Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-04
GROWING CONVICTION THAT BURNING
off DETRIMENTAL To CANE GROWING

been lacking. although nitrate OF lime.
which has TO some extent replaced
nitrate of soda, is absolutely out OF
the market
i"Lahaina Trouble"
What Is called the Lahania
trouble has given many of the plan
tations grave concern. The Lahaina
variety was formerly the one variety
for irrigated estates. All Of US plant
ed 1t. All OF us pinned our faith to
II. and il Is now failing us. The
trouble has been aseribed to various
causes, from top rot all the way to
Stellar crystals at the roots; to SEN
ility; to excess of sodium bicarbonate
and 10 poor drainage, and whatnot.
Some one OF these, or combination
OF two, may be correct as the source
OF the trouble. AS yet no one definite
ly knows. Ii may be interesting,
therefore, to note the experience at
the Eva plantation with the use of
sulphate of ammonia on one field Of
81 acres. In 1909 the trouble showed
itself in this field-then Iahaina plant
cane-in numerous patches. 1t was
harvested in 1910 From that time,
with the exception of a top dressing
of one-haIf nitrate of soda and sui
plate of ammonia In July, 1911, all Of
the nitrogen applied to this section
has been in the form of sulphate of
ammonia, and the cane grown has
been Lahaina continuously. The crop
to be removed in 1917 from this test
plot is first ratoons There has been
a more or less regular diminution of
the number of patches of trouble
areas more particularly in the pre-
sent growth. The cane now on the
ground presents on the whole an ex-
cellent appearance. There are still
patches of diseased canes, but not
one-fourth as many as in 1909. The
EVA Plantation Company states that,
in several places, diseased patches
have disappeared. The only unusual
conditions under which this present
growth OF cane was cultivoted from
that grown before are two, viz: q,
The very heavy winter rains OF 1915
~ and CD the trash LEFT on the nelu.
This statement is given as the one
Instance at Eva where, apparently.
the Lahaina trouble has been alleviat-
ed. II is not claimed that the use of
ammonium sulphate Is a specific for
the disease Here merely Is a state
ment OF fact for submission to the
members of the association for their
information. The cane may grow
worse again next year for the sue
ceeding crop, or it may grow better
But there is this to be said: The
soil at Eva Is alkaline, the irrigation
water is alkaline, and, perhaps, it may
be that, with the continuous appIica-
ton OF sulphate for number of years
and the conservation Of the trash in
the last crop. both tending towards
acidity in the soil, portion of the
objectionable alkalies may have been
eliminated and the soil improved.
On one plantation gypsum has been
used to- some extent on Lahaina
canes. and small plot was tested at
the rate per acre of 1000 pounds, 5000
pounds and 5000 pounds, respectively.
The sugar yield of these areas in
creased with fair regularity according
to the amount of gypsum applied. The
yields were as follows: On the plot
Of 1000 pounds per acre, 9.11 tons SUI
gar per acre; on the plot of 5000
pounds per acre, $40 tons sugar per
acre; on the plot of 5000 pounds per
acre, 9.55 tons sugar per acre.
The above cane was plant When
the ratoons shall have been harvest
ed, the yields will again be recorded
and the results given. Judging from
the above figures, 1t may probably be
that gypsum applications will be of
value.
Your committee is inclined to the
opinion that the best thing to do to
keep up field yields, in localities
where the Lahaina trouble is estab-
lished, is to substitute some other va
riety for Lahaina cane at once; to
use less nitrate OF soda and more sui
pilates, including gypsum, and also to
conserve the trash All of these will
work against alkalinity. Following
this procedure it may be possible,
after many years, to return to Lahai-
ma il II be then found preferable to
the substitute variety"
About H-foe
when, however, because of the So
called trouble il became profitable
to cultivate other varieties, such as
Yellow Caledonia and Demerara 1885
for ratoons. it was found that scme CT
the Hawaiian seedlings grown as one
year canes would produce more sugar
in two one-year crops than either
Yellow Caledonia or Demerara 1lS5
would yield when grown IN one two
year crop. 1t seemed, on one planta-
tion on Oahu, it would be quite prof
table on that place to extend the area
devoted to Seeding short ratooEs
However that may be. disturbing
element appeared on the scene alICut
two years ago in the Seeding kno IN
as Hawaii 100. which. up to that time,
had not been harvested in quantity.
This is a variety similar to Lahaina as
to its second season growth, and,
from the yields so far obtained, as
two-year cane on the plantation,
where experiments have been carried
on. it appears that the other Hawaiian
seedlings, so far grown as one-year
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