The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-03-26
A POTATO
VENTURE
Sedgwick Is Home
From Trip to
Maui.

a potato experiment on the largest
scale ever attempted in the Territory
was inaugurated last week by Prof. T..
F. Sedgwick, of the United States Ex-
pertinent Station. at Kula, Island of
| Maui Mr.. Sedgwick returned Sunday
| from Maui, we'll satisfied with the in
| itial results of his experiment. In years
| gone by Maui was the great potato
producing island of the group, and ex-
| ported large quantities of the tuber to
| California. Though there is still a con-
siderable amount of potatoes produced
there. cultivation is on far smaller
| scale than before. Hawaiians were
| formerly the largest potato farmers,
but according to Prof. Sedgwick. the
| industry is now given over chiefly to
Japanese and Portuguese, the natives
| having moved away from the farming
| district.
| The Maui potato growers gave a
warm welcome to the representative of
| the Agricultural Station, and assisted
| him in every way possible in his ex-
periments. They donated the required
ground, and many of them are conduct
ing tests on their own account the seed
| potatoes being furnished for the pur-
| pose by Mr.. Sedgwick.
|
| cultivation of the potato on Maui is the
| blight, a fungus disease, which materi-
| ally shortens the crop. Another fault
| is the desire of the farmers TO raise
three crops a year. though in the opin-
! ion of Mr.. Sedgwick it requires six
months for the tuber to fully mature.
| The picking OF the crop before it is
ready Injuries the availability of the
potato for market, as the four months
old potato will not keep as well as that
which has been allowed the full six
months to mature.
The experiments started will proba-
bly, result in the discovery of a remedy
for the blight, and in ascertaining the
potato best adapted to the Hawaiian
climate. Forty-five different varieties
were planted, and in every conceivable
way. Half potatoes, third potatoes and
whole potatoes were planted of each
variety; they were put in shallow earth
and far under ground; in rows close to
each other and in rows far apart; in
good land and just the average sort of
earth. Besides this different varieties
were distributed and separate expert
ments will be made by the farmers on
their own account. The following is
a list of varieties of potatoes being
used in the experiment: The Northern
Beauty, Gem of Aroostock. Early Har-
vest Early Norther, New Queen, The
Minister, Carman No. 1, Green Noun
tain, Beauty of Hebron, Pearl of Sa-
voy. Black Christy, White Elephant,
Dakota Red, Early Rose. Early For
tune, Early Six Weeks. 1. X. L. Potato,
Pride of the South, the June, Acme,
Bovee Breck's Chance, Burpee's Extra
Early, Cambridge Russell, Early Ohio,
Early Michigan, Fillbasket, Honeoye
Rose, Hammond's Wonderful Irish
Cobbler, Long Keeper, Carman No. 8, |
Mills Banner, Mills Prize, Maule's
Thoroughbred, Manun's Enormous,
Motifs Peach, Prolific Rose, Rural New
Yorker No. 2, Sir Walter Raleigh, Won |
derful Clay Rose, Stevens, Steuben,
Twentieth Century and Uncle Sam.
Part of the plants were sprayed with |
the Bordeaux mixture, which is thought
to be a remedy for the blight, and the
result of the experiment will be care |
fully watched, to see if it wards off !
the fungus.
From these experiments it is expect |
ed to learn what potato will best stand |
the blight, what the best method of |
planting is. the soils best adapted to :
the culture, and the best methods of ;
planting.
Mr. Sedgwick will probably return
to Maui within a short time to watch |
the results of the experiment. He re-
ported yesterday that the small far
mers on Maui are doing well. and their
vegetables and fruits are in fine shape
Vfolets are blooming in profusion and I
though none of the vegetables are
raised for marketing except on Maui
the farmers are well satisfied with the
results they are obtaining