The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-11-24
MEET AND
DISCUSS SUGAR INDUSTRY
CONTINUED from Page 81

| cation. Mr.. Renton's report dealt
| with the preparation of the soil, plant
| ing of cane, the cultivation Of unirri-
gated lands, etc. One of the greatest
, difficulties in securing statistics was
| the fact that there was no uniformity
| of accounts, to which was added the
| complication of local conditions, diff
| ferenceS in temperature, in rainfall,
| class Of lands, gulches and hills, winds,
| rich soils and poor soils, deep and
shallow soils, etc. Fifty-two circulars
| had been sent to as many plantations
and answers had been received from
thirty-six of them to the questions ask
ed. Sixteen of the replies were from
unirrigated plantations and nineteen
from those using irrigation. One gen.
eral principle Mr.. Renton states is to
plough as deep as possible, to loosen
the sub-sol. OF the replies received,
twenty managers use steam imple-
ments, five breakers, and eleven disc
plows and sub-soil plows. With the
report q paper was also submitted by
j. NJ. Horner on the advantages of the
disc pillow. Mr.. Renton in his report
suggested that the disc principle could
be carried out in steam implements,
where the land was free from rocks,
and said that it would be only ques-
ton of the strength of material before
this could be accomplished. He sug-
gested that the subject was one worthy
of study. Mr.. Renton stated that the
steam plow Is used wherever possible,
and that the soil Is titled better
The report also went into methods
of planting and gave some statistics
regarding the practice of stripping
cane, saying this was a subject which
might well be gone into at the Expert
ment station.
VARIETIES OF CANE.
The report also favored long ratoon-
ing, and gave statistics showing that
eight out of the thirty-six managers
replying did not favorably consider the
practice of ratooning. Killing up cane
on irrigated plantations Is in general
favor on Maui and Kauai. As to va
rieties of cane, the committee found
that the Lahaina cane Is the old stand
by on irrigated plantations, other va
rieties being tested, had not been gen.
orally established. The Yellow Gale
donia is found to be the best variety on
the unirrigated plantations, having re-
placed the rose bamboo. The commit
tee made the prediction that the yell
low Caledonia would be replaced in
years to come, by some of the canes
now being tested at the Experiment
Station. Mr.. Eckart Of the station,
advises that the Demerara is the best
variety for the irrigated plantations.
FERTILIZATION.
c. +. Eckart of the Planters Expert
ment Station reported for the commit
tee on fertilization. From replies to a
circular letter he gave interesting
statistics in regard to the use of fer
tilizers on plantations. The average
use Of fertilizers per acre has increased
from $50 pounds in 1902 to 80 pounds
in 1908. The percentages of fertilizer
in the two years was as follows:
19O2-Phosphoric acid, s per cent;
potash, 9 per cent; nitrogen, per cent.
19O3-Phosphoric acid, IL per cent;
potash, 10.1 per cent; nitrogen, 6 per
cent.
On the 10000 acres of cane in cultiva-
ton 41,000 tons of fertilizer had been
used in 1903. The cost of the constit-
uents given above was 81 SAC, 800, which
with other fertilizer, etc, made the to-
tai expenditure in excess of two mill
lion dollars. With this enormous ex-
penditure for fertilizers, so much great
err than any other sugar producing
country, the committee thought it wise
to consider whether the gain is COM
mensurate with the expenditure. The
use of the fertilizer during the year had
increased the sugar production about
2S,l10 tons in the islands, a gain of sew
en- per cent, and the committee thought
gain had been much more. The aver
age yield per acre was Al tons of sugar.
The tendency during the year has been
to reduce the phosphoric acid and in
crease the potash in the fertilizer. The
increase in potash has been one per
cent, and the decrease in the use of
phosphoric acids the same percentage.
The committee found that good results
are obtained in the reduction of phos-
pilates and increase in potash.
VALUE OF FERTILIZERS.
Mr. Eckart also found that the value
of fertilizers was lessened If used too
early or too late. The practice of APP
plying ii to the seed bed is falling into
disuse. Also fertilizer should not be
used so much during the winter rainy
season as during spring and summer
when the cane is growing rapidly. In
conclusion the committee said that the
subject of fertilization is n most COM
plicated one and will have to be work
ed out by each individual manager.
The gain per acre in 1903 in sugar pros
duction has been larger than for any
previous year. A brief report on phos-
phoric acids was also submitted by j.
II. Crawfey.
IL. p. Baldwin, chairman of the COM
mittee on irrigation, was not present,
and the committee had no report ready.
HANDLING OF CANE.
c. C. Kennedy gave the most inter-
esting paper of the meeting on the
Handling and Transportation of
Cane" The committee had received
replies from thirty-one plantations on
cost of transporting and handling
cane. The average cost, MIR. Kennedy
said, was not accurate as some of the
managers had overlooked such items as
cost of repairs. time of overseers, etc.
While there had been a great desire
for cane-loading machinery but little