UMASS/AMHERST 
 
 315Dt,t,DD5fl4LbDH 
 
 Tis 
 
 
 
 "• l^ ir.lf. 
 
 i\'i-: 'i.M", 
 
 
 
 f>''t- 
 
 '• 'h 
 
 
 ''Z' -V'^'r,' 
 
 :':'*-;fin;,y1i:(ii;.: 
 
Fertilizing of Cane Soil^ 
 in the Hak^faiian I^ictnd'S 
 
 ■By J. T. CRA WLEy 
 
 Published by 
 
 GERMAN KALI WORKS. 
 
 95 NassaL\i Street, 
 New .york. 
 
 UNZ & CO., PRINTERS, 24 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The present work is the reprint of an article written by- 
 Professor J. T. Crawley^ formerly chemist in the Audubon 
 Sugar Experiment Station and Sugar School in Louisiana, 
 and more recently assistant director of the Hawaiian Sugar 
 Experiment Station and latterly chemist and superintendent 
 of the Hawaiian Fertilizer Company, Honolulu. It was 
 published in the Louisiana Planter and Sugar Manufacturer 
 on July 6th, 1901. The writer has briefly but thoroughly 
 stated the different matters relating to the fertilization of 
 sugar cane. 
 
 The establishment of the Hawaiian Experiment Station 
 in 1895 was a distinct step forward in the sugar growing 
 industry. The work of this Station, and of the Louisiana 
 Station, has been largely towards spreading definite and 
 accurate knowledge as to the kinds of fertilizer mixtures to 
 to be used on different soils to give the best results. Thus, 
 it has been found that fertilizers must be adapted to each 
 sugar-growing district. A fertilizer profitable in one district 
 may not be in another. 
 
 The writer has endeavored to point out the most de- 
 sirable mixtures to be used on different kinds of soil, and 
 in covering these and other points, the present work treats 
 of subjects not found at length in publications on sugar 
 planting; it is expected, therefore, that many of the chap- 
 ters will be read and studied by all intelligent planters with 
 special interest. 
 
Fertilizing of Cane Soils 
 in the Haw^aiian IslQ^nds 
 
 By J. T. CRAWLEY 
 
 IN view of the general belief that the methods of fertiliz- 
 ing in the Hawaiian Islands are as good as obtained in 
 perhaps any sugar country, and possibly better than in any 
 other tropical country devoted to the growing of sugar, it 
 would seem that it w^ould interest the readers of the 
 Louisiana Planter to give an account of these methods to- 
 gether with their practical results. It would seem that a 
 discussion of these methods would be specially pertinent at 
 this time, because of the numerous tropical islands that we 
 have recently become possessed of, and the paramount 
 importance of the sugar business in these islands. The 
 great interest attached to the question here is not that we 
 have worked out one method of applying fertilizers for cane 
 under all circumstances, but from the fact that our soils 
 are so very different the one from the other, and that the 
 climatic differences are so great in going from one district 
 to another, and that each of these problems has been taken 
 up separately and attacked in a scientific way. The fertil- 
 izer business has developed very fast in recent years; the 
 kinds used and the methods of application have materially 
 changed. 
 
 Previous to, say, ten years ago a great deal of bone meal 
 and purely animal fertilizers, with occasional additions of 
 
FERTILIZING OF CANE SOILS 
 
 potash salts, were used. This bone meal in many cases was 
 too coarse for the plant to utilize, and was applied regard- 
 less of climatic conditions — in districts of 150 inches of rain- 
 fall per year and in other districts with but little more than 
 20 inches per year. Indeed in some of these districts the 
 argument was us-ed that the bone meal would permanently 
 enrich the soil — a contention that is doubtless true, for it is 
 said that this same bone meal has been dug up unchanged 
 after lying in the soil for three years or more. A good 
 many chemical analyses by the old methods were made of 
 the soil by parties outside the islands, and fertilizers recom- 
 mended according to the analyses, but the fertilizers them- 
 selves were rarely analyzed. This left the situation very 
 much the same that we found in the states prior to the 
 establishment of the various state experimental stations. 
 Of course, under these conditions the planters did not 
 always get an article up to the guarantee, nor yet an article 
 suited to the conditions. 
 
