The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-12-16
FIGHTING FARM PESTS. azz

in Hawaii a warning cry is raised
about pests. 1t is true enough thai
pests exist and that they are many
and voracious, but it is also true that
the great agricultural sections of tbs
mainland are not exempt from them
4 Indeed we of Hawaii have nothing
worse than the army worms and moth
/ ing to compare with the locusts that
now and then sweep over the Middle
West, veritable plague of Egypt, MOI
| have we any destructive insects which
multiply like the potato bugs and the
hop lice. On the mainland the farm
ers expect to fight pests and do fight
them successfully, but here the dispo-
/ sition is to throw up the hands with
out a fair test of wits and remedies.
The worst feature of it all is that the
presence of few pests is used to scare
away mainland farmers who are led
| to think that the drawbacks here are
extraordinary while, as matter of
| truth, they are less serious than what
| the pioneer farmers found IN the states
or are finding in California now.
When the Eastern farmer made a
clearing in the woods he had to con-
tend with ten pests where the Hawai-
ian agriculturist has to meet one. Let
US say that he planted corn. First he
had to protect the seed against the
crows, the squirrels, chipmunks, wild
turkeys and ordinary birds. When the
tender shoots appeared various de-
structive worms came to prey on them
and if there were any deer in the
neighborhood they raided the field
whenever they could. Later when the
ears ripened the coons made midnight
forays. 1t was one long fight for the
farmer and he was not safe even after
he had put his crop in the barn, for
then he had to look out for rats, mice,
and squirrels. However, ne kept ever
lastingly at it and finally won even in
the face CT a cheapening market and
of his corn was true of most of his
other crops. If he tried fruit trees
there were woodchucks to gnaw the
young saplings, long winters to freeze
them, worms to devour the leaves, in
sects to sting the fruit. But the farm
er held on and did his part in building
IN oior inI
feeds half the world.
Take the California farmer today. He
has to fight the rabbits, the gophers,
the scale, the cut worms, the alkali,
the drouth, the birds and the Southern
Pacific railroad. Life with him is an
everlasting battle: but in his hands
California is becoming the greatest
agricultural state in the union The lot
of the Hawaiian farmer is infinitely
preferable. His pests are fewer in vari-
ETY.. There are fewer kinds of destruc-
tive insects and feathered and four
footed marauders and he has better
market. Moreover, if he can get enough
other farmers on the land the pests he
has will be more easily controlled.
See how. A small farm is cleared in
the midst of a large area of wild
growths where the worm and bug pests
breed. Vegetables are planted and the
pests which have been living on weeds
soon get taste for the better things.
There is something new for them in
natures menu. AS the good word goes
out the bugs of the district rally on the
little patch of cabbages and turnips and
and the farmer must getE
farmer he will consult the scientists of
the U. S. Experiment Station or the
Territorial bureau about remedies and, |
by applying a cure remove or lessen
the bane. If his wisdom does not stop |
there he will do his best to get other
farmers to redeem adjoining tracts and |
thus divide the attentions of the pests |
and increase the strength of the defend |
ers. Eventually if the whole region is |
put under cultivation, he will find that
there are no more destructive insects
and bugs than the farming community |
can easily combat. He is not bothered
by deer, rabbits, crows, robins. squir- !
rels, gophers, chipmunks, woodchucks, !
hawks, alkali, drouth, army worms or
by many birds. In fact he occupies a
fine position among farmers and can
soon get competency.
Is it not time, therefore, to stop talk
ing in a pessimistic way about farming
in Hawaii and go in for it on as large
a scale as possible? Public lands will
soon be on the market and people ought
to be got to occupy them. The more
that come the less trouble there will be
in surrounding the difficulties which
accrue from natures struggle for ex-
istence Let it be known among other
things what pests we haven't got and
what prices are paid for farm products;
and then, as we believe white farmers