Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1907-11-27
United States Department of
Agriculture

Honolulu. Hawaii, Nov. 81, 1907.
Mr.. Wallace II. Harrington, Editor,
Evening llctin, Ho-
nolulu. T. II.
Dear Slr:-Replying to your re-
quest for some suggestions, outlining
basis upon which prizes may be
awarded for agricultural work by the
public schools of the Territory, the
following brief remarks are submit
ted in the hope that they may he
Ituggestive in outlining your sched-
uies.
To begin with. It seems to the
writer that the first object sought
should be to impart definite educa-
tional value to the work. No better
opportunity is offered in our schools
10 stimulate observation and discrim-
! nation than by the study of the
plants growth, which should form u
large part of the agricultural en-
Geavor your competition is expected
TO excite. Added value will be given
to the work IL II he sufficiently cX-
tcnsive to give each child some prac-
ticc in preparing the ground, sowing
Irccds. wedding. etc. skill can only
come from practice and here Is an
opportunity for its development
Following up the work in its nat
ural sequence, must instill SYSTEM
| ptic methods, the Importance OF
which In garden work can he made
apparent to even the young child. In
dustry Is not the least useful lesson
10 be taught in this work, II II only
be persisted in, and that, of course,
Is the keynote of all efficient educa-
lion and training.
II the work be well done the pupils
viii unconsciously become Impress
cd with the dignity, value. and at
fractions of country life and pur-
suits" which seems 20 be the ulti-
mate aim of your competition as out
lined in the Blu letin of the I'd
INST.
To insure the above results def
mite plans should be outlined before
the work is undertaken. And to
make the results comparable for
competition, some uniformity will be
necessary.
1t is suggested that schools of 30
TO 80 pupils devote their energies to
400 square feet of plot; this is APP
proximately 100 acre. half to
one hours work daily for each pu'
oil should keep such an area In fine
hape. and be sufficient for practical
demonstration.
The plots are best made 4 feet
wide and may be laid out in one CON
tinuous plot, 100 feet long; into two
plots each 50 feet long, or into foul
plots each rs feet long. The discre
ton may be left to the teacher anC
Pupils as to which arrangement Il
best suited to their available land.
The period beginning with thu
opening of the winter term and end
ing at the close of the school year
June, 1905" designated in your an
uouncement, suggest that such crop
half year, although slower growing
crops might be considered II II wer
thought feasible to make awards ol
stages of crops other than those haV
ing reached maturity.
A large assortment is not believe
TO be desirable for this first competl
! ton, and It might be well to confin
, the agricultural work to the GROWN
of four or five popular vegetables re
curing approximately the same pc
,iod for growth. This assortmen
might include sweet corn, collard'
bush lima beans, bush summe
7 squash, and tomatoes, which repre-
sent distinct families and are of fai,
iy easy culture, besides maturin
within range of rs to $50 day
from sowing, which seems desil
able feature under the circun
cI stances.
Seeds should be secured by I'll
Wv School Board or other interested pa,
= ;tIes to make free distribution to a
schools competing.
II permanent planting for the o.
namentation of the school grounC
be thought advisable for part
this competition, trees and shrul
could doubtless be obtained from ii
Territorial Board of Agriculture an
Forestry.
As a basis for awarding the prize
YOU have already made the requir
ment that a Weekly Report of Pro-
ess be submitted to the b u | e /
throughout the period embodied
the competition. This feature seen
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