 Six or seven years ago the Pacific Guano and Fertilizer 
 Company was formed in Honolulu, for the purpose of 
 manufacturing high grade fertilizers, and Dr. Averdam, a 
 German of considerable experience in the phosphate and 
 fertilizer trade, was put in charge. This marks the first 
 important epoch in the development of the business, as Dr. 
 Averdam brought with him the ideas of soluble fertilizers 
 that have been worked out so well both in Europe and in 
 the United States. An acid plant was erected, phosphates 
 imported from Layson Island and manufactured into acid 
 
IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 
 
 phosphate. Most of the fertilizer now sold by this com- 
 pany contains its phosphoric acid in a water-soluble form, 
 from dissolved phosphates, the ammonia from sulphate of 
 ammonium and the potash from muriate and sulphate of 
 potash. 
 
 In 1895 the Hawaiian Experiment Station was estab- 
 lished by the Sugar Planters' Association, with Dr. Maxwell 
 as director and the writer as assistant director and chemist. 
 Then began a systematic examination of soils both in place 
 and in the laboratory, together with the collection of data 
 as to rain-fall and temperature, which has been the basis of 
 much of the fertilizing that has been (Jonre since that time. 
 It is not claimed here nor in what is to follow, that all im- 
 provements in fertilizing made since 1895 are due to the 
 investigations of the Experiment Station and its recom- 
 mendations, for some plantations have not changed their 
 fertilizers, while many others have been guided from with- 
 out ; but it is due, in a greater measure, to these investiga- 
 tions of the conditions of each plantation that the fertilizers 
 used in one district are so different now from those used in 
 another district, and that there is a constant tendency to- 
 ward high grade fertilizers — fertilizers specially prepared 
 for the plantation where they are to be applied. 
 
 Fertilizers have been used here for many years, but 
 those used at first, from necessity in an experimental way, 
 did not give the satisfaction that was expected. Raw bone 
 meal, dissolved bone meal, fish scrap, and fertilizers con- 
 taining a large quantity of undissolved phosphates, were 
 
O FERTILIZING OF CANE SOILS 
 
 used regardless of soil and climatic conditions. The con- 
 sequences were that while in wet districts the results were 
 often good, in dry districts they were usually negative. 
 Where the results were favorable bone meal came into 
 favor, since this was a large ingredient of fertilizers. The 
 following formula will represent many of these fertilizers: 
 
 Phosphoric acid, 12 to 15 per cent., | soluble and 
 available. 
 
 Potash, 5 per cent., with no guarantee of its source. 
 
 Ammonia, 4 per cent., with no guarantee of its source. 
 
 Regardless of the fact that very few planteis had their 
 fertilizers analyzed, the above formula left ample margin 
 for putting in inferior and unsuitable ingredients. We are 
 not surprised then that hair and hoof meal were largely in 
 evidence, and that nitrate of soda was furnished in fertil- 
 izers, because of its low price in San Francisco, intended 
 for plantations even of 150 to 200 inches of rain-fall per 
 year. Examples of a few districts, their present mode of 
 fertilizing and the reasons therefore will illustrate the 
 subject of this paper. 
 
 IslaLiid of HoLwaii. 
 
 Hilo District. The rain-fall is very great, reaching 
 occasionally 200 inches per annum. The soils are com- 
 paratively thin, often in the uplands being scarcely four 
 inches in depth, resting upon an impervious subsoil from 
 a reddish to a yellow color. This subsoil is raw and poison 
 ous to plant life, consequently the deepening of the staple 
 
o 
 
 
 ■A 
 
 
 H 
 
 
 X 
 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 z 
 
 
 o 
 
 
 Q 
 
 
 W 
 
 
 r-i 
 
 
 < 
 
 
 O 
 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 W 
 
 '"' 
 
 C5 
 
 ■^ 
 
 <: 
 
 fa 
 
 CkI 
 
 
 
 Z 
 
 ux 
 
 o 
 
 fa 
 
 w 
 
 O 
 
 ?; 
 
 w 
 
 <r: 
 
 fa 
 
 C) 
 
 « 
 
 
 
 
 w 
 
 i_; 
 
 K 
 
 
 O 
 
 
 o 
 
 S 
 
 2 
 
 
 o 
 
IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 
 
 by subsoiling must be done very slowly and carefully. The 
 following analysis represents an average of six samples 
 analyzed by the Hawaiian Experiment Station: 
 
 .504^ 
 
 .25 7f^ 
 .128^ 
 
 Soils of the Hilo District — 
 
 Nitrogen, . 
 Phosphoric Acid, 
 Potash, 
 Lime, 
 
 These percentages, with the exception of lime, would 
 seem to be satisfactory, but it must be remembered that 
 these are old soils and the heavy rain-fall tends to wash out 
 the soluble and available elements, and leave the insoluble 
 and unavailable elements. This is notably the case with 
 lime. The lime content of most Hawaiian soils is high, but 
 in Hilo it has been largely washed out. 
 
