Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-09-10
PASTURE LANDS !,
in HAWAII GOOD
!. FOR lLbCROPS
Practically Entire Arabic Area
Can Be Devoted to General
Farming, Says us. Bulletin

/ WASHINGTON, DC, Aug, Sc
There is no valid reason says a
recent bulletin of the Hawaii Agrieul-
turaI Experiment Station, Department
OF Agriculture, on the soils Of the Ha-
Waiian islands, why practically all OF
the arabic land IN Hawaii should not
Ultimately be devoted to general farm
ing. AT the present time only very
small percentage OF this area has
been brought under Cultivation. the
main portion being still used for pas
ture. The acreage Of cultivated land.
however. is slowly increasing and gen.
eral farming should become. more uni
yersal. 80 Il k[s,f>s.z. ~
-The soils of Hawaii are usually
very heavy in character continues
the bulletin. They can not. however.
be classed as clay soils In the true
tense. They are characterized by a
high content of iron and aluminium
hydrates and by a low silica content.
After rain they rapidly become closely
compact and the lack OF drainage and
proper aeration are serious draw.
backs. The effect Of green manurins
Is strikingly beneficial - ~
"In almost every section Of the IS
lands heavy rains sometimes occur
and in some regions the rainfall Is
excessive. One uf the most perpiex-
ing questions, therefore, especially for
pineapple growers, is q proper system
OF drainage. Generally the open
ditch system has been adopted. but
no thoroughly satisfactory method has
vet been devised. Lime has been
tried in order to lightept the heavy
clays, but the results have been doubt.
full 81 5s.sE.fs.. sxs
In their chemical characteristics
the Hawaiian soils are rather below
the average In their potash content,
hut what they have Is rather more
soluble than usual and, In conse-
.auence, more available. On the other
hand, phosphoric acid is comparative
~ abundant, but its agailabihty is
rather low, Except where the humus
content is high, therefore. phosphate
fertilization is ustiaIly necessary. AS
with phosphoric acid, the humus con-.
tent is usually high, but Its available
.ity is low on account of poor aeration.
On this account the nitrogen does not
become available fast enough for the
maximum growth Of crops and only
by maintaining large ak1ounts CT hui.
mus can.the soils be kept in a suitable
condition. 81 81 = a.. n. b.
Crop rotation provides fhs answer
to this prob em.if q e1ee1 manuring
crop be ploughed under occasiO
Hamus, says the report, as the key
to successful soil management In Ha-
wall as elsewhere. sugar planters
are now recognizing this fact and IN
stead of burning the trash and crop
residue are blowing these under In
the pineapple lands green manuring
crop should be grown between crops.
The single crop system has given poor
results and; IT Is said, dust inevitably
give way to diversified ton.
In the report already mentioned
whichs IS published as Bulletin No, 90
or the Hawaii Agricultural Experiment
Station, are a series Of tables giving
the chemical com position of Hawaiian
soils, the amount of humus, humus ash
and nitrogen in them, and their me-
chanical composition. No. attempt has
been made to make ASsOf survey map
OF the islands such as is made for
counties In the eOntinehtal portion OF
the United States, because both the
chemical and S physical composition
vary treaty within very short dis
taRces. - s 1.s'ft' 80