The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-01-01
DOCTORS DISAGREE As TO
THE BLUEF|ELOS BANANAS
Professor Perkins Is Suspicious Of Allowing Them
to Come In...Dr. Jared Smith Offers to See
That the Cuttings Do No Damage.

The Bluefields banana cuttings i'm
ported by the Board of Agriculture
have been found to be very much dis
eased and they are to be kept under
close watch at the United States Ex-
pertinent Station while the plants are
terminating. There was n 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-
mtting the entrance of the banana cut
tings at all.
The Board held an informal meeting
on Tuesday to discuss the banana
question, after Professor Perkins had
discovered that the cuttings We're not
in very good condition. 1t was decided
then to thoroughly fumigate the plants
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.. Thurston re-
ported the action of the informal meet
ing, saying that the cuttings came in
large quantity of soil and in an un-
inviting condition. 1t had been decided
also not to distribute the plants but
to propagate them ut the Experiment
Station.
Professor Perkins, the government
entomologist, 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 had also
found some living beetles among the
plants. II am inclined to be very sus-
picious about the plants" said Profess
sor Perkins, this borer found in the
plants is allied to the cane borer and l
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 government Of
fetal, that you would allow the admis-
sion of these plants?" asked Mr.. Gif-
fard
,"It 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.
eyes; 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.
MIR. Smith said that the cane borer was
protected by the hard, salacious 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 fumi-
cation would kill anything.
Mr.. Perkins replied that 1t hadn't
killed the borer, although it had killed
the cane. He said that various tests
had been made with the cane borer
and 1t had lived after the cane had
been killed by the fumigation process.
Mr.. ]. ID. Dole said that he believed
the cuttings should be planted. The
bananas had been brought this far and
would be taken care of at the Federal
Station. Mr.. Smith offer
ed to take care of them. He said that
the Bluefields was the variety 50 much
wanted by the banana growers of the
Territory, that 400 plants had been sent
as donation to the Board from the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture, and that a second lot could prob
ably never be secured again. Prof.
Smith said also that private growers
had previously imported Bluefields ba-
tbarpSa1vas hOfh Eiln n nd
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. Il would hate very much to
see these plants destroyed only on frag-
evidence of borers such as we
now have" said Mr.. Smith.
Mr.. Giffard then moved that the pre-
yious action of the Board be confirmed,
out said that he would not vote on the
question. He said that shipment of
had been condemned on
similar grounds, and 1t would be in
consistent now to admit the banana
plants. He believed that they should |
lot be admitted unless the entomolo- |
,ist recommended Ii.
Mr.. Perkins stated that he had pass
ID the pineapple plants in question and |
he Board had overruled him and he |
lad to use moral suaslon to get pos
ession of the cuttings again.
Mr.. Carter said he favored the mo-
ion, and didn't believe the case of the |
,ineapples was at all analogous. The |
'anana industry was a small one, and |
lie believed 1t should be encouraged In |
very way and the cuttings should not |
'e refused admission on mere pos
ibility that they might be infected.
Mr.. Dole and Mr. Brown took the
anne view, the latter saying that agri-
ulture would have to be thrown over
odrd entirely If such a precedent was
stbblished.
Mr.. ]. Il. Higgins of the Experiment
tdtion said he had been studying the
atana industry in foreign countries
ny nowhere was there report of dam
IL