 As illustrating this we give below the lime content of 
 Hawaiian soils by districts: 
 
 Hawaii — 
 
 
 
 
 
 Per Cent 
 
 Hilo District 
 
 lime, 
 
 
 .128 
 
 Hamakua 
 
 District, 
 
 lime. 
 
 .187 
 
 Kohala 
 
 
 
 
 .240 
 
 Kau 
 
 
 
 
 1.090 
 
 Oahu 
 
 
 
 
 .380 
 
 Maui, 
 
 
 
 
 •395 
 
 Kauai, 
 
 
 
 
 .418 
 
 When we come to consider the available lime as deter- 
 mined by any reliable method we find that this difference 
 between Hilo and the drier districts even more marked. 
 
FER'llLlZiNG OF CANE SOILS 
 
 The following analyses were made by the Aspartic acid 
 method as devised by the Hawaiian Experiment Station, to 
 determine the available plant food: 
 
 Available (pounds per acre) plant food in Hilo soils — 
 
 Lime, . . 174 lbs. per acre. 
 
 Potash, . . 78 " " 
 
 Phosphoric Acid, 29 " " 
 
 The lime shows the effects of cropping and a large rain- 
 fall. This same method applied to many of the soils of the 
 dry districts would show an available lime content of from 
 2,000 to 5,000 pounds per acre. The land needs lime, and 
 in some cases this is being supplied in the form of coral 
 from Honolulu, caustic lime from the States, or in com- 
 mercial fertilizers as lime phosphate and gypsum. Some 
 planters have applied lime without seeing any beneficial 
 effects, but we fancy that this is because an immediate 
 effect is looked for as in the case of commercial fertilizers, 
 whereas it can only be seen in a very gradual improvement, 
 probably covering a period of a good many years. 
 
 Potash. It is only within the past few years that it 
 has been proved that in a great many cases potash is de~ 
 ficient in Hawaiian soils, and there is now a tendency 
 toward an increased use of potash. This is notably the 
 case of the Hilo and Hamakua Districts of the island of 
 Hawaii, where the potash in the fertilizers often reaches 15 
 per cent, and even higher. Where muriate of potash is 
 applied to the soil the chlorine unites with the lime, and 
 this being soluble, is washed out by the heavy rains. This 
 
IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 
 
 would tend to deplete the land of lime, and for that reason 
 muriate of potash is not used to any extent in regions of 
 heavy rain-fall. Sulphate of lime resulting from the appli- 
 cation of sulphate of potash is not so soluble and for that 
 reason is now generally used. 
 
 Ammonia. Nitrates, by reason of their solubility and 
 tendency to wash out, evidently cannot be used with safety. 
 Sulphate of ammonium is not open to the same objections,, 
 but most of the planters of Hilo prefer, and we believe with 
 reason, to derive the greater part of the ammonia from 
 organic material. Bone meal in past years has been used 
 in large quantities, both alone and in connection with other 
 fertilizers. The writer believes with Dr. Maxwell and cer- 
 tain of the plantation managers, that it is the ammonia 
 and not the phosphoric acid of the bone meal that does the 
 greatest good to the cane. Following this idea up we have 
 recommended that tankage and fish scrap containing a large 
 percentage of ammonia be used instead of bone meal. The 
 most rational method of fertilizing with this article would 
 seem to be the following: 
 
 Tankage of lo per cent, ammonia and lo per cent, 
 phosphoric acid, or ii per cent, ammonia and 8 per cent, 
 phosphoric acid is applied in the furrow with the seed. 
 After the cane is growing this is followed up by a top 
 dressing of a high grade fertilizer containing a large per- 
 centage of potash in the form of sulphate of potash, a 
 smaller quantity each of phosphoric acid and ammonia 
 in readily available forms. In this way the most soluble 
 
lO FERTILIZING OF CANE SOILS 
 
 part of the fertilizer, tlie tankage, becomes well incorpor- 
 ated with the soil, and at the roots of the plants where it is 
 most liable to be acted upon by the plant acids. Moreover, 
 whatever particles of bone or flesh are not taken up by the 
 crop of plant cane is in a position to be taken up by the 
 second or rattoon crop. In this way it will be in contact 
 with the roots of the cane for two years or more, and in 
 that time all of the available ingredients should b^ utilized. 
 The high grade soluble fertilizer is applied only to the 
 growing crop, and in such condition as to be taken up at 
 once. We might add here that this method in a modified 
 form has been tried on one plantation with good results 
 and is now being tried on others. 
 
