The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-05-14
FOR SMALL
PROPRIETOR
Mr.. Jared Smith at
Social Science
Club.
GIVES OUTLINES
OF PROPOSEDWORK
Objects and Scientific Methods Of
Experiment Station Work
Are Explained.

| Mr. Jared Smith, OF the Hawaiian
Experiment Station, delivered an In
teresting address at the meeting of the
Social Science Association at the nome
| of Mr. Theodore Richards last night,
his talk being in explanation of the
objects and work of the government
| system Of experimental stations under
the Department of Agriculture.
The substance of Mr.. Smiths address
| was as follows:
| There are experimental stations OF
the Department of Agriculture in every
State Territory and District Of the Unit
ed States, to each one of which the unit
ed States Government contributes yearly
$4,000 per year-with the exception OF
Porto Rico. Hawaii and Alaska, to which
yearly appropriations of from $4,000 TO
sl2 900 per year are made. The system
| of experimental stations Is now ABOUT
twenty-five years old, the first station
having been established in Middletown
! Connecticut, in 1875, but the general
movement started, practically, only
about fourteen years ago. In 1887, there
were seventeen experimental station, and
now there are over sixty in the United
States
"The work of experimental stations Is
divided into two distinct sections, the
practical and the scientific. The sclen-
! tific work has been the working out or
methods of investigation. The practlcal
| has considered almost every possible
line, from the growth of plants TO the
defeat of their insect enemies, the exam
nation of Soils study of fertilizers. mar
keting of crops and Improvement, by Sc
lection and crossing, of fruits and grams.
"Irrigation has received great deal or
attention in California and Colorado, ana
in the Southwest; the study OF SOIL al
kali sugar-making in Louisiana, the
| making of wine In California, and poui-
| try-raising and the raising OF bees IN
various places the feeding and fatten-
ing of animals, and the Improvement OF
breed Dairying has taken up a great
deal OF attention in the Southern States,
and the Investigations have even invad-
, ed the domcstcity of the home BAKING
powders and methods of cooking have
been investigated; dietary study has
been taken up recently, and the actual
value of foods, as expressed in heat and
energy, have been figured upon and com
pared with each other with view to
determining which are the best kinds of
food for man, and for different people
according to their occupations.
1.-THE work done at the Connecticut eX-
detrimental station is probably the most
advanced undertaken anywhere In the
world, for determining the heat and en-
ergy and the exact value of food and
. cost OF llNlnp.
| MANY experimental stations have done
work of similar nature In regard TO food
for animals. There Is n wide range of
| foods for almost all classes of domestic
animals, and these offer a great field for
investigation and experiment.
| There is scarcely any phase of agri-
| culture. in its body sense, which has not
been investigated by one or another OF
| the stations in various States. The Min
I l,, cod h. In G
years to the Improvement OF wheat
! crops and has by selection, created
| strain OF wheat which yields five BUSH
! els per acre more than the best variety
of wheat previously grown in the North
west Southern stations have done
great deal of work on the cotton crops;
as result, the cotton crop brings the
most money from foreign countries to
this country. of any of the products eX-
ported from the United States The eX-
port is $500. 100000 per year.
1.-THE Hawaiian experimental station
was provided for at the session of Con-
Gress In the spring of 1900. An appro-
priatIon of $4,000 was made for station
work here, and at the session of Con-
gress just closed on the 4th OF last
March, an appropriation of $4,000 was
made for the next year, ending June 30,
1902. The work for the hrst year or
small amount available, be almost entire
" In the nature of foundation for flu
ture working. The land must be clear !
ed and planted, the buildings erected. |
farming machinery and supplies procur-
ed. and laboratory apparatus arranged |
for. The general preparations will alb |
sorb the major part OF the appropria-
tons for the next two years.
After the initial work is accomplish |
ed money Cnn he exDart
assistants, and probably by the first OF
July, 1902, the experimental station will
be in shape to undertake effectively the
solution of almost any problem which
arises.
"My instructions for the work here
cover four different lines, First, and In
the opinion OF Secretary OF Agriculture
Wilson, the most important, Is that OF a
better food supply for the Islands. So
long as the Hawaiian Islands depend up
on single crop, no matter how remu-
nerative that crop may be, and 20 long
as everything except sugar IL imported
from the Mainland. or from other coun-
tries, the Islands win be 10 a great ex-
tout. a source OF danger to the United |
'1, in that the Islands would be
co"''ctcly M the mercy of foreign !
enemy In time OF war 1t would not |
take '"v long 10 starye out, or very
materia - interfere with the food supply |
Of the r"ople, although they might not |
he stnrvrl out in literal sense. and " |
the ports were hlockaded the situation |
would certainly be very serious
'"The cu'fvation OF food crops and the |
building up, to certain extent, OF a GER !
tain class ~ small farmers. men OF mod |
crate peans-which would be OF the
greatest value 90 the Islands-is a great
task, and that is most deyoutly 10 be
wished
"Anothrr line OF work which have
been directed 70 pursue. 10 the possibility
OF extending the dairyins industry OF
Islands u II tho opinion OF Secretary