G 
BULLETIN 6 2, HAWAII EXPERIMENT STATION 
waii. Thirty-five of the samples were taken from sugarcane fields, 
8 from pineapple lands, 5 from coffee orchards (Kona), 9 from 
diversified agricultural areas, some of which were in edible canna, 
and 25 from localities growing only native vegetation or having bar- 
ren land. 2 
The annual precipitation varies widely. From a few inches per 
annum in certain parts of east Maui to upwards of 200 inches on the 
Hilo coast of Hawaii, there is almost every gradation. At the peak 
of Mount Waialeale, Kauai, among the wettest spots on earth, the 
annual rainfall exceeds 500 inches. In contrast to the wide variation 
in rainfall, the temperature variation is relatively small. However, 
in certain districts, such as the Waimea Plateau, Hawaii, the tem- 
perature resembles temperate conditions, the mean being 65° F., 
whereas in certain very arid districts the annual mean temperature 
is around 80°. Agricultural areas extend to elevations as high as 
4,000 feet. Temperature conditions are governed chiefly by eleva- 
tion, humidity, and the prevailing air current. 
Examination of certain plrysical and chemical data on the samples 
shows the great variety of soils that can be collected in the Hawaiian 
Islands; however, on the basis of mechanical analysis, most of the 
soils are clays and clay loams. Because of differences in age, degree 
of weathering and oxidation, and percentage of organic content, the 
soils show all gradations of color from almost pure yellow through 
all the different shades of brown and red to gray and black. Table 
2 gives the color analysis of 21 typical and unusual soil types ex- 
pressed on the basis of the proportion of four basic colors as adopted 
by the American Soil Survey Association. 
Table 2. — Basic colors in Hawaii soils 
Sam- 
ple 
No. 
Soil type * 
Depth 
Proportion of basic color 
Color 
White 
Black 
Yellow 
Red 
2 
Inches 
0-10 
0-12 
(') 
0-12 
0-10 
0-12 
0-12 
0-8 
• 0-12 
0-12 
0-12 
0-12 
0-12 
12-24 
0-12 
12-20 
w 
(«) 
0-12 
(M 
12-24 
Per cent 
3 
4 
7 

1 
6 
2 









14 

9 
2 
5 
Per cen 
55 
72 
81 
63 
85 
81 
59 
76 
80 
80 
69 
66 
65 
65 
57 
72 
41 
39 
59 
81 
55 
Per cent 
23 
13 
6 
18 
8 
6 
20 
12 
9 
10 
16 
16 
11 
11 
17 
10 
35 
15 
14 
9 
20 
Per cent 
19 
11 
6 
19 
6 
9 
19 
12 
11 
10 
15 
18 
24 
24 
26 
18 
10 
46 
18 
8 
20 
Light brown. 
6 
9 
12 
15 
17 
21 
Salt Lake Crater clay 
Peninsula clay loam 
Olaa sandy clay loam 
do 
Volcano sandy loam.. 
Kona clay 
Gray. 
Light gray. 
Light brown. 
Gray. 
Do. 
Brown. 
23 
31 
do 
Kohala clay 
Grayish brown. 
Brown. 
33 
Waimea clay loam 
Do. 
37 
Light brown. 
42 
Hakalau clay. 
Light yellowish brown. 
48 
49 
56 
Hamakuapoko clay 
Haiku clay 
Brownish red. 
Do. 
Light brown. 
57 
65 
. do * 
Brown. 
Yellow. 
66 
69 
do 
Lahaina clay 
Light red. 
Light gray. 
76 
Kealia clay 
Gray. 
77 
do 
Brownish gray. 
° Using the Munsell color method of measuring the percentage of the four basic colors as applied by the 
Hutton-Rice system. Hutton, J. G. (chairman), report of soil color standards committee. Amer. 
Soil Survey Assoc. Rpt. Ann Meeting 7, Bui. 8:53-56a. 1927. 
* The word "type" here has not the same meaning as in a soil survey or soil classification. Lanikai clay, 
for example, simply means clay from Lanikai. 
c Subsoil. 
2 The table contains descriptions of 78 soils only. 
