The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-02-02
the land each in his own little domain.
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.

THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
The report of the President was then
read by Jared q. Smith, as follows:
This meeting closes the second sue
! cessful year of the Farmers Institute
! in Hawaii. / trust 1t also marks the
beginning of an equally successful one,
and of many more to follow.
Rather than to take up my short al
/ lotment of time in telling of what has
been done and said at our former In
stitutes, further word in regard to
the what and why of the Farmers
Institute work is more important.
The Farmers Institute is farmers
convention called for the purpose of
discussion Of the problems relating to
agriculture and farm life and farm
work. Discussion of the live topics
affecting this occupation is the chief
aim and object of this farmers con-
vention. To certain extent it is a
part of the educational system of our
land. Its function Is instruction
through direct interchange of ideas
between the scientific teacher of the
agricultural college, the scientific in
vestigator OF the experiment station,
and the farmer-the man who has to
make his living by the practical work.
ing out Of the problems of how plants
must be cultivated or animals fed and
| cared for in order to yield tn. greatest
| financial return.
| The function of the Agricultural Col
lege and of normal or industrial schools
| having courses in agriculture Is to
teach that which has been proved.
The function Of the experiment sta
| ton is to investigate and determine
what Is true and what false; what are
the laws that govern the growth of
plants; the relations of plants to soils,
climate, irrigation. drainage; their dis
| eases and animal foes; the breeding,
feeding and pathology of domestic ami
mails. The experiment station investi-
gator must ever strive to unravel the
tangled forces of nature, to solve the
everlasting why Of natural phenomena.
There are great many interrogation
marks to be answered either yes or no
and II the station workers do what the
trainers of the Hatch Act in Congress
specified that they should do, both the
teaching and the practical demonstra-
ton Of how" must be left to others.
The Farmers Institute is intended
tween the college and station on the
one hand and the practical farmer on
the other. Here is the place where
theorist and practical man can meet
on level ground to talk over that one
great subject in which all are equally
interested and commemorative science
and practice of agriculture.
Until that time comes, and believe
firmly that it is coming when the
number of individual farmers culti-
waiting and in many cases owning their
own homes and farms, shall have
greatly increased, I believe that the
best interests of this Institute demand
that it shall be conducted on as broad
a scope and with as little formality
as possible. There are more farmers
in Hawaii today than there were three
years ago. There are more people
interested in diversified agriculture.
And. Furthermore, as a sure index of
the changing sentiment of our people
as body, the man who advocates the
growing of a great many crops instead
of the one and sole dominant crop,
sugar cane, is placed less on the de-
fensive than he was three years ago
when the experiment station was es-
tablished, or even two years ago when
this Farmers Institute was started
This change of sentiment is a good
sign. Tolerance of and willingness to
listen to another's opinions is often the
first evidence of conversion. l believe
that 1t would be a good thing for Ha-
wall If the number of individual land
owners was greatly increased. There
is enough uncultivated land on Oahu
alone to yield comfortable living to
a thousand farmers. Add that num-
Der of families to our population and,
aside from the material effect on the
prosperity of this Territory, we will
have a dozen farmers institutes, an
agricultural college, more and better
common schools, more churches and a
general Improvement in the social con-
ditions of our country life. At pres
ent the isolation that one must endure
in the scattered farms Is factor
against successful farming.
All of these improved conditions will
surely come some day. We must be
optimistic. and there is nothing like
things accomplished, to make man
optimistic. There are at present hard
times and affairs are not in as good
shape among farmers and others as
we would like to see; but this condition
will not be permanent. In the mean
time while the people of Hawaii are
waiting let us remember the good old
Yankee proverb, that "All things come
to him who hustles while he waits"
The report of the committee on the
Seasons for Planting. with the inclu-
sive report of Prof. Krauss of Kane
hameha Schools, showing careful rec
ord of each months planting for two
years, was read by Byron o. Clark, Mr..
Krauss explaining his chart in detail.
This will be printed in full in the Ad-
vertiser tomorrow. This report was
ordered printed and distributed
throughout the Islands, President