The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-09-24
NOTES OF THE WEEK.

u. S. S. ST. MARYs-This fine ship entered our port
yesterday at Up. NJ, 102 days from Panama via Taio-
Haze, Jervis' Island, and 20 days from New Nantucket
Island. We understand that both the guano islands
were surveyed by her officers, and various samples of
guano obtained, which viii be sent ON TO Washington,
for the examination OF the U. S. Government officers.
Com. Merwin will get no additional praise, for this
expedition has been entirely successful, and his
]" conclusions and opinions y disproved. A report of
whalers that had touched at New Nantucket Island,
for two months previous to the st. Marys' leaving,
win be found in our appropriate column. 1t appears
that the islands are'of so easy access, that no whale
ships pass there without leaving their report. The
following is q list of the officers of the st. Marys:
Charles Henry Davis, Commander.
j. 5. Maury, Thos. t. Houston, VIM H. Ward, Lieutenants.
j. Winthrop Taylor, Surgeon.
W. A. Ingerson, Purser.
John q. Mitchell, Actiag Master
E. Med. Reynolds, FEST Lieutenant of Marines
Stewart Kennedy, assistant Surgeon.
C. +. Thomas, Passed MidsAipnldn.
Leroy Fitch, M~sdshipmaH.
John NJ. Harrington, Captains Clerk.
Philip J. Miller, Acting Boatstrain-
E. A. Cassidy, Actiag Carpenter.
l.. X Ellis. Gunner.
II. W. FARMLAND, Saltwater
Thee. Quastof, Pursers Clerk.
james 0'Dowd, Surgeons Stetrard.
james Jackson, YsoBaGn.
CoFFEE.-From the statement published in another
column. by our correspondent at Hanalei, and from
the reports before given of the falling off in the yield
in Kona, it is probable that there will be a smaller
crop in the islands than for many years past. The
cause of the small crop at Hanalei is the appearance
of "a parasitical insect which destroys the vigor of the
plant. 1t is the same insect that will now be found
on vines in Honolulu. Plants having the insects on
them have been received from Hanalei and we un-
derstand that DR.. Hillebrand has made an examina-
ton of them, for the purpose of investigating their
nature and habits. The insect, we understand, is the
same as that which appeared on the sugar cane at
Lihue, but the cane was too hard for it to subsist on,
and it disappeared. The insect is roand and trans
parent, about the size, when full grown, of the head
of a large pin, and lies ensconced at the end of its
nest, which is a white, fuzzy mass about the sixteenth
of an inch long. Sometimes these nests cover the
stalk or leaf. so as to make the plant appear white.
On opening the nest it appears full Of tho young in
sects, which leave their soft covering in a few days
and spread over other stalks and leaves. By the use
of lime-water and sulphur thrown ON 70 the trees by
a garden engine, Mr.. Titcomb succeeded in staying
the ravages of the insects, and had he not been taken
sick just at this time, his plantation would doubtless
have suffered but In lie from them. His crop will be
reduced perhaps one-fourth, that of the Hanalei pAan-
tation perhaps one-half or two-thirds- We hope the
appearance of this insect will not lead to a hasty
abandonment of coffee growing at Hanalei. 1t
certainly should not, till a second or third seasons
trial of remedies has been made.
HUsr's MERCHANTS MAGAZINE for July republishes
the condensed custom house statistics and one of the
articles On the agriculture of the Sandwich Islands,
which appeared in this paper last spring. The above
magazine ranks as the highest mercantile authority
in the United States.