The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-02-01

| no large amount Of water should be
| applied subsequent to the application
| until the crop has had time to take
| hold of it,
With these warnings I have no hest
| tation in recommending its use for
| vegetables, but not for fruit trees.
| Where the crop is backward or look
| ing yellow with a retarded growth,
| nitrate of soda applied in small guam
titles will show good effects. Nitrogen
| applied in almost any form will show
its effects in an increased leaf develop
ment, and in a deep green and healthy
color impaired to the growing plants.
Nitrogen in the other forms can best
be incorporated in the mixed fertilizers
and need not be applied separately.
In general it may be said that for
those crops which have a quick growth
and early maturity all fertilizers
should be in a soluble and available
form, so that the crop can appropriate
it's food at once, while for fruit trees
which grow for years, a mixture or
bone meal or some other organic ma
terial mixed with sulphate of potash,
should be used.
A word as to the methods of appli-
fertilizers should be worked into the
soil before planting, except in the case
of such substances as nitrate of soda,
which can be applied as a top dress
ing. In planting Of fruit trees large
hole should be dug and the soil taken
therefrom mixed thoroughly with two
or three pounds of fertilizer and re-
placed. A young tree planted in this
oprnent during the first few years and
will form foundation for future Wig
orous and healthy growth. Fruit trees
can also be fertilized at any time by
scattering the fertilizer around the
roots of the trees at distances depend
ing on the age of the tree, and worked
into the soil as thoroughly as possible
without disturbing the roots. AS the
tree grows older the roots run further
and further from the main stem and
the application should be made over
a wider circle.
It will not be out of place for me
to say a few words about the loss of
fertilizing ingredients from over-irrf-
cation or heavy rains. These red soils
have remarkable retentive power for
potashes, phosphates and nitrogen
when the latter is in the form of sui
phate of ammonia. I have recently
completed a series of experiments on
these points and find that practically
the whole of these are fixed within six
inches of the surface, even where the
ingredients are soluble in water and
heavy irrigation follows the applica-
ton. Indeed, so rapidly are they fix
ed and held by the soil that If they are
scattered over the surface for the wa
ter to carry down to the plant roots,
they may be fixed too near the sur
face. A thorough working in of the
fertilizers with the soil is, therefore,
advisable.
Before closing, I must speak of the
great economic value OF farm-yard
manure. Situated, as you are, away
from the railroad, where freights are
heavy, every substance about the farm
of a manurial value should be careful
ly saved. Chemical analysis Of manure
shows that it is not rich in the ele-
ments of plant food and it must be put
on the soil in comparatively large
doses to give good results. Experience,
tables and fruits do we'll with a dress
ing of manure, and I am impressed
that it has a greater value than its
chemical analysis indicates. For one
thing, it contains considerable guam
tity of organic matter, which on some |
soils is very advantageous. 1t is sup
posed also to exert an influence on the |