The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-12-11
PEST-K|LlER
A BAD PEST
Full Investigation
Of the Lantana
Blight.

The lantana-killing blight, as a fear
| ed menace to useful vegetation, took
| up a large portion of the proceedings at
| the weekly meeting of the Board of
Agriculture and Forestry yesterday aft
| ernoon. A thorough investigation of
| the matter was ordered.
Those present were Lorrin a. Thurs
| ton, president; c. 5. Holloway, secre-
| tary and executive officer; James ID.
Dole, w. NJ. Giffard, j. F. Brown and
| A. w. Carter. members, and r. C. l..
/ Perkins, entomologist.
COMMITTEE REPORTS.
Mr.. Giffard was given further time to
report on a journal, and Mr.. Carter on
seeds to be procured.
President Thurston reported confer
| ences he had held with Postmaster J.
M. Oat and Port Collector E. r. Stack
able on the matter of inspection of
plants coming through their depart
ments. The Federal officials were COR
dial in assurances of cooperation to the
desired end Of excluding pests in i'm
portations.
Mr.. Stackable had further promised
10 direct the at OulDOTtS
to act as inspectors of plants.
President Thurston reported that
neither had the Bluefields banana
! shoots arrived in the transport on
Tuesday nor any word of their where
abouts. All that was known was that
they had been shipped from New Or
leans two or three weeks ago.
NURSERY BUILDINGS.
Mr. Holloway stated that lumber was
being got out for the nursery building.
Work had been started on the out
houses, so that some of the stuff might
be moved out of the main building
while that was being altered. The en-
tire work should not take more than six
weeks.
MUCH DESIRED MEN.
The secretary also reported he had
! written to Prof. Koebele requesting MIN
to return at his earliest convenience.
Nothing further had been heard from
Mr.. Pinchot, chief of the Federal for
estry bureau, about Mr.. Hosmer, the
forester designated for work in Ea-
wall. 1t was concluded that the first
would be heard of him on his arrival.
MISUNDERSTANDING PEST.
Mr.. Giffard read his own letter to the
Board, sent in some weeks ago, about
the introduction of the lantana-killing
blight to this island. 1t was a long
communication, quoting scientific opin-
ions that the pest was a serious menace
to forest trees and economic plants, be-
sides not being a deadsure eradicator of
lantana. Prof Koebeles expressed want
of anxiety about the blight, the writer
presumed, was due to the chief en-
tomologist's belief when his report was
made that the pest would be confined
to Maui where it was first reported.
Mr.. Perkins gave the uncheerful
news that the blight had appeared upon
all the islands, not excepting Hawaii.
He also said it would attack coffee and
other trees if it could not get lantana.
President Thurston from observation
and what he had been told was satisfied
that the blight had not thus far attack
ed anything on Maui but lantana. He
suggested that, as there was no doubt
of the blight's existence in different
places, suggested reference to the en-
tomology staff would be of little pur-
pose. He thought If David Haughs
could be spared from the forestry work
to make a tour and report on the eX-
tent of the invasion and probable cost
of burning it out-the recognized mode
of extirpation in other countres-the
most practical purpose would be serv-
ed.
Mr.. Carter, however, wanted both an
chronological and practical report,
comprehensive one wthal taking in
all the islands. A motion he had made
q, "a tar. 4 n ba g
prevailed.
SUBDIVIDING WORK.
President Thurston renewed his for
mer suggestion that the Board be sub
divided into committees for dealing
with different branches of the business
from time to time arising. on mo-
ton by Mr. Carter to empower him to
make such subdivisions, the president
made n suggestion of subjects on which
committees should be appointed. This
was after discussion adopted with
notifications, so that the committees
shall be on Agriculture, on Appropria-
tons, on Entomology, on Forests and
Nurseries and on Rules and Regula-
tons.
ENTOMOI.OGIST REPORTS.
Mr.. Perkins reported orally on blight
in the nursery, denying that ii was be-
ing spread therefrom. The insects were
all over town.
Mr.. Perkins submitted a diagram of
n fumigation tent for disinfecting trees,
which would cost s265. 1t would re-
quire four men for its erection and
transference from tree TO tree. The
tent had to be saturated with oil 10
render 1t gas-proof. No living thing in
Testing tree could survive the fumi-
cation by this means.
Mr.. Giffard thought the apparatus
might be obtained cheaper in Califor-
MIA where the process was in common
vogue,
Diner-"Waiter, there is a slight