Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-11-05

Matters of importance, involving
questions not likely to be settled as
easily as they were brought up, were
discussed at yesterday afternoon
meeting of the Board OF Agriculture
and Forestry held in the outer Office of
Superintendent of Public Works Coop.
er.
Lorrin A. Thurston, president; II.
f. Cooper, secretary: w. NJ. Giffard, ].
ID. Dole and J. +. Brown were present.
Cooper opened proceedings by reading
interesting but lengthy minutes of a
previous meeting.
Dole warned the Board OF the ap.
pearance of the red spider and the pur.
pie scale in places in Wahiawa. He
advised that, II there was an entomolo.
gist available for the work. 1t might be
wise for him to make an investigation
of the pests with a view to determin.
ing how best to rid the country OF
them. These nuisances were particu.
larry dangerous to pineapples and had
wrought particular havoc in Florida,
where they were we'll known for the
damage they could do.
Glffard stated that the RED spider and
the purple scale were not strangers to
the Islands, being well known through.
out the Territory All citrous trees
were more or less attacked, at times,
he said, by the little red spider who
could scarcely be seen without the aid
OF microscope. A thorough syring.
ing. Mr.. Giffard thought, was the most
effective way of handling the spider
and the purple blight. Red spiders par.
ticularly objected to water and only
nourished in dry places. It was the
general opinion of those present that
Investigation by an entomologist was
not required in this case and that ordl-
nary methods were all that need be
used.
Cooper reported on the matter of the
construction OF new building for the
Government nursery. Tenders had
been advertised for and bids received.
There had been six bidders, the A. Har.
rison Mill Co., Enterprise Mill Co., II.
+. Bertleman, Mcdonald & Langston,
]. Jorgensen and II. Defries. The lat.
ter had bid the lowest (si,26D and
Cooper put II In the form of a motion
that the contract be awarded to De.
fries and that the best arrangement
possible be made for time payment,
for, while there was an appropriation
covering the new nursery building the
funds were not now available. The
Public Works Department was limited,
at present, to an expenditure of 500 600
per month and could spare nothing for
the nursery structure. On the other
hand, 1t was most necessary that work
on the nursery building be at once pro.
ceeded with for everything in cOnnec.
ton with the business of the nursery
was practically at a standstill for want
of proper accommodations The com.
pletion OF the nursery Offices was one
of the most urgent matters before the
Government. in Cooper's opinion. The
motion carried.
Cooper reported that the proposition
had been made to turn over the Kaloha
tract of land in Hamakua, Hawaii, to
the Public Works Department, to be
used for purposes of exchange for land
wanted for public operations. At pres.
ent the land was under lease to the
Paauhau plantation. That portion pro.
posed TO be used was below the / 500.
foot line. Thurston suggested that the
Board had nothing to do in the matter
II the land was below the forest line.
The Board had nothing to object to
InrnUi1a1 nd l., 4
In the sale.
Cooper said there was a proposition
to treat lands of Kaalaike, Kau, in the
same way. The land at present is un.
der lease to the Hutchinson Plantation
Company. The proposition was that
the plantation cancel its lease and the
land be sold to the company.
There are about 1000 acres in the
tract in question. Over 5000 acres are
forest lands. It was proposed that the
forest land be sold subject to the con.
dition that 1t shotfd be fenced by the
purchaser to be used for forestry pur.
poses alone.
Thurston emphatically objected to
the Government parting with the title
10 any land proposed to be used for
forestry. The Government should go
on the basis of acquiring title where
II could to forestry lands. 1t would be
O fatal mistake, said Thurston, for the
Government to give up such titles.
1t was suggested that the plantation
cancel its lease and the land be set
apart as a forest reservation under the
recent statute.
Dole thought some arrangement
could be made with the plantation
whereby the forest land could be fenc.
ed at the expense Of the plantation and
the Government could retain title to
the land.
The forestraton matter and the
method Of reservation without expense
TO the Government was considered a
vital matter; at the same time II was
felt to be difficult to consider all pos.
IatI Al