The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-07-30
uSE0F MOLASSES
'',''A As; 4 FERTILIZER ! |! II!
IVA ~ - - IA 'A|aF
New Scientific Facts In Regaru
To It Have Practical %.aa
Application

Recent experiments in the use Of mo,
lasses ms a fertilizcr show that the
season Of application has much to dc
with the favorable or unfavorable re-
suits German Investigators using beet
molasses have proved that there Is an
increase. in the nitrogen content Of
soils when noiasses is applied in the
hot autumnal months From applica-
tions made during winter or the cold
spring, months the only effect on suc-
ceeding crops was what could be at.
triButed to the potash and lime con
tents Of the niolasses =.
This work on a field scale is exactly
in line with Rothamsted laboratory in
vestiga tons on the influence OF sugar
on soil nitrifcation. Soft temperature
is apparently the controlling factor.
When the whole soil body is warm to
great depth as 1t Is Mt the end Of
summer bacterial activity reaches Its
highest point. ,r5E y,
Food fof Bacteria % diE,
d. Spring or early summer applications
! Of molasses as q fertilizer are lust as
liable to produce bad results rs good
ones. An application Of molasses used
when the soil conditions are most fav.
otahle nrovides a supply Of SOLUBLE
carbohydrates In the most available
form for, the extremely active mplti.
plication Of that group Of soil bacteria
which has the power of fixing y, at,
mospberic nitrogen. Crops grown after
an autumnal molasses dressing receive
the benefit If this increased nitrogen
SIMPLY, and the nitrogen so made avail
ahl" would not have been otherwise
supplied. ,gse1y
Atmospheric Nitrogen
The nitrogen of the air is an mex
haustible supply, hut the gas is so in
ert that it is not directly available fo'
TRANSFORMS ton into albumen by mos
plants. Certain groups Of Eacterif
nU1 fungi have the power to use atmos
rhericr nitrogen IA apart. Of th"ii
food = IN thu lease of those barterii
which live, 90 tho roSats o. plants OF M
hasp and relover tribe, the host plan
supnlfes the gurns, starehes and SMEAR
that the Bacteria must have TO com
plete its food ration.
A LARGO groun Of microscopic oroan
isms known as azotobacters, which hv'
srSe in the soil end not in the. roots b
,egrmes, hove this same NITROGEN fix
ing mower INT thSy have to ret thei
qtarchHs and sugars where they cal
find them, FROM rotting popetab'e met
Ter in the soil or from the soil solu
tions. $$& u r..
SUGAR indirect Fertilizer
Tho idpo suggested bv various sri"n
fife investigators has been, that suga
miPht become m Indirect fertiHeer i
applied 10 soils when other condition
wore RIGHT To rromnte the greatest hac
Vnrial growth. II has remained for tn
German agriculturists to make praO
teal application Of the scientific de
auctions Of the English Investigator
in a wav which must in the course o
timo add considerable monetary valu
to beet pnd cave waste Tnoiasses.
Now that it has heen found out ius
how mOlassPs fertilizer is most Valua
BILE, the methods of application. QUA,
titles and tim" to use II for differen
crons and in different regions will hay
TO be determined. Whit. the sriert't
mon have proved is that the fertilizin
value Of molasses does not, depend o
~" amount of potash which. II cor
tains. l.z.g