Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-04-20
BIG AND LITTLE FARMERS.

the big farmers in Hawaii to save
money in the cultivation of their
crops. and can show the little farmers
how to destroy the insects that ruin
theirs. then the Director will be en-
titled to a monument on the top of
"a ntalus.
In regard to the big farmers of the
Territory of Hawaii, Director Smith
suggests more careful handling, bet.
ter cultivation, conservation of the
irrigation water, and more skillful
fertilization of the soils in order to
secure more economic results in the
production of sugar. He also says
that sugar planters are prone to ig.
more these factors and to ascribe all of
their benefits to cheap labor"
The principal factors in every plan.
trtion's expense account are compos.
ed of labor, taxes. fixed charges such
as interest on bonds. repairs, material,
f:1 lights and fertilizers. These will
constitute more than seventy.fve per
cent of the total cost Of the production
Of sugar. labor alone being fully fifty
pc" cent. Taking the subject Of cul.
tiyation, this is now being more thor
oughly done than ever 1t was. The
land is plowed. cross-plowed and well
narrowed. THEM II is cultivated time
ana again until the plant cane has be-
come high enough to check the growth
1T weeds. Subsequently hand cu'tiva.
ton is practised The cost and net re.
suits from every field of cane are care.
fully kept so that comparisons can be
made year by year on the same and
with different fields where, perhaps,
experiments are made with innoya.
ti ms. changes and new methods.
II is in fertilization. however. that
planters exercise the greatest possible
Judgment. Twenty years ago its need
was being experienced. Samples of
still from different plantations were
sent to chemists in the States for ana.
lysis, and fertilizers were ordered on
the basis of their reports. This was not
altogether satisfactory for one planta,
ton has many varieties of soil and a
fertilizer suitable for one locality may
BE- positively injurious in another.
Again unantisfa,,nry ,,,nI,, ,,,..... =,
toined through the advent of agents of
fertilizer companies who came to the
II !nnds with lust what was needed"
In the shape of specially prepared fer.
lizers that, as often as not, were
harmful and, more often than not, re-
suited In simple waste OF money
finally the permanent employment OF
capable chemists was found to be com.
rnlsory and their most important du.
ties today consist in the constant test.
Ing and re.testing OF soils from every
Plantation field and from several rarts
Of field. This work has been pro.
crossing nearly ten years. The plan.
tations now make out their own pres.
criptions for fertilizers and buy on a
guaranteed analysis. the test of the
fertilizer being made by the planters
who know that they are getting what
they order and what they believe they
need.
Planters, however, do not claim ia
lc infallible. What they are now do.
INF Is the result of years of experience
backed by the natural desire to secure
! the best possible returns for the
large sums Of money which they have
Invested In the sugar business. That
some benefits have accrued from their
efforts, and from the greater attention
paid In the last decade to cultivation
Ghd fertilization, Is shown by planta
Ton returns of the Yield of sugar
Which have increased from three and
hrc tons to the acre up to eight and
even eleven tons. Still better results
may be possible and at less cost. II
SO, planters want to know 1t and they
Viii undoubtedly receive with open
arms any and all feasible suggestions
that Director Smith can submit to
them, for making practical tests On a
larger scale than is possible at the ex.
Pc rimental station. The conservation of
the water for irrigation is an exceed.
ingly costly process but most wonder.
lul progress has been made in this re.
slect with results that have, generally,
been correspondingly satisfactory.
Competition among freight carriers
Las become more keen recently with
reduction in rates. Moreover, the
loading OF sugar at plantations direct
to market will tend to slightly mini.
m'ze the gross cost of sugar produc.
tiOn
Director Smith suggests the creation
oi a soil map for the islands as an in.
d!tator to the small farmer OF the re.
gions to which different crops would
be best suited. This is a good Idea
the only difficulty being that soils are
sometimes washed from one section to
another by the intensely heavy trop
i6al downpours that cccur periodical
iy the natura nf tho coil A.. . -