 Hamakua District. The rain-fall, besides being rather 
 small for a sugar crop, is very uncertain. Some years are 
 very dry while others have ample rain-fall, provided it 
 came at the right seasons. Occasionally there are very 
 heavy rains which, because of the very porous condition of 
 the soil, would tend to wash out all soluble ingredients not 
 held by the soil itself. Cane is planted all the way from 
 near sea level to 1,500 or 2,000 feet elevation. The uplands 
 here, as in most Hawaiian lands, have a heavier rain-fall 
 than the lowlands. 
 
 Hamakua soils (Hawaiian Exp. Sta.) average of four- 
 teen samples: 
 
 Per Cent. 
 
 Lime, . . .187 
 
 Phosphoric Acid, .566 
 
 Potash, . . .264 
 
 Nitrogen, , .572 
 
IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. II 
 
 The total potash is rather small and the lime also. The 
 available potash here, as in Hilo, is small and the potash 
 percentage in fertilizers has recently been increased. Sul- 
 phate of ammonium is used almost exclusively to furnish the 
 ammonia, while nitrate of soda, because of the uncertainty 
 of the rain-fail, is sparingly used and is not held in much 
 esteem. Fertilizers used in this district have about the fol- 
 lowing composition : 
 
 8fo phosphoric acid soluble and available. 
 8fo ammonia from sulphate of ammonia. 
 Potash from sulphate of potash varying from 8 to 15 
 per cent. 
 
 On certain plantations fertilizers have shown wonderful 
 results. In two well-known cases the yield of sugar has 
 recently increased from i or 2 tons to 4 or 5 tons per acre. 
 Indeed it is doubtful if some of the Hamakua plantations 
 would pay for cultivation were it not for the large use of 
 commercial fertilizers. 
 
 A peculiar problem presents itself in this district. Most 
 of the available cane lands at a low elevation have been 
 taken in, and the only places where the plantations can 
 develop further are in the uplands. These uplands are 
 covered with a heavy growth of ferns and trees, and the 
 nitrogen content of the soil is high, usually over i per cent. 
 The first crop of cane is green and vigorous, producing, 
 say, four or five tons of sugar per acre. This seems to 
 exhaust the soil and the second crop is very small; and it 
 takes several years to again produce a normal crop. This 
 
12 FERTILIZING OF CANE SOILS 
 
 question was presented to Professor Hilgard by Andrew 
 Moore, the manager of the Paauhau plantation, and he 
 made some very exhaustive analyses of the soils. His 
 conclusion was that notwithstanding the large nitrogen 
 content, it is so bound up with the organic matter as to be 
 practically unavailable to the plant; that the first crop 
 exhausts the soil of its available nitrogen. He recom- 
 mended a small dose of nitrate of soda to supply the avail- 
 able nitrogen. His conclusions, we believe, have been 
 partially borne out by results, though the planters still 
 prefer the use of sulphate of ammonium rather than nitrate 
 of soda. It is not alone in Hamakua that a dearth of 
 available nitrogen is seen in soils of a high nitrogen con- 
 tent. It might be said that as a rule the nitrogen content 
 of Hawaiian soils is rather high, as compared with the 
 soils of other countries, and yet in almost all cases the 
 application of ammonium compounds and organic matter 
 gives better results, and shows more quickly than any other 
 fertilizer ingredient. 
 
 Kohala District. The rain-fall is small and even more 
 uncertain than in Hamakua, though there are not often 
 rains heavy enough to endanger soluble fertilizers. 
 
 Kohala soils: 
 
 Pkr Cent. 
 
 Lime, . . .240 
 
 Phosphoric Acid, .470 
 
 Potash, . . .518 
 
 Nitrogen, . .415 
 
IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. I3 
 
 These lands are old and poor in available elements, as 
 the following table representing probably the average of 
 available plant food, as found by the aspartic acid method, 
 shows. 
 
