The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1903-12-31

4 SNNN~NN
close watch at the United States Ex-
pertinent Station while the plants are
terminating. There was long, and
at times spicy discussion at the meet
ing of the Board yesterday afternoon
before this action was agreed upon,
and there We're also some differences of
opinion as to the advisability of per-
mitting the entrance of the banana cut
tings at all.
The Board held an informal meeting
on Tuesday to discuss the banana
Iouestion, after Professor Perkins had
discovered that the cuttings We're not
in very good condition. 1t was decided
! and have Director Jared Smith take
charge of them and prevent the spread
of any blights or pests with which they
might be affected. Mr.. ThErston re-
ported the action of the informal meet
| ing, saying that the cuttings came in
| a large quantity of soil and in an un-
1
also not to distribute the plants but
to propagate them at the Experiment
Station.
Professor Perkins, the government
entomclogist, stated that he was unable
to pass an opinion upon the plants in
their present condition. From the ex-
animation already made he had found
remains of the cane borer, and had also
discovered some insect life, which
might not be dangerous. He mad also
found some living beetles among the
plants. 'I am inclined to be very sus-
picious about the plants" said lsrofes-
sor Perkins, this borer I found in the
plants is allied to the cane borer and
might say it is dangerous.
Mr.. Carter asked if disinfection would
eliminate the borer.
"You can't eliminate the borer in any
way without killing the plant" was
the reply.
"Would you say, as a government Of
ficiaI that you would allow the admis-
sion of these plants ?'' asked Mr.. Gift
fard.
.sIt is not so much an chronological
question as one of judgment" replied
Mr.. Perkins.
HAS an examination been made to
see whether treatment for borers in
cane will kill them?" asked Director
Jared Smith.
"Yes; you can't kill the borer."
There was some difference of opinion
between Mr.. Smith and Mr.. Perkins
over the effect of disinfection on plants.
protected by the hard, sa1acious deposit
on the outside, which saved the borer.
He didn't believe that fumigation
would affect the termination of the
buds in the banana plants, but would
kill the borer. He said also that funiv
CATION would kill anything.
Mr.. Perkins replied that it hadn't
killed the borer. although it had killed
the cane He said that various tests
had, been made with the cane borer
and it had lived after the cane had
been killed by the fumigation process.
Mr.. j. D. Dole said that he belieFed
the cuttings should be planted. The
bananas had been brought this far and
would be taken care of at the Federal
Experiment Station. Mr.. Smith offer
ed to take care of them. He said that
the Bluefields was the variety so much
wanted by the banana growers OF the
Territory, that 400 plants had been sent
as a donation to the Board from the
United States Department of Agricul-
t,1re. and that a second lot could prob
ably never be secured again. Prof.
Smith said also that private growers
had previously imported Bluefields ba-
nafas for themselves, both at dilo and
Honolulu and if the Board did not take
care of the plants they had, individual
growers would continue to import at
their own risk. He said that with
proper treatment the borers or any
other insect pest would be killed, and
the plants could be propagated after
wards 81 would hate very much to
see these plants destroyed only on frag-
mentary evidence of borers. such as we
now have" said Mr.. Smith.
Mr.. Giffard then moved that the pre-
vious action of the Board be confirmed.
but said that he would not vote on the
question He said that a shipment of
pineapples had been condemned on
similar grounds, and it would be in
consistent now to admit, the banana
plants. He believed that they should
not be admitted unless the entcmolo-
gist recommended it.
Mr.. Perkins stated that he had pass
ed the pineapple plants in question and
the Board had overruled him and he
had to use moral suasiQn to get pos
session of the cuttings again.
Mr.. Carter said he favored the mo-
ton and didn't believe the case of the
was at all analogous. The
banana industry was a small one. and
he believed it should be encouraged in
every way and the cuttings should not
be refused admission on a mere pos
sibility that they might be infected.
Mr.. Dole and Mr.. Brown took the
same view, the latter saying that agri-
culture would have to be thrown over
board entirely if such precedent was
established.
Mr.. j. E. Higgins of the Experiment
station said he had been studying the
panama industry in foreign countries
and nowhere was there report of dam
age through the borer sl8dr. Van Dine