Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-10-09
POSSIBILITIES OF OUR
TROPICAL FARMS GREAT


acres near Honolulu have been set
apart for the station, which was
started in April last year by Jared q
Smith, of the department of agricul
ture. The problem of restoring some
of the decadent industries of the ISL
and is now TO be taken up. in the
hope that the small farmer may
again become prominent in Hawaiian
agriculture. Nearly all enterprise is
now centered i'm sugar raising. Wheat.
tobacco, maize. silk culture and cot
ton are known to be well adapted for
the islands, but nearly all attempts
To develop these industries have been
abandoned in recent years.
Experiments with poultry have al
ready begun, as they are of immeCli-
ate Importance. The supply of poul
try is always inadequate on account
largely of the ravages of disease. 1t
has already been learned how some
of the diseases may be combated and
a bulletin has been issued concerning
them. 1t will be a boon if poultry
raising is placed on a good footing
in Hawaii. where live chick.
ems sell at SIP to SIS Il dozen and eggs
Il
The markets are at all times sup
piled with fruit and vegetables from
California when they should be raised
at home The effort is to he made to
improve methods and reduce the cost
of production so that the man own
ing a small tract of land may be able
To earn a comfortable living from it,
Plans are now maturing for expert
ments in horticulture and especially
in fruit raising. Studies will be UNI
dertaken in soils. forage crops. ami
NAL husbandry and dairying, and =
preliminary survey has already been
made of the coffee industry. 1t *
hoped, in fact. that the influence of
the experiment station will be to di-
versify gradually the agricultural in
dustries of the islands so that the
people will not always continue TO
carry practically all their eggs in
one basket, as they have long been
doing. The endeavor will be made
to attract larger attention to the de
STABILITY of raising at home quite Il
number of agricultural products that
are now imported and to cultivate
other crops besides sugar that are in
their export advantageous.
The bureau of agriculture was es
tablished in the Philippines only 10
months ago. The chief of the bu-
reau is Prof. F. Lamson Scribner, for
eight years connected with the de-
partment of agriculture in Washing
ton, and he is supposed to be just
entering upon his duties. The bu-
reau is charged with the investi-
CATION and dissemination of useful
information with reference to the
agricultural resources of the lands;
the methods of cultivation now i'm
vogue and their improvements; the
practicabilitY of introducing new
and valuable agricultural pro
ducts: the Introduction of new do
me Sticated animals and the improve
ment of the breeds of domesticated
animals found i'm the islands; and,
in general. TO seek to promote the de-
velopment of the agricultural resour-
ces of the archipelago" Government
farms had already been established at
Magaland and La Carlota and gov
eminent experiment stations in the
provinces of lloilo. Cebu. Isabella
Ilocos and Albay. all of which have
been placed under the control of the
bureau of agriculture at Manila.
The value of agricultural expert
ment stations has already been attest
ed by their establishment in most of
the states of the union. The work
we are now undertaking in our colo
MES and in the territory of Hawaii
is right in line with that which the
Germans and British are carrying out
in their tropical possessions. 1t is
educational work that will help the
natives and point out TO their rules
the proper methods of development.
We may expect that this work of re-
search and practical utility will de-
velop into one of the strongest in
fiuences for the good of the countries
that have come into our possession.