Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-06-02

pact and inert subsoil comes to with
in foot or less Of the surface in most
Places. When cleared, a heavy sod
OF HilO grass usually takes possession
and such growth usually intensifips
the aCidity. especially when heavy
growthS are turned under The cost
Of clearing these lands ready for tina
PlOw has ranged from &l0 to $40. If
ploWei Immediately following grub
ling this fundamental tiIlage opera
tiOn is fairly easily accomplished, and
w have found that such practise evi
IDENTIFY favOrs the processes conductive
10 fertility. We would urge that IN
der all similar conditions as short an
interval as possible be permitted to
elapse between clearing and breaking
the land. During the dryer seasons
of the year We have found it important
to disc or harrow Immediately fol-
lowing the pillow. When this Is not
done the sCant supply Of organic mat
ter termed "humus" is soon dissipated
by wind ard strong sun rays On the
ether hand ~ narrowing should be
attempted vale the ground is wet
Since a good filth is essential to max
lmum root development and COnServa-
ton OF moisture, we plOW three times.
al suitable intervals, to best bring
about friable condition of the soil
However, deleteriOus effects may fol-
low excessive filming Of the soil, espe-
Cially when there is a lack Of vege-
table matter and the season proves
one Of heavy rainfall. In such cases
the soil particles run" together and
the soil becomes excessively com
pacted
When, having prepared a good seeG
bed. selected a suitable variety and
favored by normal season, the corn
crop fails to produce a good crop, We
may be reasonably certain that some
thing Is lacking in the soil AS stat
ed before, on hundred bushel basis
our soils proved about 35 per cent
efficient on corn. Lining has avau.
ed us but little or no benefit thus fat,
and in some cases depressed the
yields. Complete fertilizers applied
at the rate of 800 pounds per acre
have rarely paid their cost without
the addition of green manure. Then
we began to green-manure. The cont
was Intercepted with Jack beans,
cow peas and velvet beans. After
the seed was harvested, the vines
were turned under. Twenty tons in
1913 and approximately an equal
amount in 1914 and 1915. The corn
crop kept increasing from 35 to SCI
and 81 bushels-than a too late plant
ing, couple with an unfavorable sea.
son-dropped the yield to 81 bushels.
In 1916 our reward came. Sixty ODD
tons of green-manure gave us a foun-
alton to work on. One could see and
feel the soil teeming with fertility |
We began to feel that something
might happen" this season An ex-
pertinent was planned to compare the |
relative value Of a carefully selected |
strain of home grown seed with an
other standard variety. The influ-
ence Of light and heavy seeding, and
Of fertilization with a complete fer
tilizer as against green-manuring |
alone, and no fertilization and no !
green-manuring were also to be deter.
mined. Result of the experiment is |
summarized in the record given be-
low:
Yields Of corn in experiment to
determine the value of heavy green
manuring with and without supple
mentary fertilization, under light and
heavy seeding. Heavy seeding con.
sisted of drilling the seed eight inches
apart in rows two and a half feet
part. Light seeding consisted Of
drilling the seed eight inches apart in
rows five feet apart.(
Plot No. NO green-manuring
fertilized with 500 pounds complete |
fertilizer; rows 5 feet apart.
Yield in
pounds bushels !
Standard Yellow Dent =. 234O Ais
Hybrid 49,. 1898 4271
Plot No. 2-Heavily green-manured;
fortified with 500 pounds complete
fertilizer; rows 215 feet apart:
Yield in
pounds bushels |
Standard yellow Dent =. 1896 92.7S
Hybrid .... 5643 10076
Plot No. 3-Heavily green-manured;
no commercial fertilizer; rows feet
apart:
Yield in
pounds bushels
Standard Yellow Dent E. PAS 1851
Hybrid 49,. 2655 47.43
Plot No. 4-Heavily green-manured;
no commercial fertilizer; rows Pr
feet apart:
Yield in
pounds bushels
Standard Yellow Dent .. 1908 1914
Hybrid .... 4458 1850
Plot No. 5-No green manuring;
10 fertilization; rows feet apart:
Yield in
pounds bushels
standard Yellow Dent =. 1872 33.40
Hybrid 49,. 1943 34.7O
Several striking features are
brought out in this experiment. The
most important in the writer's esti-
nation are the results directly trac-
lble to the green manuring. Plot in
iicates that the soils natural fertility
Jnder the conditions existing at the
line Of the experiment enabled it to
produce an average Of 34.5 bushels