The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-11-04


n.n. c.rre.penains seerssary Of Re X Ne
A~.riculaural Seeteeys
n, p.r.rprxr AND 0ssr1xnEs or rHE AdRIcuIr0hAL
SoCIETY --n.x
During the past year the importation o<5pes =.
and animals has continued stesdiiy.
n dardenesf Bydnseasd nsabpsrps We ~ :,
sivsd uses With living plants and coisFa0n o.
ee@. With both atablish mentss our 'nssseDon y
hased upon tie principse q ezchenss' plAse ing
snous 10 our islands beins ssnt 70 fhen IN s'uln'
Unfortunately, the great scarcity Of direct oo""un'-
cation with either Of the above places prevents us
from deriving all the benefit from 1t when oener"'se
therefrom would result to Ms. A few living plants
and seeds have also arrived from the island OF 10
sion and the Marouesas From the former we re-
ceived a collection of six different kinds Of bananas
smonest which was reported to be the Manila hemp
banana (musa ~tert1is); but a. only part Of the
shoots reached us in good condition., and none were
labeled. / am not certain If We really ere in posses
s;on If this valuable vegetable. To render the trans
mission Of living plants from those islands nfer, l
bav 3 placed two glass cases on board the Morning
Star which at the same time will serve for the ac-
commodation Of such economical and other plants ~
NAV benefit or please our esteemed correspondent IN
those stations. Amongst other plants raised from
seeds of Ascension I viii mention the sago and oefei
palms. From the Royal Gardens Of Kew l received
through the kindness Of Sir Wm- L Hooker . valua-
BILE collection Of Dubious plants and seeds, with the
promise Of more whenever opportunity offered. From
Tahiti DIR. Dumas, of the French corvette I'Eury-
dice, again brought us . present OF a box Of vanilla
plants, besides sundry seeds from Peru.
With San Francisco our relations have been vari-
GUS and extended, owing il. . great measure to the
active zeal Of our valuable correspondent, Mr.. VIM.
Fell. The direct operations of the Society were in
deed limited only to an order of grape vines and fruit
trees, comprising a number Of smaller orders from
different parties on the islands, for whom the Society
acted as agent; but the most important result Is.
that the operations Of the Society have called into life
a regular trade between the nurserymen Of that
place and Honolulu, which. to judge from present
Indications, is still on the increase. Repeated in
voices of fruit trees and ornamental plants have come
on our packets and been disposed Of here at auction
or at private sale. From the United States, North
and South, we have repeatedly received SEEDS OF va
rious descriptions, latterly q 6ne selection of Euro
pean and American coniferous trees. II you add to
these q rare collection Of seeds from Jamaica and an
other one, equally choice, from the island Of Trinidad,
only received by the last mail, you know in detail,
what has been done by the Society in the way Of in
Producing new plants.
1t would lead too far, and perhaps be to no pur-
pose, to enumerate the names of all useful plants or
seeds received. but 1 con slider the Boehmeria nivea, a
Chinese fibre plant, received from Jamaica, and the
green tea plant, amongst the seeds from Trinidad, too
precious acquisitions to be passed over in silence.
With respect to fruit trees. q few seeds of the loquat,
(Eriobotrya) and nispero or s~apotilla, (achras sapota.)
which we owe to the kindness respectively Of Mrs.
Newell and H. B.. Ms Consul, Mr.. T. Nicholas, are
growing to fine trees. These, as well as some new
species of anons, are novelties to our fruit depart
ment.
Be it remembered here that, with exception of a
small purchase Of seeds from Mr.. Thorburn in Al
bany, the Society has incurred no expense for all
these importations, besides that of freight and post
age, and even these not in all cases. The medium of
payment we're in most instances seeds or living plants
of our Hawaiian fora, which I have, until now, mani
aged to furnish without any burthen to the Society.
For many grstuitous gifts We are also indebted to the
kindness of private friends.
Amongst the importations belonging to the animal
kingdom, operated during last year, the 6rst place in
is held by the honey bees; and as these
busy creatures have been under my special charge, 1
consider it my duty to ~expatiate upon them somewhat
Enthusiastically. You recollect, gentlemen, that
during our last annual meeting we're brought here
four swarms of bees from Califo rnia, to be offered for
sale. They were sent in consequence Of previous in
quiries which I had caused our agent in San Fran
cisco to make The Society bought two swarms at the
price of one hundred dollars, and entrusted them to
charge; the two remaining swarms were also left
with me, to be taken care of until further orders from
the owners. From February to August these four
colonies have issued six new ones, one of which has
betaken itself 70 the hills Of the remaining, three
belong to the Society and two to the party who sent
them here. This would make an aggregate number
of nine at the end of the year; but as we have lost
of the old swarms by the ravages of the little
black ant, the number has become reduced to eeyen.
this number two have been sent to Kona, Hawaii,
one having been purchased by Mr.. Preston Cummings
and the other one given in commission to Mr.. Thomas
Paris. The first of these was unfortunately lost dur
ing the transport, but the second one has arrived in
good order and, as Ar. Paris writes me. is doing
finely. Consequently. there remain under my charge
five more. two the property of the Society and three
to the Californ ia owners
Concerning the prospect of bee culture in our ISL
ands look upon it, after the short experience made.
with favorable eye. In Honolulu and all the noun
tainens and woody districts there exists abundance of
for them; in especial the alpine-like flora Of our
high mountains, where every flower almost is sup
piled with sweet nectar receptacles and emits an aro-
matte scent, will offer q fine pasture ground
the plants around Honolulu mostly fire.
quented by them are the aoripondio, tamarind. pam
danus, and particularly the sumach. As an exam
pie of the abundance of food ut their disposal, l will
mention that one new swarm, within the first Eve
days after being -hived. completely filed with combs
compartments of the box. The honey extracted
from tho dooorxoj b;vos 80 ~ 6,o a.~o- - t.