 Available elements in Kohala soils: 
 
 Lime, . .. 200 to 300 lbs. per acre. 
 Potash, . 35 to 75 " 
 
 Phosphoric Acid, 15 to 20 " " 
 
 These figures are extremely small and show the urgent 
 need of high grade soluble fertilizers. Strange to say, cer- 
 tain of the planters still apply bone meal, and low grade 
 and comparatively insoluble fertilizers, believing that they 
 give as good results as the high grade. Fertilizers have 
 not been very successful in Kohala, due largely to the 
 droughts, and we fancy also to the kinds of fertilizers used. 
 If there is one district where science would dictate the use 
 of a soluble fertilizer it is in Kohala, where there is not 
 sufficient rain-fall to cause the decomposition of bone meal 
 and allied substances. Of late years potash is being used 
 more largely, and on at least one plantation more soluble 
 fertilizers. Irrigation plants are being installed, and no 
 doubt with a control of the water, fertilizers will be more 
 generally used and with profit to the plantations. 
 
 Oahu. Almost all the plantations of this island have 
 irrigation plants. The rain-fall is small but the supply of 
 water is controlled by pumps. On the famous Ewa plan- 
 tation the ordinary agricultural analysis does not show 
 marked quantities of phosphoric acid, lime, nitrogen and 
 
14 FERTILIZING OF CANE SOILS 
 
 potash. Most of the soil, however, is a washed soil, finely 
 divided and very deep. The method of fertilizing there is 
 different from most places. Soon after the crop begins to 
 grow it is given a top dressing of a high grade soluble 
 fertilizer and this is followed up by one or two dressings of 
 nitrate of soda, and another of fertilizer. A few years ago 
 the fertilizer contained 
 
 8^ available phosphoric acid. 
 y^fo potash from sulphate of potash. 
 6^^ ammonia from three sources, nitrate of soda, 
 sulphate of ammonium and organic. 
 
 Both the potash and ammonia were afterwards increased 
 and the phosphoric acid decreased. At the present time all 
 of the ammonia is derived from nitrate of soda and sulphate 
 of ammonium, and most of the phosphoric acid from water- 
 soluble phosphates. This is that the fertilizer may be 
 soluble in water of irrigation. Labor on the plantations is 
 scarce and more expensive than formerly, and every labor- 
 saving method possible must be used. The fertilizer is 
 applied in the cane rows and followed up by irrigation 
 water which dissolves the fertilizer and carries it down to 
 the roots of the cane. In this way no labor is required to 
 cover the fertilizer as was formerly the case. The enor- 
 mous yields of Ewa are made possible by the extreme depth 
 of the soil, and the large quantities of manures used. There 
 is not the danger of losing the nitrate of soda that there 
 would be were the soil of less depth. 
 
 On other plantations of the island nitrates are used 
 but not to the same extent, and the high grade fertilizers 
 
IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 15 
 
 contain both sulphate of ammonium and organic ammonia. 
 The following will represent about an average formula for 
 use on an irrigation plantation: 
 
 Fertilizers used on Oahu — 
 
 7 to Sfo phosphoric acid soluble and available. 
 
 8 to lo^ potash from sulphate of potash. 
 
 7 to 8^ ammonia, J each from nitrate of soda, sul- 
 phate of ammonium and organic. 
 
 Chemical analysis shows rather a lower content of nitro- 
 gen in the soils, and ammonium compounds give very good 
 results. 
 
 Maui. Most of the plantations of Maui are situated in 
 or near a broad plain that divides the two parts of the 
 island, and are subject to approximately the same weather 
 conditions, though the soils differ from each other very 
 essentially. As in other districts, no analysis can be given 
 to represent the whole district, yet for purpose of compari- 
 son we give an average of a number of analyses: 
 
 Soils of Maui, near Wailuku — 
 
 Per Cent. 
 
