The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-01-31

in Hawaii. I trust it also marks the
beginning of an equally successful one,
and of many more to follow.
Rather than to take up my short al
Iotment of time in telling of what has
been done and said at our former IN
stitutes, a further word in regard TO
the what and why of the Farmer s
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 a 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 the greatest
financial return.
The function of the Agricultural Col
Iege 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 unraveI the
tangled forces of nature, to solve the
everlasting why of natural phenomena.
There are a great many Interrogation
marks to be answered either yes or no
and if 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
to fill in a gap which has existed be-
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
and commemorative science
and practice of agriculture.
Until that time comes, and I 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 |
in diversified agriculture.
And, Furthermore, as a sure index of |
the changing sentiment of our people |
as a 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-
.ablished or even two years ago when /
this Farmers Institute was started. |
This change of sentiment is good |
sign. Tolerance of and willingness to
listen to another's opinions is often. the
irst evidence of conversion. I believe |
hat it would be a good thing for Ha-
vail if the number of individual land |
owners was greatly increased. There
s enough uncultivated land on Oahu
alone to yield a comfortable living to
4 thousand farmers. Add that num-
Der of families to our population and,
aside from the material effect on the
of this Territory, we will
nave a dozen farmers institutes, an
agricultural college, more and better /
schools, more churches and a
general improvement in the social con-
iitions of our country life. AT pres
mt the isolation that one must endure
n the scattered farms is a factor
against successful farming.
All Of these improved conditions will
surely come some day. We must be
optimistic, and there is nothing like
Kings accomplished, to make a man
optimistic There are at present hard
lines and affairs are not in as good
shape among farmers and others as
We would like to see; but this condition
viii not be permahent. In the mean
ime while the people of Hawaii are
Waiting let US remember the good old
yankee proverb, that "All things come
o him who hustles while he waits
The report of the committee on the
seasons for Planting, with the inclu-
i've report of Prof. Krauss of Kane
amelia Schools, showing a careful rec
I'd of each months planting for two
ears, was read by Byron o. Clark, Mr..
>rauss explaining his chart in detail.
his will be printed in full in the Adj
ertiser tomorrow. This report was
r0er96 tn6 |
throughout the Islands, President
mith stating that it was very val
able reference chart.
The report of the Committee on Tree
'lanting on Country Roads was brief
nd to the effect that all things con-
dered they believed that if prepared
lave seeds were strewn along the
Dads, especially in the plantation dis
rlcts and along stretches of unculti-
ated country, it would be a wise
n 1, Il