The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-05-16
REPORT OF
JARED SMITH
Reviews Work Done by
the Experiment
Station.

The annual report of the Hayaii Agri-
cultural Experiment stationSfor 1902
prepared by Jared G. Smith. Special
Agent in charge. has just been issued
from the U. S. Department of Agri-
culture at Washington, The report con-
tains $40 pages, in which appear a num-
Der of Illustrations. namely. the Ha-
wall station; a forest clearing in South
Kona; taro plantations near Honolulu;
taro recently planted; part of a sisal
plantation; registered Shorthorn COW,
Puuwaawaa ranch; wild cattle, Mole
kai; bananas. alligator pears; orchard
plantation, station grounds; three-year-
old lemon tree, Puuwaawaa ranch; cot
ton plants; castor-bean tree; new plant
house at Hawaii station; interior view
of same.
Director Smith deals briefly with the
history OF the eStdphSLiiASAS VI tic 10
wall Station as an introduction to the
report and then refers to the
publications. or "bulletins'' issued by
the Station. Other subjects are. ex-
periments with taro rot. grazing inves-
legations, potato-blight experiments.
coffee, sisal and olona fiber and its
manufacture OF fruits Mr. Smith men
tions pineapples, figs. papayas, guavas,
manages, alligator pear. grapes, lines,
peanuts. OF the abandoned industries.
which Mr. Smith states are in need of
attention, are cotton, castor bean and
pia, or cassaya starch. The remainder
Of the report deals with chronological
Investigations, distribution of seeds.
correspondence, work for other depart
ments, irrigation, collections; The
Farmers Institute of Hawaii; climate,
rainfall. winds and temperature.
Mr.. Smith says that the average loss
in this Territory through the depreda-
tions of insect pests far exceeds the
average of other districts of the coun-
try. The vast number of Injurious spe-
cies present here is one of the greatest
obstacles in the development of Ha-
waiian agriculture. The large areas of
uncultivated land give the pests I'M
restricted opportunity to develop in
numbers sufficient to discourage the
cultivation of plants in the vicinity of
such areas. A more complete cultiva-
ton will help to solve this side of the
problem. The insects have been intro
duced from abroad. The fruit industry
is not as yet developed to any impor-
lance. The greatest injury occurs to
field crops.
The Farmers Institute finds a lead
ing place in the report. Mr.. Smith is
it's President. He says the original pur-
pose of the society was TO help farmers
throughout the Territory and encour-
age the founding of permanent homes
in Hawaii. He also says that the in
terest shown indicates that the soci-
ETY. is permanent and in the future will
We a 1dclOI III the pIOLlOliOu OI dSIl-
culture in the islands.
AS to coffee Mr.. Smith states there
are half a million acres suitable in the
Islands for coffee cultivation, enough
land to support 10000 white families.
CAS- it is today, he continues, ''the
lot of white settlers, especially men
OF small means, is hard because of
their isolation. Freight rates, both in
ter-island and trans-oceanic, have in
the past worked against Hawaii's minor
industries in favor of the dominant one. |
With an increase in the white popula-t
ton, the natural increase in trade
would tend to modify this inequality |
A dozen families scattered here and |
there through fifty miles of country are
sure to encounter great obstacles in
the production and marketing of crops
which are in themselves of insufficient
volume to support either railroads or
nter-island steamers; but if this same
fifty miles can be thickly populated the
of life cannot help but be