3 



Issued June 10, 191, 



Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station 



HONOLULU 



J. M. WESTGATE, Agronomist in Charge 



PRESS BULLETIN No. 50* 



The Effect of Arsenite of Soda on the 



Soil 



By W. T. McGeorge, 

 Chemist. 



Introduction 



The use of poisonous chemicals as a means of destroying 

 weeds, while not a new idea, until comparatively recent years 

 found little application in Hawaiian agriculture. About five years 

 ago this Station carried on experiments 1 with various chemicals, 

 the results of which indicated sodium arsenite to be a very effec- 

 tive and economical weed destroyer. 



At the present time this means of controlling weed growth 

 has long since passed the experimental stage and is now quite 

 widely applied. Especially is it applicable in the rainy sections 

 where the growth of weeds is profuse and cultivation is often 

 impossible without puddling the soil. 



Considerable credit ia due Mr. W. A. Anderson, Manager of the 

 Xahiku Rubber Co. for the first successful application of this 



•Note. — This Bulletin, as well as Press Bulletin No. 48, entitled 

 "Suppression of Weeds Among Pineapples by Arsenite of Soda 

 Spray," and Press Bulletin No. 49, entitled "A Cheap and Effective 

 Home-made Plank Drag," was prepared under the direction of 

 Dr. E. V. Wilcox, Special Agent in Charge, previous to Jan. 1, 1915. 



