The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-06-02
DANGER IN
FRUIT FLY
importation of Fruits
From Orient Nav
Stop.

w. NJ. Giffard presided over a meeting
of the Board of Agriculture and For
estry yesterday. there being present
| besides himself, Messrs. J. F. Brown,
A. w. Carter, c. S. Holloway and For
| ester Hosmer.
| SALE OF PLANTS
Forester Hosmer reported that it
would probably be necessary to hold
| another auction sale of plants. 1t had
| been hoped that yesterday mornings
sale would dispose of all the available
plants but this was not the case.
| There Will also be a few plants left
| which may be distributed gratis to
| schools and other public institutions
Following his report there was some
| discussion concerning the advisability
of growing a few thousand of the half
dozen common species of forest trees
which could be sold to owners of small
plantations for forest purposes.
| Mr.. Carter thought that persons who
| We're interested in forestry would raise
| the trees themselves and that it would
| be cheaper for them to do so than to
| buy of the government nursery. Dur
| ing the discussion Mr.. Hosmer stated
! that he wished in time to do some adj
| ditional forestry work on TantaluS, in
| Makiki Valley and on Round Top.
| Round Top is now bare of trees, al
though grass and small vegetation grow
| luxuriantly there. With a forest there
| the appearance of the landscape in that
section of the foothills of Honolulu
would be materially changed.
CABBAGES INFECTED WITH PEST.
Entomologist F. W. Terry reported
| to the Board that yesterday morning
he seized a large shipment of cabbages
which had been landed on the Oceanic
wharf from the steamer Sonoma. He
said they were infected with a pest,
new to the islands, which would be
dangerous if it secured a foothold here.
He recommended that the seizure be
approved and that the E,oard order the
cabbages taken to the Nursery where
the outer leaves could be removed and
the pest destroyed. It would not be
| necessary to destroy all of head of
cabbage, as the pest only existed in the
outer leaves. The Board so ordered.
THE FRUIT FLY PEST.
G. W. Kirkaldy. acting superintend-
ent of Entomology, wrote to the Board
recommending the prohibition of the
importation of fruits from China, Japan
or other points in the Orient. He
thought this should be done in order
to prevent the introduction of the fruit
fly pest to Hawaii. There had previous
~ been trouble with citrus fruits i'm
ported from the Orient. This would
prevent the Importation of fruit from
all places except the United States and
Canada and incidentally might give an
incentive to fruit growing at home.
Mr.. Giffard stated that the fruit fly
is now abundant all over Australia.
The Australians are making an effort
in India to secure parasites to destroy
the fly, as it had made great inroads
on their crops during the past year.
He said that there was no fruit fly pest
here at present, with the exception of
the fruit fly which had destroyed the
musk melon business here. AT one time
Hawaii had raisd the finest sort of
musk melons, but the inroads of this
fly had destroyed the industry. If the
Australian fruit fly should reach Ha-
wall, via the Orient where little heed
is paid TO the fighting of fruit pests, it
would attack the oranges, lines and
other fruits here. The only way to
stop it would be not to allow the i'm
portation of any fruits from these coun-
tries. Even a passenger on a ship
might bring the pest here. Walking
ashore with on orange, brought from
the Orient, he would possibly discover
that the orange contained insects and
throw it away. By doing this he would
introduce the pest here. The report was
referred to the committee on rules and
regulations and will be thoroughly in
vestigated.
WOOD AND FRUIT EXHIBITS.
Mr.. Giffard reported that he had call
ed upon Mr.. Atkinson, Secretary of the
Territory, and that the latter had
agreed to turn over to the Board the
exhibits of fruit and woods which had
been collected for the st. Louis Ex-
position but which had not been sent.
The Board agreed to receive the ex-
hibits and authorized Forester Hosmer
to secure glass jars for the fruit and
have the seventy-three specimens of
Hawaiian woods sawed and polished.
When the exhibits are completed they
will be kept in the museum at the
Boards offices.