous subsoii. an understratum
which IL composed of chips of lava stone,
scoria- and black sand. The total mass or