The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-11-25
To PROTECT
OUR PLANTS
Alex. Craw's Report on
a Quarantine
Measure.

ing OF the Board OF agriculture neiQ Oh
| Wednesday afternoon:
The Honorable, the Board OF Commits
sioners of Agriculture and Forestry
| Honolulu, t. H.
| Gentlemen: Since my last report
| nineteen steamers and sailing vessels
| arrived in port from outside of the Ter
| ritory. and each has been visited irnme-
diately upon arrival In all 1896 pack
ages OF fruit and vegetables were re
ceived
The officers of the Customs Depart
| ment render tire agricultural and horti-
| cultural interests of this Territory, and
in fact indirectly all the States and
! Territories of the Union, most yalu-
| able assistance in preventing the sur
reptitious landing of horticultural prod
| ucts, while the vessels are in port and
we cannot be present The importance
| of such assistance cannot be estimated
in dollars and cents This work is re-
| CURED by Collector Stackable and is
cheerfully performed by the officers and
| men of the entire Customs Department.
A small plant may carry as serious
and destructive pests or diseases as a
larger one, or more extensive ship
ments, so nothing is allowed to pass in
the plant line without careful inspection,
and, when suspected fumigation IS re-
sorted to.
Your passage of the rules and regula-
tions prohibiting the Importation of
fruits from certain countries where
fruit-fies are known to exist and its
prompt approval by the Governor will
aid greatly in keeping such pests out of
the country, Generally the greatest
source of infection is through pests upon
trees and plants, as they go on develop
ing with the growth of the plant. In
the case of apples and pears slightly in
tested with the larvae of the cooling
moth" we have allowed a certain per
cent of infection, as the above fruits
cannot be crown here proftab1y and,
having been imported for years without
having proved detrimental to other
fruits, it is reasonable to surnise that
there IS no great danger from this IN
sect
We have, however, cautioned import
ers not to purchase such fruit. 1t is
different in the case of fruit-flies, as
their maggots attack nlangoes, bananas,
oranges and other fruits that are cul-
tlvated in, and are of great commercial
Importance to this Territory Even
young cocoanuts are not exempt from
their attack
Six Manila hemp" PLANTS (Musa tex
tiles) arrived on the S. S. Manchuria
and were burned, as they were attacked
by microscopic. mite. The Manila f.!
hemp is already established here. Twol
sacks of "reen cocoanuts, from Ocean /
Island ex S. S. Inger. were burned as a |
measure, also a small box
of plants DER the same steamer On I
Lepidepterous larva. The plants were |
burned and the soil dumped in the bay /
SMALL packages of plants by mail /
from outside the Territory are also in /
spected, so we can feel reasonably safe
from new introduction of insect pests
The widest circulation possible will
be given your new regulations. This
will be done as General Circular No :
The following statement covers the
principal work of the chronological
Division.
Since the last report, twenty-one
colonies of beneficial insects were dis
ributed. Most of these were bred from
material, either received from Australia
Or collected in the city. Many COM
olaints were lodged against the Japa-
lese beetle (Adoretus umbrosus), and
-elief was given by this Division in the
form of good sized colonies of these
beetles infected with fungus. Owing to
he advent of the rainy season, it is
reasonably expected that the fungus will
prove effective. Four boxes, half sui
With thoroughly injected earth and
beetles, are kept up for constant sup
'ly of infected beetles. More live bee
les could be made use OF for infection
md distribution.
Two substantial colonies OF the vor;a
Leis conforms and Alesia frenata)
we're liberated. Some twenty tubes of
he young of these two species are being
red up and under constant observation |
n the laboratory. !
The Board is aware that the torpedo I
y (Siphanta acuta) IS one of the in t
ects indirectly responsible for injury to y
Office leaves and berries caused by the 7
rown-eyed disease (Cercospora coffei-
ola). With the object of checking the 1
York of this insect Messrs. Koebele and r
'erlins sent a consignment of parasitic t
Siphanta coos which were received. y
he Board will be gratified to learn that
lese evidentlv came through in ex- =
client condition. for about $50 OF these !
araslteS were bred since, I23 of which
ere colonized in groves thick1y infest- :
with Siphanta. The Siphanta egg
listers imported look slightly different !.
ON those of the fly" already here, u
ON which we infer that it is probably e
lother srecies. We hope therefore, Y
at this parasite will take kindly to our p
orpedo fly" but there remains the pos o.
biity that it will not adopt the new
ost. Meanwhile more of these para
ties are still Matching.
Several examinations and Identified
1ns of material brought to the labora- g'
~ were made and, if OF economic i'm al
'rtance, advice for treatment or benefi- :.
al insects given; if of scientific value
lly, the specimens were identified. ] y
ounted, labeled and placed in the col: If
,tion. Among the latter may be men of
med very interesting and. according SC
Perkins. not common mud wasp, Isl
iynerus oahuensis. Dolla Tore. col III
ted by Mr. w. NJ Gifard. and pre-
nted to or collection. This IS the -
ST specimen to represent this species ~
the collection GO 60
With the consent OF Mr. w NJ n n
fard, a card case was procured and IA
card system for keeping records OF in ou