The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-08-18

Hilo districts proposed forest reserve
formed the principal element of discus
sion and action at the meeting yesterday
of the Board of Agriculture. while Mr..
Alexander Craw, the eminent ento1nolo-
gist who came from California on the
Alameda and is now attached to the
staff of experts of the Board, was for
mally introduced
Mr.. Craw will be provided with an
assistant entomologist from the coast,
a Mr.. Getinski. who is familiar with
fruits and plants in the Islands.
WOULD CULTIVATE ORANGES.
Mr. Craw called the attention of the
Board to the manner in which imported
fruits and plants are disinfected at pres
ent, which, in his opinion, was unwise
Such fruits and plants are now brought
from ships to the Government Nursery
for treatment He thought that this
would assist in spreading bugs and in
sects, by their being dropped in the
streets on the way. He advised having
a disinfecting apparatus erected some
where on the waterfront The matter
was referred to Mr. Giffard and Mr.
Holloway with power to act. Mr. Craw
also called attention to the orange in
dustry as being a profitable one and
hoped to see it developed in the ISL
ands. He had learned from Mr.. Austin
of the bureau that $4,000 had been
spent since January in the Importation
of oranges from the coast. This could
be saved If islanders would carefully
study the cultivation of the fruit Mr.
Craw's attention was called to the fact
that the orange industry in years gone
by was beginning to be thriving one
when an insect laid it low. He stated that
he would look thoroughly into the mat
ter and endeavor to study a way out
of the difficulty Mr. Craw is an expert
horticulturist and has made a special
study of orange cultivation.
PREYING on LEAF HOPPER
1t was reported to the Board that
Messrs. Koebele and Perkins, the ento-
biological experts now in Australia, had
sent to the Board sometime ago para
site in the shape of lady bird. to prey
on the leaf hopper This had been pro-
pagated and released both in Honolulu
and on Oahu Plantation, where the re-
suits have already been beneficial. The
Planters Experiment Station is also
making use OF the parasite.
DEATH DEALING FUNGUS.
Entomologist Craw, in speaking of the
Boards action in keeping out fruits
from all Pacific countries, to prevent an
invasion of new insects, felt that the
more drastic the action the more pro-
ftable it would be for the islands, and
it would also undoubtedly stimulate m
terest in fruit growing industries
Mr.. Giffard stated that at certain
ranch on this island a number OF peach |
trees imported from Florida had been
diving rapidly of late. and in seeking for
the cause, it was found that a fungus |
had attached itself to the roots, prevent
ing them from spreading and thereby +
killing the tree. This has extended to
an old Hawaiian peach tree which had
borne well for the past fifteen years !
and this was in dying condition. 1t +
was believed this fungus growta was in
.roduced III days when inspection was
not so rigid as at present
1t was also shown that there IS need
IF chronological attention 10 the alli
gator pear trees. These had been at
acked by borers and fruit industry
which bid fair to become thriving one
lad been retarded
A letter was read from Jared G.
Smith. Director OF the L. S. Experiment
Station in Hawaii, in which he stated
hat press bulletin on the cultivation
If citrus fruits in the islands was being
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS