The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1903-12-14
|CAH GROW
POTATOES
|t1aWaii's 5 Part in
Agricultural
Work.
Collection of Forage
Grasses Is Being
Made.
Annual Report OF Secretary Of
Agriculture Wilson Deals
With the Islands.

In the annual report of the Secretary
of Agriculture, James +. Wilson, to
Congress, copies of which have been
received in the city, considerable at
tention is paid to the work of the
experiment station here. The report
refers to the success which the De-
partment has had in dealing with po-
tato rot and diseases of corn, saying
that all the pests can be successfully
combated. The secretary says also
that a collection is being made Of for
age grasses and that the tobacco ex-
periments promise to be successful
The following is the extract from Sec
retary Wilson's report:
The work of the Hawaiian Agricul-
tural Experiment Station has been
continued along the various lines of
investigation previously described.
Additional portions of the station land
have been brought under cultivation,
and additions have been made to build
ings, fences irrigation plant etc, as
occasion required and funds permit
ted. A special effort is being made
to build up-a working library, and the
special agent in charge has contrib
uted his private collection as nuc1e-
US for a station library. The necessi-
ty for a well-equipped economic libra
ry is peculiarly felt in region as
isolated from library facilities AS is
this station.
During the past year a number of
bulletins have been issued giving the
results of Investigations which have
thus far been carried on. The expert
taro rot and potato rot have been con-
tinued on an enlarged scale, and the
results already obtained suggest the
practicability of combating these dis
eases. One Of the most destructive
diseases of the taro may be prevented
by proper attention to the irrigation
water and to the application of suit
able fertilizers. The potato expert
ments have been continued, and it is
found that one form of rot may &c
successfully combated by the thorough
use of Bordeaux mixture, and prelim-
mary experiments seem to indicate
that a second disease, which is due
to a soil fungus, may be prevented to
very great extent by soaking the
seed tubers in solution of formalin
and planting them in uninfested soils.
These experiments are to be contin-
ued for a, number of years in the hope
| that the results obtained in the pre-
liminary investigations will be con-
| firmed.
| Formerly, the growing of corn was
an important industry in Hawaii, but
| through careless methods CT cultiva-
| ton and the attacks of insects the
| growing of this crop has become an
| uncertain industry. Investigations
which the effect of deeper plowing,
the use of fertilizers, thorough cultiva-
ton, and the introduction of new vari-
eties are tested. The preliminary re-
suits thus far obtained have given ex.
cellent results and two varieties which
have been in Notwithstanding an6
Boone County White-seem to indica tt
that these varieties are particularly
adapted to cultivation in Hawaii anc
the so-called native varieties.
collection is being made of th'
grasses and forage plants of the isl
ands, and it is hoped that a, bulletin
may soon be issued concerning them
which may contain notes on the nat
i've and introduced species, togethe
with suggestions relative to their val
ue for different purposes.
The investigations on injurious in
! oSClS nave peel COHtiuueu, anu q sc
rious outbreak of a mealy bug on ALI
gator pears was prevented by promp
action.
, The station Is devoting considerabl
attention to the subject of fiber plant:
and a bulletin has been issued on tn
sisal hemp in Hawaii and investiga
tions are being carried on with Mani
| la hemp and other -producin
plants.
Experiments with tobacco, especiall
with Sumatra leaf tobacco, grown i
partial shade furnished by light clotl
have been apparently very successft
, and will be continued upon large
scale. 1t is believed that there are
/ number OF localities where Sumatr
tobacco can be grown under shade q