 Phosphoric acid, .270 
 
 Lime, . . .295 
 
 Potash, . . .357 
 
 Nitrogen, . .388 
 
 There is nothing unusual in these percentages; the 
 nitrogen is rather low, and none of the percentages are 
 very high. All of the plantations in or near this plain are 
 irrigated plantations, the rain-fall being very small. Most 
 of the plantations use ammonia from the three forms,. 
 
l6 FERTILIZING OF CANE SOILS 
 
 nitrate, sulphate and organic; potash from sulphate of 
 potash, and phosphoric acid from solubles phosphates. 
 Here again the phosphoric acid in the fertilizers has been 
 materially reduced, and the potash and ammonia propor- 
 tionately increased. At Spreckelsville the management 
 formerly used large quantities of fish scrap and fertilizers 
 carrying a large quantity of phosphoric acid, but since the 
 plantation has changed ownership, approximately the same 
 methods of fertilizing have been adopted which have given 
 such good results at other places. Most of the plantations 
 under consideration are under one management, and the 
 most intelligent attempt has been made to fertilize in a 
 scientific manner that has as yet been made anywhere in 
 this territory. Analyses of the various fields have been 
 made to determine the available plant food. These large 
 fields being comparatively uniform in composition, it is 
 possible to get samples representing a number of acres. 
 From these analyses different fertilizers are recommended 
 and used for the different fields. 
 
 To illustrate, we give a few analyses of these soils, 
 together with the fertilizers used: 
 
 Maui soils, available elements per acre. 
 
 A. B. C. 
 
 lbs. lbs. lbs. 
 
 Lime, 1,619 5>o4o 6,808 
 
 Potash, 1,425 1,443 ^94 
 
 Phos. Acid, 27 20 136 
 
 Lime is ample in all the samples, phosphoric acid is low, 
 the potash varying between quite wide limits. The nitrogen, 
 
 D. 
 
 E. 
 
 lbs. 
 
 lbs. 
 
 4,344 
 
 6,618 
 
 1,097 
 
 2,193 
 
 30 
 
 34 
 
IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 17 
 
 while not given here is tolerably constant, and the fertil- 
 izers used would be about as follows: 
 
 A. and B, 
 
 8^ phosphoric acid soluble and available. 
 
 8^ ammonia, | from nitrate, | from sulphate and 
 organic. 
 
 8^ potash from sulphate of potash. 
 
 C. 
 
 7^ phosphoric acid, soluble and available. 
 8fo ammonia as above. 
 lofo potash from sulphate. 
 
 D. 
 
 gfc phosphoric acid, soluble and available. 
 8^ ammonia as above. 
 8^ potash from sulphate. 
 
 E. 
 
 8^ phosphoric acid, soluble and available. 
 Sfo ammonia as above. 
 5^ potash from sulphate. 
 A neighboring plantation whose soil shows a lower pot- 
 ash than any of the above is using a fertilizer containing 
 II per cent, potash, while occasionally the ammonia is 
 increased if any special circumstances warrant the same. 
 Special dressings of nitrate of soda, and occasionally nitrate 
 and ground coral, are applied. 
 
 The plantations on Kauai, with a few exceptions, do not 
 present problems very different from those already men- 
 tioned. One plantation uses two kinds of fertilizers, one 
 for plant cane and another for rattoon; for the former a 
 high grade soluble fertilizer, applied in liberal quantities, 
 
iS FERTILIZING OF CANE SOILS 
 
 and for the latter a mixture of muriate of potash, nitrate of 
 soda and ground coral. The soil is somewhat deficient in 
 lime, hence the coral; and the manager uses the nitrate 
 with the rattoon crop for the purpose of stimulating the 
 growth of the cane, believing that in this way whatever 
 fertilizer applied to the plant cane the year before is not 
 taken up by the cane, will be used by this second crop. 
 Theoretically, this is an economical method of fertilizing, 
 but the writer has recommended an application of a high 
 grade fertilizer to the rattoon crop on the other plantations 
 following this method, where the soil shows any signs of 
 becoming depleted. 
 
 Special Cases. The seasons and existing conditions 
 often determine the fertilizer to be applied For instance, 
 in one case a fertilizer was wanted in July for a cane to 
 come off the following season. This is later than fertilizers 
 are usually applied, but the cane needed a stimulant. 
 Evidently whatever fertilizer was to be applied, should be 
 readily available, and the following formula was used: 
 
 12^ phosphoric acid, soluble and available, from double 
 super-phosphate. 
 
 lofo potash, from sulphate of potash. 
 
 i2fo ammonia, 6^ from nitrate, 6^0 from sulphate of 
 
 ammonium. 
 
 Where the fertilizer is to be applied with the seed, a 
 
 little more insoluble form can be used than when it is to be 
 
 applied as a top dressing, and fertilizers applied early in 
 
 the season a little more insoluble than those to be applied 
 
IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 1 9 
 
 later, since the crop has a longer time to grow and utilize 
 the food. 
 
