Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-05-17
SUGAR
STUDY MAY HELP
. LOUISIANA CORN
Value of Planters Experiments
In Arsenical Spray Is
AGRICULTURAL DEPT.
OFFICIALS INTERESTED
Southern States May Be Great
tyt Helped by Methods
Worked Out Here
sH C. 8! ALBERT.

Especial Star Bnlletm CorFespondencel
WASHINGTON ID. c.. May 1.-Offi-
cials of the Department of Agriculture
are greatly interested in reports re-
ceived from Hawaii to the effect that
one of the big sugar companies has
adopted as regular field practise the
system of destroying weeds by use
OF an arsenic poison spray instead of
by hoeing. Experts who have con-
Quoted experiments on Hawaii su-
gar lands estimate that by the spray;
ing method a saving can be maue IN
labor of SIS to- $50 per acre per an
mum. ."~S - 4 ..- ~
The latest developments aleng this
line in Hawaii are discussed in a let
ter received from H. P. Agee, direc-
tor OF the experiment station staff of
the Hawaiian Sugar Planters ,Asso-
citation Before going to Hawaii, Prof.
Agee cooperated With the department
in experiments on Louisiana sugar
land. ~. &, ,5,z. *. !" -. = -. "-:@
The. value OF this method in Hawaii
is very great because of the fact that,
like most tropical regions, the islands
are subject to torrential rains. The
less the surface Of Sugar and other
lands are DISTURBED by cultivation, the
less chance there Is that heavy rains
will wash off the top soil or imme.
diately beat 1t INTO compact form.
8 A few years ,sss the Qepartment Of
Agriculture issded a bulletin dealing
with the weed, factor In the cultfya.
ton Of corn, following q series of ex.
periments extending over several
years, which. apparently established
the principle that it Is the removal of
the weeds rather than the cultivation
proper that contributes most to the
production of the corn crop. "A series
of 125 experiments were conducted,
covering many estates. On some plats
the most approved methods of cult
vation wereFemploEeh, while on other
plats there was no cultivation what
ever, the Weeds being, eliminated by
surface scraping with a hoe A gen.
eral average of all these experiments
showed that the plats that were sim
ply weeded produced 95.l per cent as
much fodder and 9910S per. cent as
much grain as those that were sub
iected to the most appsosed methods
of cultivation. -
To Be Tried in Louisiana. -. ..".
The arsenic spray method. will be
given a trial on corn land in Louisi
ana this year by experts of the Office
Of Farm Management IN cooperation
with local authorities, with a view to
determining whether It is not avail
able for use in that region, where
5limatic conditions to some extent ap.
proach those in Hawaii. At present
It is not believed that the arsenic
spray can be generally employed
the United States on corn
and other lands because of the great
difference in climatic and soil condi.
tions '-
. In Hawaii the spray is applied to
HE weeds with great care, since ii
Il touches the leaves on the cane
hey are Immediately destroyed. When
applied, however, either by
} hand spray or by a spray consist.
ng of an oil barrel attached to
stone sled especially Constructed fo:.
The purpose and pulled by one mule,
here is no danger to the cane. Ere
luently it is necessary to follow the
sled spray with a hand spray in or
Ter to kill the few weeds that a..
lot reached. The results of the spray
ng method have been so satisfaetor!
hat experiments are being conduct
ID with view to improving the some.
What crude implements now in use.