The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-02-23

"The management of Pineapple
Soils" is the subject of bulletin just
issued by the Hawaii Agricultural Elk
pertinent Station. w. P. Kelley, chem
list of the station, is the author. The
bulletin, which points out serious diff
ficulties for pineapple growers in the
matter of soil exhaustion, is in part
as follows:
1.-THE cultivation of pineapples in
Hawaii has developed during the past
fifteen years into one of the i'm
portant agricultural industries of the
islands. This crop for the most part
has been grown on virgin soils, which
produced large yields of excellent
fruit, and this naturally encouraged
rapid expansion of the industry.
While a small part of the land is
owned by the grower, by far the
greater part of the crop is grown on
leased land. From the beginning the
pineapple growers have been controll-
ed largely by the idea of getting out
of the land maximum crops at mini
mum of cost, and with little fore
thought for the permanence Of the
industry or the maintenance of the soil
Pineapples constitute practically the
only crop that is cultivated on these
lands. The continuous growing of any
one crop on the same soil is likely to
be attended with certain difficulties
and can hardly be said to belong to
a system of permanent agriculture.
The more especially is this true when
it is applied to soils containing large
percentage of finely divided ferric -hy-
drate and small amounts of humus;
soils that under the prevailing condi-
tions naturally require the most in
telligent management. There need be
little cause for surprise, therefore,
that conditions have arisen which at
the outset were unsupported and
which are hindrances to the contin-
ned welfare of the industry.
"a large part of the pineapple crop
is grown on the upland plains of Ca
hu, principally in the Wahiawa and
adjacent districts. The discussion in
the following pages has been drawn
largely from observations and a study
of the conditions and soils in the
Wahiawa district, although the de-
auctions apply equally well to similar
soils throughout the islands
LAS pointed out in previous annual
reports of this station, pineapple soils
have been the subject of investiga-
ton at the Experiment station for
more than two years. In 1909 a pre-
Iiminary report was issued in which
it was pointed out that the pineapple
soils of Oahu may be divided into two
classes as regards color-viz, black
and red soils. In this report some OF
the peculiarities of the black soils
were emphasized. Since then each
of these classes of soil has been I'M
der continued investigation, which has
resulted in the bringing together of
a large amount of scientific data. In
the present bulletin it is purposed to
present the more practical phase of
this work in so far as it relates to
the management of the red soils. What
follows, therefore, has no reference
to the black manganiferous soils. The
failure of pineapples there is due to-
altogether different causes.
"For some time the growers have
realized that in some way not definite
ly understood by them, their soils
after few years of cultivation begin
to show indications of exhaustion. In
general the first crop and the one
or more rattoons following it are quite
satisfactory
After a few years cultivation, how
ever, there is brought about a notice
able difference in the appearance of
the soil.
Lack of Drainage.
"The reduction of the pineapple
producing power of these soils has
called for inquiry, both by the FARMER
and by the Station. Various expedi-
ents such as fertilizers, lime, manure,
ETC., have been tried, and often with
Indifferent success. Without exclud-
ing other possible factors it has been
recognized for some time that the
fundamental difficulty is associated
L. /
the existing conditions the water
holding power of the soil becomes
greatly increased, that percolation and
consequently drainage is hindered by
the methods employed. In the old
fields there are generally isolated
plants or small areas that are more