The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-08-01

| Louisiana Sugar Experiment Station,
Audubon Park, New Orleans, La,
July 8, 1901.
Mr. F. A. Schaefer, Honolulu. II. l.
My Dear Sir-In re the Hawaii Ex-
pertinent Station and the cutting down
| of the forest reserve upon TantaluS.
| In order that the public may clearly
understand my acts, [ beg leave to
present to you, and through you to my
| friends in the Islands, the following:
/ was sent to the Islands as special
agent of the Department of Agriculture
| in July last to make certain 1nvesti-
cations. Among these was to deter
mine a. location most suitable for an
agricultural experiment station, and
under this head / was instructed, first,
| to locate the station near Honolulu,
as that city would probably be the
| headquarters of near all the agricul-
| turists in the Islands, and would there
| fore be more beneficial in its results
| than if located at any other place.
Second I was instructed TO determine
whether it was feasible and desirable
| to unite the government station with
| the Hawaiian sugar experiment sta
| ton already established at Honolulu.
Third, 1 was to see whether it was de-
sirable and feasible to connect the
station with the agricultural depart
Training School at Honolulu. Fourth,
what other plan for establishing sta
ton should be adopted in case 1t is not
expedient to unite with either of the
above existing institutions. Fifth, to
ascertain what government land, if
any, is available which could be set
aside for the purposes of the station,
it's adaptability, convenience and wa
ter supply
With these instructions 7 reached the
Islands and proceeded at sonce to con
suit freely with Governor Dole, Com
missioner of Agriculture Taylor, Ento-
mologist Professor A. Koebele, and
others. | also had a conference with
the board of trustees of the sugar ex-
pertinent station, and of the Kane
hameha Training School. L also inves-
tigated the cost of private lands
around Honolulu, and from your sur
veyor general, Professor Alexander,
obtained the location of all the gov
eminent and crown lands on the Island
of Oahu. After giving the subject
thorough investigation, and after visit
ing every section contiguous to Homo
lulu, and after free consultation with
the gentlemen named above, some of
whom accompanied me in all my pere-
CARNATIONS on the Islands, 1 made the
following official report:
after careful consultation with the
board of trustees of both the Sugar
Planters Association and the Kane
hameha Training School 1t was decid-
ed that the union of the experiment
tation with either of the above was
undesirable. The former is eXcellently
equipped and we'll differed, and will
relieve the station of the necessity OF
studying the Islands greatest staple.
1t was also found that the land around
Honolulu was so exorbitantly high as
to preclude the possibility of buying
a sufficient quantity for station pur-
poses. \
IAN examination of the government !
lands revealed the fact that a tract of |
220 acres, running from the base OF
Punchbowl well up to the top of Tan |
talus. had been surveyed and set aside
for an experiment station by the Min I
lister of the Interior, in June 1898, In !
accordance with section Z, act to estap-
lish a bureau of agriculture and for
estry, approved January 4, 1898. (See
laws, etc., marked a. extracts from
minutes of Bureau of Agriculture and
Forestry, marked b. and blue print OF
the Surveyor General, showing land set
apart by him.
1.-THE upper portion of this tract was
at once utilized in experiments in for
estry, which are today continued under
the Commissioner of Agriculture. The
lower porl1On, designed LOT the expert
ment station, has never been utilized
for want Of the necessary funds, and
the reservation by the Bureau of Ag-
riculture and Forestry prevented It's
by settlers who located up
to the very edge of the tract.
Upon the annexation of Hawaii to
the United States portion of this
and was by proclama ton of President
Mckinley, reserved for other purposes;
seven acres for the Marine Hospital
and twenty acres for the United States
Naval Hospital. These areas consti-
ute the best portions of the tract for
purposes, being low in
elevation and comparatively level, with
water ready and abundant for irriga-
ion. At least five or six acres of the
portion reserved for the United States
Naval Hospital is enclosed with a good
fence, and is used as a paddock for
he work animals. of the Bureau of