The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-10-27

their possibilities are worthy of consid-
eration.-American Cultivator.
What influence can be nobler than
that which radiates from man OF
strong personality, interested in all
things good and progressive, cherishing
the old yet open to the new, generous
i'll criticism, charitable toward the inn
pulsive. patient with the enthusiastic,
and recognizing that something may De
learned from even the humblest Such
an influence should radiate from this
society 1t should maintain not only
an interest in things purely agricul-
tural, but in things akin. Let us glance
for a moment at some of them: Nature
study in our schools. What have we
to suggest about this? The worlds
markets Would it not be well for us
to be better informed as to the exports
and imports of other countries? Take
for example the single item of bananas.
Do we fully realize the amount of pro-
duction and consumption of this fruit.
The United States imported in 1901
sc, $50, 1876. They We're imported from the
British West Indies, Costa Rica, Hon
duras, Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua,
Santo Domingo, etc. The British West
indies shipping the greatest quantity,
$2,51O,2 ,2S9. Hawaii ships from $4,000 to
$50, 600 worth annually.
Tropical Fruits.-Can we not i'm
prove the quality of our fruits, and es-
tablish varieties. For example-in our
markets a papaya is known generally
cnly as a papaya, with no particular
variety, while the apple is sold in the
home markets by its distinguishing
name, as the Baldwin, Ben Davis, the
Bellf1ower, etc.
Agricultural leaf1et.-Would it not be
helpful to have one issued at Intervals
containing island agricultural news or
interest, medium through which there
could be an interchange of ideas and
experiences. In this connection and 1t is
through such papers as will be read
that some of the coveted knowledge
may be cleaned"
J. F. Crawley, manager of the Ha-
waiian Fertilizer Company, and Mr.. F.
G. Krauss, of Kamehameha Schools,
were the principal speakers of the
evening. These gentlemen are experts
along the line their subjects indicated,
and the long discussions which follow
ed the reading of their papers showed
thoroughly their Importance to Ha-
waiian agriculture.
Mr.. Crawleys paper, presented first,
was on "The Fertilization of Fruits
and Vegetables"
In the discussion the following facts,
through inquiries were brought out:
Not a great deal has been done in the
past on the fertilization of tropical
plants, with the exception of cane.
Recent results are more or less in
definite, with the exception of coffee,
which has been worked up to a certain
extent. The great difficulty is that
the different plants require different
fertilizers; vegetables, for example,
must be stimulated to quick growth,
and the fertilizer must be practically
all Immediately available. In most
tropical countries, like Hawaii geo.
logically new, the necessary elements
for plant food are so bound up that
they cannot be used by the plant. The
plants, after being stimulated to
growth by the application of available
food can then get chance to get
hold of the elements already in the
soil.
In answer to a question as to what
could be done by cultivation to make
the insoluble elements in the soil
available, Mr. Crawley said further:
"The application of lime is often de-
sirable. Its work is gradual and last
ing, 1t is better, however, to turn
these new soils over, and allow the
sun and elements to act on them.
Water pereolating through the soil will
do a great deal to disintegrate it +"
Mr.. Crawley was asked to define
richness" of the soil, and the term
mot soluble" He said: When a soil
is examined by the chemists it is treat
ed by strong mineral acid, and if the
result shows a good percentage of
lime, pnosphorlc acid and potash, and
if at the same time it contains nitro
gen, it is spoken of as being rich
soil. When chemists speak of plant
food being soluble or available, they
mean soluble to the plant. The ele-
ments that plants take up may be in
very different chemical combinations.
The small roots of the plants go out
through the soil, foraging for food.
They send out weak vegetable acid,
which makes the elements to be used
as food available Those which the
plants cannot use are said to be not
soluble
In answer to question as to the
application of fertilizers, the speaker
said that much of the injury was due
to carelessness, and that the details |
must be worked out by the operator
to suit the local conditions. A lengthy |
discussion on legumes as nitrogen gath
erers followed. Most writer's claim