Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1885-04-18
koH,Lt DISTRICT fco.tianral
n. regs,a.ts aud rs.ec, rea.


Its regetahfe aad INSECT Pests
To conclude this already long letter though
no, necessarily TO conclude my account Of the
district--I give below a list Of the various
pests which impede cultivation, impure growth
and destroy fruit and other vegetable products
list, but is too long for the happiness OF the
good people who helped me compile it
The OF. weed of two varieties, is great
pest. Its seed came TO Waimea in the pack.
ing ~ case OF liquor many yeats ago. and
irori waimea the wretched plant has spread
so that i, is found in Kohala, iIamakua and,
doubtless, other portions OF the island. The
IIilo grass, so called because the seed, from
some foreign county, probably Mexico,
where grows rank grass apparently like id.
was first rooted in Hilo. whence il spread to
every island of the group. The Wandering
lew thonohonol spreads in the cane fields and
sometimes necessita,es extra cultivation to
subduc il. The puk,mole, vigorous shrub,
invades the taro patches and demands vigilani
attention. The burr weed once so common
Kohala thaving abandoned the Waimea plainsl
and is a great nuisance. The lanlana, though
no, yet in fail force, has obtained foo,hold in
many valleys, and has evidently come TO stay.
The lantana nuisance is the most dangerous
the district has to face. only determined fight
ing and concerted action can save the gulches
from ruin. Where it once obtains undiSpuied
Judgement everything not too large to he
harmed mus, give way before it. II ever a
pest found congenial habita, the lantana has
found one in the Hawaiian Islands. Some OF
the aericulturis, law makers OF the next legis-
ia,ure will do well to think of the lantana
nuisance and try and devise ways and means
for its extirpation. The sorrel losalis) is the
bane Of several pretty flower gardens in
Kohala. The innoeent.looking little plant,
leaves and lis pretty pink blossoms. has done
more mischief than little: and some Of the
ladies who are fighting il wish there had never
been sach plant.
The black blight attacks many trees in
Kohala- The oranges and the coffee suffer
greatly. A white insect attacks nearly every
kind of fruit, doing damage only to the soft
skinned sorts. 1, is the same pest that spoil:
mangoes and strawberries in Honolulu
Doctor Bond told me something .bout it thai
is worth repeating, although the fact may be
better known than | think. The insec, has
power Of locomotion, though it does no, trave
rapidly or with ease Bu, it is assisted by th>
ant, the common small-szed black ant. The
ant carries the white insect from tiuit to fruit
OF leaf to leaf-"pas,uring" it, so to speak
II does 50 for jus, the reason tina, one past:.re'
COW to &c, milk. The white insect secrets
fluid which the ant consumes. In brief, TIT
white insect is the ants COW. There are othe
destructive insects. The Irish potato i
attacked by a bug; so, lately, il the ,aro The
rcd cane, generally, and, sometimes, III
Lahaina, is troubled by borer. As yet N
systematic study OF these insect pests has beei
made-so far As I have learned.
wish to disarm hypercriticism 10y admit
ting that my distances, elevations, areas ans
ceeding and to follow it, have been and mus
be, for the mos, part, approximate. hav
tried 10 verify my figures by the best informa
lion ob,ainable. and trust they will prove yer.
little misleading and, for the purpose o
general information, substantially correct.
Many readers may miss interesting detail
known to them, ard which they rightly ma
believe would be interesting to Others. NJ
apology is the brevity Of my stay. find
however, that failed TO do justice to Konala
two extensive and well.kep, general merchan
disc stores, owned by Hon. $. G. Wilder an
managed by Mr.. II. p. Wood, assisted by MI
w. II. Pa,ten and Mr.. William May.
I find ono note unno,ej in regard TO elu
cation; Ia 1870 the district had 5000 pupil
in 81 schools; now ii has I,2oo pupils in
schools.
find also an unused note OF opposite i'm
port. Ten years ago there was scarcely
horse OF mule broken to harness in the Who'll
district. Now there are probably over thou
sand Of both together.
II ! ever 60 again TO Kohala ] shall Try t
obtain notes for an article on It's gulches
Niuiii. Aamakao, Halawa, Waianae and Pu
ehuehu are the principal ones between Hav
and PunAluu that Is between "outside" an
'.inside." ! commend them to botanists Z
beautiful beyond compare. and uninvaded !
lovine Hun OF equine Vandal. R.s.S.
Iialawa, March 10, 1855.