The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1921-11-22
Mulching In
Pine Fields Told
Larger Fruit, Lower Costs and
Other Advantages Explain
ed; Process Is Adaptation
From Olaa Methods.

scented to the conference of pineapple
plantation field men in Honolulu last
week dealt with the effect of paper
mulching on pines, practically an ap-
plication of the Olaa cane mulching
process to pine cultivation. 1t was
read by w. T. Longley who said in
part:
"a few years ago G. F. Eckart in
troduced a paper mulch for use in
the production of sugar a which
is being used with great success on
Hawaii. Mr.. Eckart's patent rights
covering paper mulch also include it's
use in the production of %pineapples
and various other crops. No expert
ments had been made with pine
apples, however, until 1919 when an
experiment was planted in roofing pa
per by the Hawaiian Pineapples Co.,
after Mr.. Whitmore had seen the
mulch in use on cane in Olaa. AS a
result of the excellent showing made
by paper mulch in this and more re-
cent experiments OF both upper and
lower lands, the Hawaiian Pineapple
Co, has acquired an option on all pat
ent rights for growing ~pineapples in
paper mulch. 1t is estimated that
there are at present 461 acres planted
in paper, 68 acres of which will fruit
in 1922. The Hawaiian Pineapple Co.
has 491 acres, Libby, Mcneil & Lib
by 25 acres and the California Pack
ing Corporation 5 acres.
Larger Fruit Produced
1.-THE first yields were obtained
from paper mulch paintings during
the past season. These yields and
the appearance of all paper covered
paintings ranging from a few months
to two years old, leave little doubt as
to the value of the paper. Plants in
paper grow uniformly larger, greenor
and more healthy and produce larger
fruit than plants grown without pa
per. The fruit maturing on paper
mulch last season was very carefully
weighed, is was that on adjoining
check lines, and the results showed
an average weight of four pounds
8.24 ounces for the fruit grown with
paper while that grown without paper
averaged only three pounds $3.50
ounces, a difference of nearly a pound
Allowing 1900 fruiting plants to the
acre, this shows an increase of 7107.2
pounds, or a little over three and one
half tons in favor of the paper.
"As the plants On paper were in
much better condition after the fruit
was harvested, than those grown
without paper, it is believed that the
first rattoon crop will show at least
rs great an increase as the plant crop
and that the second ration will also
show a substantial gain. 1t is not
improbable that the total increase
will amount to eight or nine tons for
the three crops and that an addition
al ration may be grown at a good
profit in many fields. Had the en-
tire field in which the experiment
was conducted been planted with pa
per mulch and yielded at the same
rate as the experiment, the produc-
ton would have been 1913 per cent
greater. From the appearance of
plants in paper mulch on the better
lands which will bear next year, there
is reason to believe that this high
percentage of increase will be main
tanned or even bettered. The expert
ments being conducted by the Califor-
mia Packing Corporation, Libby, Nc
Neill & Libby and the Hawaiian Pine
apple Co., cover a wide range of soil
I'M climatic conditions and in every
case show a decided improvement
from the use of paper.
Cuts Costs Two-Thirds
while the greatly increased yield
is the most import and benefit de-
rived from the use of paper mulch,
it has many good points to recon-
mend it. While no account has been
kept of wedding costs it is conserva-
lively estimated that paper mulch
will save two-thirds this expense.
The space around the plants which or
dinarily takes the most time, needs
no hoeing and the weeds between
the lines can be fairly well CONTROL
ed by cultivating. In addition to cut
ting labor costs to a minimum, it pre-
vents the growth of weeds between
the plants during long wet spells.
= Fertilizing costs are also lowered, as
it is not necessary to feed the weeds.
1t is expected hat the saving in
wedding costs for two years will pay
for the greater part of the material
and labor for applying the paper.
Paper mulch also prevents hard
rains from packing the soil around
the roots of young plants and in dry
weather keeps the plant food more
available by holding the moisture in
the soil, where under ordinary condi-
tons it would dry out and bake.
lColo hduC uuiih6 III hoI VI y
weather showed approximately
double the amount of moisture in
soil under paper as in soil without
paper. At the same time tempera.
ture tests were made with and with
out paper mulch, which showed the
soil under paper as in soil without
paper. At the same time tempera,
ture tests were made with and with.
ont paDer mulch. which showed the
soil under paper to be warmer by
from two to five degrees, depending
on the quality of the paper and also
showed a minimum ranging from
two to six degrees higher at night.
THE Hawaiian Pineapple Associa-
tons experiment station planted an
experiment in April of this year al
Kailua, Oahu, which shows conclu
sively that paper mulch is far better
for that section than any of the other
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