 Of the forms of potash, sulphate has the decided prefer- 
 ence among the planters. Why this is so, I am unable to 
 say, or whether the preference is founded on facts or on 
 prejudice. There is very little difference between the price 
 of sulphate and muriate, a. slight advantage being with the 
 muriate. My own advice has usually been for the use of 
 sulphate. In some cases the excessive rain-fall necessitates 
 the use of sulphate, and in a few cases there is a large 
 quantity of salt, or chloride of sodium, either in the soil or 
 water, or in both; and in these cases it is safer to use the 
 sulphate. Since there is very little difference in the price, 
 it is probably a good and safe practice to use that form in 
 which there can be the least danger. 
 
 Sandy Soils. There are many patches of so-called 
 ''sandy soils," some of them quite extensive, on the planta- 
 tions and they require special treatment. The writer has 
 had this problem presented a number of times, and it 
 furnished the subject for a little chemical investigation, 
 the results of which were published in the Hawaiian 
 Planters' Monthly for February, 1901. This sand is com- 
 posed of fine particles of coral, in which there is incorpo- 
 rated more or less of soil and organic debris. It is quite 
 porous and for that reason difficult to irrigate. The water 
 passes through the porous coral very readily and the rows, 
 or irrigating trenches, have to be very short. The investi- 
 gation had for its object the determination of the retentive 
 
20 FERTILIZING OF CANE SOILS 
 
 power of such soil both for water and for chemicals, soils 
 of varying quantities of coral being used in the tests. It 
 was proved, as was expected, that the soils containing above 
 80 per cent, of coral sand have very feeble retentive power, 
 both for water and for salts. Nitrate of soda, muriate of 
 potash, and to a certain extent, sulphates of potash and 
 ammonium, being washed out by waters of irrigation. 
 Phosphates are readily retained owing to the lime content 
 of the coral sand. It was recommended that phosphates, 
 blood, sulphate of potash (and sulphate of ammonium in 
 small quantities) be used, and this recommendation is be- 
 ing carried out both on the Kahuku and Kihei plantations. 
 Both of these plantations now use two different formulas, 
 one for the rich red soil and the other for the sandy soil. 
 
 In conclusion, it might be stated that the general ten- 
 dency is toward the use of more soluble fertilizers, a larger 
 quantity of potash and ammonium compounds and less 
 phosphoric acid, especially when in the form of bones or 
 undissolved phosphates. The planter sees that the freight 
 on a ton of low grade fertilizer is the same as on a ton of 
 high grade, and being so far away from the sources of sup- 
 ply it is economy to use the most concentrated goods. 
 
 These changes have been followed by splendid results. 
 It is a well-known fact that the yield of sugar per acre has 
 enormously increased during the past few years. Six years 
 ago the average for the islands was 6,300 pounds of sugar 
 per acre, while now it is four and a half tons per acre. Of 
 course, a more careful cultivation, and great improvements 
 
a 
 
 
 z; 
 
 
 < 
 
 
 ■^ 
 
 
 D 
 
 
 ■J> 
 
 
 - 
 
 2 
 
 Z 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 a 
 
 r-i 
 
 i5 
 
 < 
 
 : ) 
 
 N 
 
 W 
 
 ■"? 
 
 2£ 
 
 1— 1 
 
 a. 
 
 H 
 
 
 ai 
 
 z 
 
 « 
 
 — 
 
 to 
 
 tq 
 
 &H 
 
 Z 
 
 n 
 
 <* 
 
 
 U 
 
 
 :n 
 
 
 < 
 
 
 M 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 < 
 
 
 i^ 
 
 
 s 
 
 
 < 
 
 
IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 21 
 
 in mills have added their part in this improvement; and we 
 must not forget that the alert, intelligent management of 
 the plantations, which is at the very foundation of the re- 
 cent enhanced values of the sugar properties, has made it 
 possible for these increased yields. But certainly, after all 
 is said commercial fertilizers pay for themselves many 
 times over. 
 
 METHODS OF SOIL ANALYSIS. 
 
 The ordinary agricultural analysis is still used, and, 
 with a careful interpretation, gives indications of the needs 
 of the soil. The aspartic acid of the Hawaiian Experiment 
 Station is also quite often used, and seems to give good 
 indications of the condition of availability of the potash 
 and lime. But it is doubtful if the method is applicable to 
 phosphoric acid. According to the method there are 
 extremely small quantities of available phosphoric acid in 
 any of our soils, which comports with our belief that it is 
 locked up with the tetanium and iron and aluminum ; and 
 yet the applications of phosphoric acid have not been 
 attended by a large increase of sugar. Indeed, as has 
 already been stated, the tendency is to decrease rather than 
 to increase this element in commercial fertilizers. 
 
