The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-28
BLIGHT Of
POTATOES
Prof. Sedgwick on
the Pest of
Maui.
DRY ROT IS
DOING MISCHIEF.
Buried in a Cave.Down-Pasture
Fire at KahakuIoa
Point.

MAUI, Oct. 26.-The potato blight
which is now prevalent throughout
the huia farming region, is rather pc
cuilar' according to one of the Por-
tuguese farmers of Waiakoa. 1t is A.
white scale having an appearance OF
me salt or snow. This white matter
taxes possession of the plant during
the night, and when the hot sun of
MONDAY shines upon it. the stalks and
leaves wither up and die. The blight
mas been a serious check to potato
culture for two years past. Recently.
no planting has been done In KuIa ex-
cept by few Chinese, on account OF
the prevailing drought.
Professor Sedgwick, who has been
at Haleakala ranch during the week,
mas been investigating the matter, and
states that it is the regular dry rot
L. Won Tempsky, manager of the
| ranch, has promised a piece of land
on WHICH he can experiment. and. if
possible, find some remedy for the dis
ease.
Mr.. Sedgwick says that the dry rot
should be described as black. and not
as white, but that the fungus which
hnally goes down to the tuber, prob
ably changes color.
Mr.. Sedgwick departs for Honolulu
today, but will soon return to Maka-
wao There are about 1000 acres in
Kula under cultivation, devoted to corn
and potatoes, 1000 acres being set
apart for the raising of the latter and
as this acreage is occupied by small
Observation-Disclosures, Japanese and
Chinese-the government should rem
der all aid possible to eradicate this
trouble, which has proved too powerful
for the farmers to cope with.
FATAL ACCIDENT.
Thursday morning, the oath, fatal
accident occurred in the well of the
large Paia camp, some distance below
the mill
Three Portuguese were at work ex-
caVating, ten or twelve feet below the
surface. They We're charging the well
from the top of the earth downward.
when cave-in took plpace, completely
burylng the me. Before assistance
could be rendered, one of the men.
John TeXeira, was smothered to death.
The other two are now at Paia planta-
ton hospital. They were badly bruis-
ed on every part Of their bodies One
of them had a broken jaw and collar
bones, and the other had his ear near
ly severed from its base, and got a
deep hole in the side of his head Both
men were SO badly injured that there
Deputy Sheriff Kalama swore in
coroner's jury which Will not meet to
consider a verdict until the condition
of the two men warrants it.
PASTURE FIRE.
On Saturday evening. the 18th, a pas
ture fire on the Waihee side of Kaha- |
kuloa Point, presented a most brilliant
spectacle. 1t extended three or four /
miles in length. and from the road UP
the slope of the West Maui noun |
tains to green and moist vegetation. |
No serious damage was done, except
the temporary loss of pasture to the |
Wailuku Sugar Company. BY daylight
Sunday morning the fire had either
burned itself out or been eXtinguish- !
ed
FATHER BOARMAN
Last evening, the 25th, the celebrated !,
priest Father Boarman. gave lee /
before a large audience. His subject /
was the Catholic Church." it's au-
thority as the true church having been ,
granted it by St Peter, and successive
ly handed down to the pope of the
present time He made most favora-
bic impression upon his hearers.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Recently, in Waiakoa, Kula water (
has been selling at the rate of ) cents /
for 5-gallon tin.
Sunday, the Goth, the steamer Cali
fornian arrived in Kahului, from Ho-
nolulu, and after taking on board 23,300 ,
sacks of Spreckelsville sugar sailed
for Delaware breakwater on Wednes-
day night the 23d.
Rev. Mr.. Thwing, of Honolulu. will
preach at the Paia Foreign Church to-
the 9th.
Arthur D. Baldwin, Esq. is visiting
his parents, Mr.. and Mrs. H. P. Bald
win.
Mrs w O. Smith returns to Honolulu
today after a brief visit to her daugh-
ter. at Hamuakuapoko
During the week from an inch to
three or four inches of rain have fallen
in different localities in Central Maui.