The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-19
MAY CURE
TARO ILLS
Experiments Show
Blight May
Cease.
TWO MONTHS OF
FREEDOM SECURED
Prof Sedgwick Hopeful His Plan
Will Succeed-Lime Used
On the Fields.

After two months growth taro, plant
ed in ground which had of recent crops
produced none but badly blighted roots,
is in fine shape and proceeding toward
full development with every indication
of being as high class as any crop in the
| Islands The experiment was made in
the fields of Judge Wilcox at Kalihi and
| truth of the theory of Prof. c. f. Sedg-
wick. now assistant director of the Unit
ed States experiment station.
While Prof Sedgwick will not claim
that he has found a positive cure 1ur
the blight which is rayaging the taro
fields of the entire group, he says he IS
quite well satisfied with the expert
ments so far, and that he anticipates
no other result than that the crop will
mature in fine shape. The ground select
ed for this experiment, which was to be
continuation of those which he had
made while at the Kamehameha schools,
was a plot of 100 by rs feet or about
one-sixth of an acre. This ground had
become badly infected, and the roots
which were produced were excellent
specimens of the ravages of the blight.
This caused it's selection for the expert
ment, and the results have been most
gratifying to the official.
The theory upon which the experiments
were based was that the disease of the
| taro was in the form of a fungus or
bacteria, which thrived only in acid SONS
This conclusion was reached from the
development which followed experiments
with virgin soils, and on grounds where
| there was no sign of the blight. This
| fact was accompanied by the relative
ones that the disease was always found
| in old fields, where the soils had been
washed of their alkalis and where the
tests showed a superabundance of acids.
| With these results established, by tile
experiments upon the new lands at the
| schools and the observations at other
points, the work of making thorough
test, which would establish points which
would serve as bases upon which to build
a scientific statement, was undertaken.
The soil of the field which was sat
aside for the test was found To be ACID.
| The first treatment was with slaked
| lime, which would cure the acidity The
| treatment was very heavy, in fact, twice
| the amount which is prescribed for prac-
tice being used. Five barrels of the
slaked lime was mixed with the soil and
the plants were then introduced, the
usual seedlings being used in the plant
| ing of the piece. From the first there
was seen to be healthy growth of the
plants, and now that the two months
have passed there is no sign of the blight
which has in the past rendered the prou-
uct Of this same land practically useless
| Following out the experiments of the
! l.,
| line of tests to discover whether or not
the yield may not be increased beyond
what ordinarily would be expected The
| fertilizers which will be put on the soil
will be phosphates and potash combina-
| tons. with lines. These will be used
as a tonic to the soil, which has been
debilitated by the constant cropping and
the long continued washing to which 1t
has been subjected. Should these expert
ments show that the product is increased
| in amount, and at the same time NOT
deteriorated in flavor by the additions
| made to the soils, the result will be OF
much benefit to the Territory.
| The greatest hopes are placed in the
new experiment, from the fact that ths
experiments which are being made at
Kalihi are not the only ones which are
being made at the present time The
| theory of Prof Sedgwick, with the re-
suits of his first experiments, Were pub
lished in full in a communication from
! him TO the Advertiser of May 11th of
this year. These facts coming to the
! attention of certain of the taro growers
they began experimentation as we'll
Prof Sedgwick, while he has had no off,
cial notice of what has resulted from rna
tests, said yesterday that he had heard
indirectly that the results had been tns.
same as he had noted in the work now
under way at KaIihi. Efforts will be
made to collect such data as is procura-
bic, as the intention of the local exper.-
ment station is to publish the results
of its tests as bulletin for the farmers
of the Territory, some time next year.
1t will be necessary to take this rfne
owing to the fact that there must be in
Guided in the summary a record OF the
tests to the limit.
The value of the tests in connection
with the taro yield cannot be estimated.
There has been before this time only one
suggestion which seems to have been
taken seriously by the growers. who
have looked into the spread of the dis
ease. This was to allow the land to lie
idle for period variously estimated at
from two to four years. This would
lead TO the washing out of the soil of
the acids which the experiments have
shown are directly responsible for the
disease. These come principally from de-
caying organic matter, and the appIiCa-
ton Of the slaked lime neutralizes their
effect at once, accomplishing the same
results allowing the land to lie fall
low fer a long period.
As to the treatment of the soil. rec
commended from the experience gained
from the experiments as thus far prose
cuted, there seems to be a disposition TO
make the first dose of lime gwen tn the
laRd fairly heavy. The amount Of lime
prescribed is at the ratio of fifteen bar
refs to the acre. Professor Sedgwick
will try and secure reports uDon any
\ Investigations made by growers upon all
the. Islands, and is quite hopeful Of sue
cess in his experiments.
In addition to this pest. Mr. sedgwicl
IS now preparing to make a trip to Maui
for the purpose Of investigating the no.
tato blight. He has theory upon this
sueJeet. too. but will say nothing about
I hs. no