 The quantity of fertilizers applied per acre varies con- 
 siderably. The average is probably 800 to 1,000 pounds 
 per acre, while in cases it varies from 500 to 1,500 pounds 
 per acre. This, it is to be remembered, is in addition to 
 whatever nitrate is applied, which is looked upon as a 
 stimulant. 
 
22 FERTILIZING OF CANE SOILS 
 
 Nothing thus far has been said concerning the elements 
 withdrawn by the crop from the soil, and it would seem 
 that our methods of fertilizing do not take this into account. 
 It has long been a favored theory with agriculturalists that 
 we should return the exact quantities of elements that are 
 withdrawn by one crop, and chemists have been to great 
 pains and expense to analyze all agricultural plants with a 
 view to compounding for each crop a ferlilizer that will 
 supply this drain. Looked at casually, this seems to be a 
 correct theory, but it does not bear close investigation. It 
 does not take into account the fact that the elements in the 
 soil are not available in the exact ratio of their removal by 
 the crops, and that the rocks are being disintegrated con- 
 stantly and yielding up plant food in very different ratios 
 in different places. A consideration of the chemical com- 
 position of Hawaiian lavas from which the soils are derived 
 will show this. 
 
 Lime in Hawaiian lavas (see Maxwell : Soils and Lavas.) 
 
 Non-hydrous lavas, - 9.24^ 
 
 Hydrous lavas, - - 8.23^ 
 
 Tufas, - - - - 1.41,^ 
 
 Evidently the resulting soils would differ very materially 
 
 in their content of lime, and any system of supplying lime 
 
 to the soil that does not take these differences into account 
 
 is wrong. Likewise the potash and phosphoric acid differ 
 
 very essentially in these rocks and consequently in the soils. 
 
 Again, the rain percolating through the soil carries off 
 
 these elements in very different proportion. Maxwell : 
 
IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 23 
 
 Lavas and Soils, page 164, says : "In the passing over of 
 lavas into soils there have been removed 8 tons (89^) out of 
 every 9 tons of lime; -| ton {ssfc) out of every i^ tons of 
 potash." 
 
 The resultant condition of the soil, say in Hilo, where 
 the rain-fall is 200 inches per year, percolating through the 
 soil and carrying off lime and potash would be very different 
 from Ewa plantation where there is very little rain-fall and 
 where each million gallons of water with which the planta- 
 tion is irrigated carries with it 400 pounds lime, 80 
 pounds potash and 14 pounds phosphoric acid. In 12 
 different samples of soil collected by the Hawaiian Experi- 
 ment Station from 11 plantations, the available lime varied 
 from 105 to 983 lbs. per acre ; potash varied from 30 to 588 
 lbs. per acre ; phosphoric acid varied from to to S6 lbs. per 
 acre. 
 
 If the exact amount of lime, phosphoric acid and potash 
 that one crop removes were sufficient for the poorest of 
 these soils, a very much smaller quantity would suffice for 
 the richest. 
 
 The rain-fall is a very much more powerful agent in 
 depleting the soil of its soluble ingredients in wet districts 
 than is cropping, nevertheless an examination of the 
 elements removed by cropping will show that our fertilizers 
 tend in the right direction. 
 
 According to the bulletin of the Experiment Station for 
 1900 the Rose Bamboo cane removes each year for each ton 
 of sugar produced : 
 
24 FERTILIZING OF CANE SOILS 
 
 13.6 lbs. phosphoric acid, 
 1 14.2 lbs. potash, 
 34 8 lbs. lime, 
 40.5 lbs. nitrogen, 
 or for a crop of ten tons per acre : 
 136 lbs. phosphoric acid, 
 1,142 lbs. potash, 
 348 lbs lime, 
 405 lbs. nitrogen. 
 
 The amount of potash removed is enormous and to 
 replace this would require more than a ton of the com- 
 mercial sulphate. The nitrogen also is quite high, while 
 there is a comparatively small quantity of phosphoric acid. 
 This comports with the present practice of an increase of 
 the potasli and nitrogen and decrease of the phosphoric 
 acid in commercial fertilizers. 
 

 
 V-.ImS 
 
 
 
 .■'.H'