Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-06-30

q tracks, tractors have been used TOT
the last two years The engines strad-
3 die the track and haul 10. and Is car
loads Of cane at one time. An i'm,
portant feature Of this method is the
absolute control of the load on steep
grades, either going up or down.
Cane leaders are being fitted to
tractor engines on several places ThiP
work Is still experiment., but has
many possibilities.
q. SPRAYING FOR WEED CON-
TROL
This practise was started at Olaa
4 Sugar Company in 1913 and has be-
come an economic factor on num-
Der Of plantations. AS the practise
( a limited to certain conditions ana
types of vegetation, 1t has not come
into general use on all plantations.
The spray is applied to the weeds
between the cane rows. II must De
applied when the vegetation is dry
and requires several hours OF dry
weather after its application. 1t is
applied with an ordinary knapsack
sprayer (Yermorel noZZle) or with
special sled that is built for the pur'
: pose. One man with knapsack can
spray from an acre to an acre ana
quarter in a day. A sled sprayer can
cover q maximum Of five acres per
day.
The strength Of solution used is i've
: pounds Of white arsenic TO 100 gallons
; OF water. II is made up Fas tollo"s'
White arsenic s pounds.
Caustic soda / pound.
Or sal soda 5 pounds.
Water ~ gallons. ~
This IA boiled for 10 to Is minutes
5 or until the solution is clear. II ID
then diluted TO 100 gallons with water.
Best results are obtained by ADDING
{ the soda first and after this has come
4 70 4 boil adding the arsenic gradually
Z stock solutions Of this material are
J, for sale on the market. To these II Is
usually only necessary to add colo
s water. They are fully as effective as
the homemade solution and much
simpler 70 handle.
Is MOTOR TRUCKS AND AuToMo'
eILEs
Motor trucks and automobiles which
i've years ago were considered ln1'
ury on "a sugar plantation are no" eE'
eryday necessities
II has become more and more gen
eraI TO supply small automobiles 70
overseers, time-keepers and otners.
This not only facilitates and speeds
mp the work but increases the eftr
riency Of the men very materially.
The motor truck has also become
!, most valuable asset for the sugar
plantations. II Is gradually replacing
the mack mule and wagons for trans
Dorfation purposes. 1t 10 extremely
Valuable for hauling seed and fertiE
izefs into the field and Tor hauling
General freight and supplies. The use
81 motor trucks for hauling laborers
"a and from work Is also coming into
General use. The amount Of time and
energy saved IN this way more than
compensates for the cost. In the
rainy districts where transportation |
. has always been q problem the motor
truck and automobile are especially
useful. Since the introduction OF
this means Of transportation mac
adam roads have been built on great |
many of the plantations. The differ |
ence IN convenience and cost OF trans
portation has been very noticeable.
8 EXPERIMENTAL WORK
The Planters Experiment Station ct
present employs staff Of nine train
"a axriculturists whose business con
sists largely In conducting field ex-
Deriments on the various plantations.
These tests are designed TO solve any
problems In agriculture that come up
Irom time to time. They cover the /
subjects OF fertilization, lining, FRI.
cation. cultivation, blowing, following,
green manuring, etc. These expert
ments are laid out on accurate yet /
nractical lines SO that the results may /
be applied directly TO plantation con-
ditions. From the results OF these
tests an accumulation If Information /
i resulting which win be invaluable
Cor future use In the sugar industry.
The scale Of experimental work ls
perhaps larger and more extensive
chan any that has ever been under
taken By any one Institution previous.
" IN any part OF The world. The
result Of this work will be gradual
and cumulative and should have .
most valuable influence on the sugar
Industry Of the islands.
Z. INSECT CONTROL
A great deal Of work Is. being done +
70 control insect enemies Of the sugar
cane.
The three most destructive insects
hawaiian sugar plantations have had
10 contend With we're the leafhopper,
che cane borer ana the anomala
beetle. The first two are now sue
eessfuIly controlled by parasites. The
leafhopper parasites were introduced
some years ago. In 1910 a species Of
Tachinid fly, a borer parasite, was
introduced and by 1912 had become es-l
fabiished on all plantations, since
which time borer damage has been
negligible. i
The anomala beetle was discovered
II. our cane fields In 1912. This
beetle feeds on the roots Of the sugar
cane and causes much damage when
II occurs. II is confined to the island
81 oahu and now occupies an area of
about three miles in diameter on two
plantati0ns
r.aef year latter nearly four years