The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-04-16
JARED SMITHS
REJO|HDER
Prof. Perkins's Paper
Calls Forth
Remarks.
Honolulu, Hawaii, April Is, 1904.

Honolulu, Hawaii, April Is, 1904.
Editor Advertiser: = Referring to
Prof. R. c. L. Perkins reply to my for
mer criticism of his report to the Board
of Agriculture and Forestry, appearing
in today's issue of your paper, 1 wish
to enter a general disclaimer of any
intention on my part of introducing
personalities into this discussion Ny
criticism of the point of view of the
Territorial entomologists was intended
as a protest against the locally COM
mon, accepted belief that the method
of procedure they advocate is the only
tenable one. There are two schools of
economic entomologists. Both admit
that insect pests injurious to cultivated
crops are to some extent controlled by
their parasites and predatory enemies.
Both admit that without parasites,
predaceous insects, birds, ETC., injuri-
Gus insects would undoubtedly increase
to such an enormous extent as to wipe
out the plants upon which they feed.
Furthermore, both schools admit that
injurious insect pests may be controlled
by the use of insecticides or some other
active or precautionary measure.
The difference between these two
schools is solely the question of where
the emphasis shall be placed. The
California school, to which Professors
Koebele and Perkins and many other
eminent entomologists, both American
and foreign belong, advocates placing
the main reliance on the parasites and
predatory foes of insect pests for their
control in relation to cultivated crops;
active and precautionary measures ad-
vocated only as reserve after the first
line of defence has been swept away
or has proved inefficient.
The Eastern school of entomologists
places the emphasis upon active and
precautionary measures in insect war;
fare and regards the employment of
parasites as merely incidental. Prof.
Van Dine, the entomologist of this Sta
ton, who has specialized in economic
entomology under Comstock and Slim
gerland at Cornell, and under Kellogg
at Stanford University, is one of the
many advocates of this school.
I admit cheerfully that the line of
reasoning presented by Prof. Perkins
in his scholarly and courteous reply to
my criticism has much to commend it.
Nevertheless 1 still adhere to the belief
that fully as much can be accomplish
ed by effort on the part of the planter
and farmer to so maintain the vigor
of the plants constituting his cultivated
crop that they will be able to grow
ahead of the insect pests attacking
them.
Manager Renton of Eva Plantation
in his last annual report states that he
was able to fight the leaf-hopper sue
cessfully by adopting this method,
forcing vigorous and healthy growth
of the cane by use of irrigation and
abundant fertilizers. The suggestions
offered in my previous criticism were
in all cases simply a public exposition
of methods that are now being en-
ployed on plantations throughout these
islands.
These questions of what to do and
how to do it, in attempting to control
insect pests in our cane fields or on
the farm, vitality affect the property
interests of every resident of Hawaii.
The fact that my opinions in regard to
the solution of these problems are at
variance with those advanced by Prof.
Perkins, does not necessarily predicate
personal enmity between us. So far as
1 am individually concerned 1 would
assure him thus publicly that l enter
tain the highest appreciation of the
value of the work that Prof. Koebele
and his able corps of assistants have
done and are doing.
Respectfully,
JARED G.. SMITH.