Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-20
NO FLOWERS IN GUAM.
Natives of That Island Do Not Care
for Them.

From the Hawaiian Star.
Lieut. W. E. Stafford, L. S. N, is &C
knowledging the receipt from President
Charles l.. Wight of a quantity of seeds
and useful plants sent to Guam, writes in
terestngly as follows of life and conditions
there Lieut.. Stafford is a scientist of rare
attachments, a fact which makes his OBJ
seryatons Of the more value.
The natives of this island in general
show little appreciation for flowers. They
never make leis nor wear the flowers in any
way. Only three or four in the entire city
of Agana have flower gardens, and they
are laid out in a haphazard manner. They
cannot understand why anybody wants to
plant anything which is not edible, or
which does not furnish some useful pro-
duct. Mr.. HaughS has sent some fine
things, among which are a number of or
namcntal palms. The natives cannot I'M
derstand what we can want with them.
There is d village Of Caroline Islanders
here. These people always wear flowers in
their hair, and remind me somewhat of the
Samoans. The other day a species of
Ayxia Cmaile) was brought to me. L was
delighted. for, although it is of different
species from the Hawaiian and Samoan
male, yet it has the same fragrance. and
the glossy deep green leaves. / said: How
the IiaWananS love male, why Is II tndt
you people do not love to Wear flowers?
One of them said: Do you take us for
savages like the CarOlinos? The next thing
you will be expecting us to make great
holes in the lobes of our ears, like them,
50 as to carry beads and weeds stuck
through them
Il bought "a little place, which includes a
nice lot. This l have been preparing for a
garden, but l have heard indirectly that
we are all to be detached soon. who came
here originally with the late governor: so
my interesting work in horticulture will, 1
fear, have to be suspended L shall put
your seed, however, in good hands. There
is a gentleman here, formerly a captain in
the Spanish army, who, having married
here, preferred to resign and settle down
in the island He has a farm, and is in
tereSted in the Introduction Of new plants
and birds.
Il am glad to say there is no lantana in
the island, but the guavas have overspread
vast areas, and there is a dwarf orange
(triphasia auranteola) which, though beau
tiful for hedges has made dense thckets
in places. 1t has flowers as fragrant as our
trailing arbutus at home and berries of a
bright red color, and the flavor of Curacao
liquer. The hau, kamani inga dulcis IRON
wood and several other trees of Hawaii are
common here, but there is no koa only one
tree of kukui introduced from the Philip
pines). and only the monkey-pods we
brought from Honolulu. l have been plant
ing some seed / got from Mr.. Haughs, and
] hope there will be somebody to succeed
me who will interest himself in the propa-
CATION of good and useful things on the
island.
Il must confess the lack of mail facilities
is great drawback / get awfuly home
sick i wish / We're stationed in Hawaii
Sometimes we are two months without let
terS.
Il wonder if you appreciate the blessings
you enjoy. You have a good library, a fine
museum, frequent visits from good lee
turers and charming society," all of which
we lack here. The only thing delightful
here is the climate. The roads are bad. the
crops often fail, the people are very illit-
crate, it is hard to get food, there is no
such thing labor to be hired and there
are frequent occurrences of epidemics of
typhoid fever, etc. We lost a number of
men. Every native has his ranch cult
Yates his own corn. sweet potatoes, tobac-
co, and has no time to work for anybody
else. The climate is such that rice and
sugar could be cultivated, but suitable land
is scarce and labor Is lacking for these in
dustries Coffee grows everywhere.