Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-04-28
Practical Talks on Emergency Agriculture
No. g..
No.. |
BY F. G. Krauss Superintendent Extension Division, u S.
Agricultural Experiment Station


the Transportation of from 300 to 80
pounds of moisture during the grow
ing season Thus would an acre yield
of 50 bushels Of corn, with its accom-.
panying slower, transpire something
like 375,000 gallons 1880 tons) Of
moisture during the short season of
say 100 days growth. It is fair to
assume that through soil seepage and
evaporation a like amount would be
lost under most Hawaiian conditions.
This brings US to the great import
ance of moisture conservation, first
by such selection of drought resistant
crops such as beans, sweet potatoes
and other crops to require minimum
of moisture for localities Of low rain
fall; second, selecting, so far as pos
sible, crops suited Ito excessive mois-
ture for the wet lowlands and regions
of heavy rainfall, that none Of the
precious fluid be ~ 60 to unneces-
sary wastel ~ ffk *st27
Where irrigation is possible, it
should naturally be developed to the
utmost, but here is where conservation
can best be practised. And this will
be dealt with under cultural methods.
While we may not be able to con-
troll temperature and season in the
common sense, we can at least select
our crops to the season. -
observation-disclosures.
Temperature is largely a matter Of
altitude, so that we may also control
this factor in so far as we may be
oh - he al OF EuI1 ia11
the various crops are planted. -.
Seed
The importance of good seed, and
under this head we would lay particu.
lar stress upon suitable varieties, can
not be over emphasized. In the in
Vulnerable tests of beans, potatoes,
corn and other food crops conducted
by the Hawaii experiment station
since its establishment, the compare.
lively few varieties that succeed well
is markedly pointed out. On the other
hand no class of crops should be con.
demned until every available variety
has been tested out under varying con
ditions of soil, season and culture.
1t is one of the important functions
of the Hawaii experiment station to
give advice as to varieties best suited
to a given condition. Oftentimes it is
possible to supply. selected strains,
but in any event necessary informa-
tion can be given as to the best
sources of supply. In the matter of
imported seed potatoes, the station
pathologist is always ready to ex-
anime for hidden diseases Alfalfa
and other seeds would be examined
for impurities and parasitic weeds
such as dodder. termination and pur-
ity tests are also often made
Cultural Methods
After all these factors are amply
provided for, failure or at least un-
profitable results may follow from
wrong cultural methods. Thus, in
fertile soil, under optimum moisture
conditions, and in favorable locality,
the best of seed may fail to material
iZe. Not unfrequently do we find that
tie seed has been planted much too
deeply, or not sufficiently covered Or
the seed may be sown much too thick.
ly to permit of normal development
More rarely is the seed spread too
widely to give maximum stand Some
times the crop is planted in burrows
when ridge culture should have been
practised. More often the simple and
more economical method of level cul
ture is entirely ignored. Often the
initial cultural operations have been
well carried out only to become wasted
by subsequent inattention. Mellow
soils are permitted to become COM
pacted and parched, when judicious
surface cultivation would have main.
tanned an earth mulch, which in turn
would have conserved the precious
moisture at critical time. On the
other hand the more Jealous cultiva-
ton will stir the ground so deeply
after the crop is advanced as to de-
stroy the tender feeding roots which
now occupy the entire space between
the rows. =
The essential factors of crop pro-
duction have now only been touched
upon. 1t is hoped that this outline
may prove suggestive to those who
may be willing to cooperate with the
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