The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-06-14

an rtcultural experiment oN@
"A 1901. by Jared @. Smith. speciai
Agent In Charge
| INTRODUCTION.
! r.. establishment OF the present as-
I rs,.,.itural experiment station IN the
Hawaiian Islands had It's Inception :"
m. appropriation made by IN. fH.S
sixth Congress. nrst session. when M w
SUN Of $1,000 was gransTe 20 investi-
| cate the fieid and establish an expetI-
men, station In Hawaii As has oesn
done elsewhere In pursuance OF t,ie
act Of Congress. Dr. w. T. Stuous. VI
rector OF the LOUISIANA 49, - Ne
i Experiment Stations. was sent 70 ha
| vail during the summer OF 100. anu
/ ,he results OF his inquiry are given IN
/ = r.nort transmitted 10 Congress IN
January, 1901. and published as House
Doe ass H'ifty-sixth CONGRESS. s.Son az
1 s~srlonD. and afterwards AZ Bulletin -
OF the Once OF Experiment STATIONS VI
the n. =. Department or AsricuItuIs'
Il DR. Stubbs was instructed TO inEesu-
i gate the agricultural conditions OF me
Il Islands. with special Preference 10 tne
organization and work or an expert
| -, station. II was recommended BY
him that the station TO be establishes
l should b.. under the controi OF the SCI
Rotary OF Agriculture and indepsnosn'
1 Of local institutions a station Tor tne
Il
sugar Industry has been maintained Tor
i A number of years by the Hawaiian
| sugar Planters Association, and as ~
i will continued TO prosecute It's ~orS
upon problems relating TO the sugar IN
| dustry II was believed best that the
| gtatIon TO be established under the
auspices OF the Department OF Agricui-
| ture should devote It's energies cnienS
1 10 other agricultural interests among
/ the subjects TO which IL was suggested
Il ..t.s a. At
the culture OF fruits. vegetables. rice
| forage crops. coffee growing. stock rais-
i ing. dairying. irrigation and forestry.
After comforting with the local au-
/ thoTfties the tract known as heWalo-
4 uka. adjoining the city OF honolulu
was recommended as a site for the sta
4 ton. This tract had been set aside py
former officials for experimental inves-
LEGATIONS I'm agriculture and forestry
| An examination OF the records OF the
former Hawaiian government snoweo
that while there was a very evident m
tention TO reserve this land for expert
mental purposes. the necessary forInai-
tiles were never fully carried out SUD
sequently 20 acres was reserved by
| Presidential proclamation as a site Tor
a hospital for the Navy Department.
and seven acres for the same purpose
for the Marine Hospital Service under
the Treasury Department.
Acting upon suggestions made IN the
preliminary report. Congress appropri-
| ated $1,000 for continuing the work
during the current fiscal year. and i'm
mediate measures were taken TO estap-
iish and equip a station in accordance
| with the above recommendation Ac-
| cordingIy the writer was transferred TO
the Office OF the Experiment Stations
| from the Section OF Seed and Plant In
| PRODUCTION OF the Department OF Agri-
| culture. and was charged with the re
| sponsibility OF beginning the work o!
1rga nization OF the Hawaii Agricul-
| tural Experiment Station. In carrying
out my instructions I left Washington.
II. c. March Il. 1901. arriving in Homo
lulu on April :. and at once began &c
tive operations to carry out the desires
Of the honorable Secretary OF Agricui-
tur. as I understood them.
\ temporary office was secured In the
Territorial capitol building and was
fitted up with desks. office furniture.
bookcases. etc
DETAILED REPORT OF WORK.
The period lSom April ; 20 May Is
vas occupied IN making preliminary
| survey Of tn. land which had been set
| apart for the use Of the station. the
KewaIo-uka tract In Makiki valley. ad-
jaccut 20 the city OF Honolulu. This
| tract. containing i5i acres. lying along
the southeast slope OF the PunchbOwl
and Tantalus ridge. Is nearly two miles
long and has "A maximum width or
nearest the city. and about 100 yards at
the upper emf. The elevation ranges
from Is feet. nearest the city. to 1880
feet on the end nearest Mount Tanta-
ius. the height Of that peak being 2oi3
feet.
| Although the preliminary arrange
meuts had been entered into IN sep
TENDER. 1900. between the governor Of
the Territory and DIR. Stubs. yet the
] formal transfer did not take place uu-
1 ri hsr
reserved To- the Territory. one OF 70
acres as a stone quarry and n second
n - acres on the slopes and within
the crater OF Punchbowl Hin. which
was reserved for public park. BY
the courtesy OF the Secretary Of the
Navy this Department was granted the
temporary use OF the naval hospital
site Tor experimental purposes. The
work OF clearing the land and erecting
buildings was begun with az little de-
lay a. possible Twenty-four acres.
comprising all OF the Naval Hospital
Reservation and land adjacent TO IT.
was cleared % a dense growth OF Guava
and lautana bushes. prickiy pear. and
| si-uroba or mesquite bean woods. The
coutroct under which the work was
performed called for the removal OF all
tree Stumps and roots and blowing the
land TO the depth OF 20 inches. This
work was not completed within the
| period agreed upon. but was carried
out In an extremely careful manner.
rejecting great credit upon the con-
tractor. The cost OF this work amount
ed TO SEQ per acre. About 30 cords OF
wood. worth $40 a cord. were obtained
from this land and are now on hand
subject 20 sale.
Thirteen acres OF I5-year-old planted
eucalyptus or Australian gum forest
was also cleared al the upper end ~
the tract at a contract price Of S55
per acre The trees were very dense
In this fnraaf ard The cast 1.r --.rr.r.....