The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-01-09


cannot be begun without some out
lay, it Can be managed in such way
that the expenditure would be insig-
nificant in comparison to the benefits
to be derived therefrom.
Many objections are being raised
against my argument of having
person employed to specially attend
to these experiments, mainly ON ac-
count of the expense, and also of the
difficulty in finding suitable men.
It occurs to me that there is way
to overcome these drawbacks. There
are now many boys on the various
plantations, say from IA to Is years of
age. Pick out those apparently most
suited, send them to the Government
nursery, and let them do practical
work under the gardener for three
months. AS these boys would be
only too glad to avail themselves of
such chance, there is no doubt that
advantageous terms could be made
with them or their parents.
Even if at present this nursery does
not offer such facilities for learning
as might be wished for, yet these boys
could learn enough during the time to
become very useful if they should
take to this kind of work at all.
They could learn how to treat the
various kinds of seeds in order to
make them terminate, and take care
of the seedlings; they could learn
how to water and shelter them pro-
perry. They could get knowledge
of the various ways of propagating,
of the manner in which the different
kinds of plants should be transplanted,
their proper supporting, trimming
and keeping them as far as possible
from blight, in fact many more use
full things which do not now occur to
| me.
In coming to the cost of such an
enterprise, 1 have based my calcula'
tons on twenty boys being taught
during the year, five for every three
months, as follows
Building, say 5000 0C
| Five beds, furniture, extra tools, say $50 OF
Board five boys one year, so cents
per day. observation-disclosures. 9l2 5'
Remuneration for gardener, 800 OF
S1562 81
The gardener and his wife have ex
pressed themselves satisfied with the
above proposed terms, and the COS
for each would, therefore, be abou
$50 adding thereto passage to ant
fro, washing, literature, and othe
minor expenses, the total ought no
to exceed 500.
These boys would have to work il
the nursery during the day, and occa
sienally for a day at Makiki, in orde
to learn something about tree-plant
ing on the mountains; evenings to b
spent in reading and studying, libert.
on Sundays until nightfall.
The next question which arises is
how can those DESTROYS of planting
| obtain the necessary seeds or plants
My advice is, that whenever tn
nature of the plants wished for pei
mits it, try to procure good seeds i
preference to plants, the expense vii
be much less, and the results better
especially when the seed can be sow
at or near the lands where the plant
are to be set out.
, 1t must, however, be understoo
. that the seeds of many of the mos
valuable tropical plants keep the
terminating power but for yer
, short time, some even for few day
/ only, which difficulty as to sendin
: them for long distances may be ovel
, come by packing them into dam
earth. Other tropical seeds of le'
tender nature should always be of til
last seasons growth, and experienC
will prove that there are very fe
kinds which at a greater age will
, worth the trouble of sowing.
9 / wish to show by the foregoing
y that even if we were not particular
y to cost, it is entirely different thir
70 from getting those seeds which tn
n country is particularly in need c
o and the getting our orders for lettu
h and cucumber seeds filled.
o The great thing in obtaining see
e of tropical economic plants is to watC
% the seasons and send the orders
o those places where they are mo
l. likely to be gotten. But it does n
W follow that orders are always be
if sent to those countries where SUI
1T plants may be indigenous. On Il
is contrary, in many cases such see
can be obtained at less cost, of bett
Of quality, and more promptly fro
h other parts of the globe.
lie It must be obvious by what h
e been said before, that to keep see
K on hand in q tropical climate simp
III to be able to fill an order, at whate?
T. season it may arrive, cannot be ben
fetal to individuals nor the count
at large.
do not want to discourage the pt
sons who single-handedw want to ma
trials in new cultures, but it seems
or me that their efforts as made
l. present cannot lead to any great pra
he tical results.