The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-04-16
HAWAIIAN
FARMING
Jared Smiths First
Agricultural
Report.

The annual report of Director Jared
Smith of the Agricultural Experiment
Station, copies of which have been re-
ceived from Washington. closes as fol-
lows:
The economic conditions of Hawaii
are such that new industries can be
established only with the greatest diff
ficulty. In common with all other old
insular regions there has been a multi
tude of serious insect and animal pests
introduced, not through intent but as
concomitant of commerce. In this
regard the history of Hawaiian agri-
culture is parallel with that of many
other tropical islands, such as the Fiji
Islands and the British West Indies.
Plants may be introduced without their
insect enemies, or insects which in
their native country are kept in check
| by natural enemies, and parasites may
here breed in enormous numbers and
adapt themselves to new host plants,
to the detriment of the farmer. Ha-
| wall is full of ornamental eXotics which
have become weeds, and of Chinese,
| japanese, Australian, American and
| Old World insects which, free from all
natural check. ravaSe alike the native
vegetation and the cultivated crops.
| The lot of the farmer is thus in a
| way more difficult than in continental
| regions. The battle is a continuous
| one. The practical entomologiSt thus
| finds here q wider field for work, and
| although much has been done. a vast
| amount of work is yet to be accom-
plished. Some crops are abnormally
| free from blights and disease. Others
| fall ready prey to hosts of enemies
whose attacks the plants themselves
are not prepared to resist nor do the
farmers know how to combat. What
is true of insect pests is also true OF
fungus and bacterial diseases. The
field of investigation is a new one.
hardly yet touched upon.
Lower worlds prices for sugar means
a narrowing of the margin of profit. !
With such fall in prices and profits |
must come the substitution of more |
careful handling, better cultivation, |
conservation of the irrigation water |
(where used), and a more skillful fer |
tilization of the soil. The Hawaiian |
sugar planters are prone to ignore |
these factors and to ascribe all of their |
benefits to cheap labor. If planters in
other parts of the tropics can grow !
sugar at a profit in the open COMPETE
ton of the worlds markets and in spite
of the American duty on this product, !
there is still hope for greater reward
in store for the Hawaiian grower. In
vestigations as to cultivation and the
most efficient use of water would well
repay. In this connection and as an
aid to the future development of this
island group comprehensive soil sur
vey of all the agricultural lands would
save to the men who are to develop
the resources of the land millions of
dollars. Much experimental work has
been done in trying to grow this or
that crop. A soil map of the islands
would, in case some one crop were
found which grows better here than
anywhere else, indicate exactly in
what regions this crop would be most
likely to succeed There is hardly a
crop cultivated in all the subtropical
regions of the globe but which has
been grown here at some period during
the past eighty years. Fruits, nuts,
dyes. tannins. precious woods, spices.
vegetables. drugs, fibers. and forage
plants have been grown in endless va
riety. The castor-oil bean is grown in
Kona and finds ready sale at $50 per
ton. Tea is almost a weed in Olaa and
Hamakua- Vanilla thriveS in kau,
and the cocoanut in Puma. There are
large trees of cocao. the source of {
in the city of Hilo, and the
oil palm lines the streets of
Honolulu. Tobacco of excellent quality /
has been grown on all the islands. The ,
opportunities for work in lines where
practical agricultural benefit will re-
suit are SO many that it is difficult to
choose what first to undertake.
Investigations in forestry are much
to be desired, but these can not be I'M ]
dertaken by the station without con- s
siderable increase in its resources; and I
IN any case, whatever Investigations /;
the station might UNDERTAKE In TINS c
direction should be done in co-opera
ton with the Bureau of Forestry
Many of the native woods of this '
group are extremely valuable from a '
standpoint, and consid- {
cradle trade in these woods, notably I
koa and sandal. at one time flourished.
II would be well If the entire backbone 4
IF each main mountain chain of each .
IF the islands be set apart in forest
reserves under the Federal government
n order that the native forests may be
protected and preserved and that |
modern and legal system of forest con- a
;ervation may be carried out. The SUI o
gar plantations all depend directly or
Indirectly the wooded mountain +
slopes for their water supply, and it is v
iue to their owners that something be -
lone to check the further destruction =
# the native forests and also to re-
liant large areas with trees (native
md foreign) which shall in the future 4
become commercially valuable. a
The station has already attained a o
ure footing in Hawaii. Hany in
luiries in regard to local problems in
agriculture have been received and an
wered. and the interest in the station c
$ constantly growing. If sufficient X
money can be appropriated to provide a
suitable permanent equipment, re- l.
ults viii be the sooner obtained. >,