The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1911-12-08
PLANTERS DISCUSS REPORTS
MADE BY TIE SCIENTISTS

Aii'W NNNNNeNH
For ihe most part the meeting Of
Hawaiian snnir Planters Association
yesterday was devoted to the discussion
Of technical subjects, thosc which arc
Of vital Importance 20 the sugar mon,
but only indirectly affect Others in the
Territory
The one exception TO this was the
forestry report, made the last thing
IN the afternoon, in which special at.
tention was called to the need OF pre-.
serving native forests and planting new
ones, and urging upon the plantation
men concerted action in this direc.
ton il the forests we're to be preserved
and rainfall conserved. Ii was the time
of action and not Of " polite attention -
to this matter as the committee pointed
out.
1t was promptly at ten o'clock in the
morning that President Swanzy raped
for order. The meeting convened with
the rooms crowded to their seating ca
paeity, and from that time until the
noon hour there were reading reports
and the fire of question and answer over
the points touched upon by the various
committees. In the afternoon, although
there were not so many present at any
time of the session, the discussions
were perhaps more important, from an
agricultural standpoint, than those of
the morning, and from two until four
thirty those present had many interest
ing discussions.
The first thing today the representa-
tive planters will listen to an address
by W. F. Martin on the water sup
ply Of the Islands, and after that will
be discussion on the report Of the ir-
rigated plantations.
To Burn OF Mot TO Burn?
Under the head of Cutting, Loading
and General Plantation Transporta-
ton" the discussion, after the reading
of the committees report, revOlved
around the question, whether it were
better to burn the trash before cutting
the cane or afterward, but after a long
argument the advocates of burning be-
fore cutting seemed to be in the major
ity.
"Under the present conditions of
labor on the plantations it is absolutely
necessary to burn before cutting,'' said
Manager Renton of Eva. 'tWhen the
fields are burned, though, the cane must
be milled within three days or consid-
cradle loss results"
Director EclSart Of the experiment
station was asked for his opinion on this
proposition, and besides the labor side
of the question he touched on the con-
dition of the soil, saying that if the
burning occurred before the cutting
the soil was in better shape than if it
happened afterward, for the heat was
of the same extent in the first case, but
when trash was burned on the ground it
was different. He thought that burning
before cutting was the reasonable prac-
tiee under present conditions.
Manager Baldwin, of Makaweli, in
speaking in favor of burning before the
cane was cut, stated that a Chinese
would cut six tons if the burning came
last, but if burning came before the
cutting nine tons could be cut in the
same time.
More expert opinion was asked from
Mr.. Eckhart as to the difference to the
soil burning before or after cutting,
and as far as the ash was concerned
he said it was the same.
Several other manager testified that
the ratoons. came quicker and had a
better stand when the burning took
place before cutting. Andrew Adams
of Kahuku believed forty per cent of
the labor of cutting was saved if the
field was burned over first. Manager
Renton believed that it might be better
not to burn at all if there was sufficient
labor to get rid of the trash in other
WAYS, but others Thought the saving in
labor would amount to more than the
loss in sugar.
AS to transportation. there was little
discussion. J. P. Cooke telling of the
purchase of a three ton engine for use
on portable RAILWAYS on Kauai which
started some discussion as to how much
nf grade such an engine could nego-
tiate. 1t seemed to be the opinion that
three rer cent grade was about all
that could be done
Byproduct Utilization.
There was strong plea for using on
the plantations themselves for fertilizer
the molasses now sold by some planta-
tions, in the report of the committee
which had charge of the report on
Manufacture of Sugar and Utilization
of Byproducts,'' it being held that this
molasses or the alcohol from it was more
valuable than the money received for
its sale when shipped to the Coast.
Some is now used for stock food on
the various plantations, but the molasses
utilized in this way is a small proper
ton of the total output. Il. Give Davies
believed that as high as fifty per cent.
of the molasses was used on some plan
tations for stock food. John Moir
thought that seven or eight per cent.
was nearer the mark.
Molasses from the plantations con-
trolled by Alexander & Baldwin was to
be shipped to Washington for this year,
where it was to be mixed with sawdust
for a stock food, said J. p. Cooke. This
mixture fooled the animals completely,
he said.
Some technical discussion was in
dulged in on the remainder of the re-
port as to the best types of evapor-
ators, with a slight touching on the