The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-11-10

the hopper if proper care is exer
cised, as the conditions which produce
such periodical attacks are now pretty
well understood by the majority OF
managers.
Nv hen your committee submitted its
last annual report the work of the
Division in connection with the sugar
cane borer was practically in its initial
stage. At that time Mr. Muir, who had
been selected and sent to the Malay
Archipelago to find the borer in that
region, in addition to such predaceous
and parasitic enemies as attacked it
there, had had but little opportunity for
effective research work. The report
further stated that owing to the long
distances and changes of climate be,
tween the Malays and Hawaii, half
way station would of necessity have to
| be established in order to successfully
introduce such predators or parasites as
Mr.. Muir might discover and deem de-
sirable to send. This half -way station
was established at Hongkong last April
| in charge of Mr.. Terry of the Division.
1 The Director of the Division in his
present annual report is now enabled
to record the fact that predaceous
beetles feeding on the larvae of cane
borers have not only been discovered
by Mr. Muir, but have been successfully
shipped by that entomologist, through
the halfway station, and have been
received here in Honolulu in good con.
ditiOn. Certain of these predators, the
Director further notes, have been dis
tributed in canefelds in certain dis,
tricts where the cane borer was abund-
ant and where the predators in ques-
tion may eventually become establish
ed. The Director also records the dis
covery, by Mr. Muir, of a parasitic fly
on the larvae of borer in the Moluccas.
This latter insect, however, has not
been successfully bred for shipment as
vet, for reasons which are mentioned
in the Director s report. AS detailed
account of the work done in connection
with cane-borer and its natural enemies
is given in the Directors annual
report (See Appendix III, page 2O,
it appears quite unnecessary for your
committee to 60 into further details as
to this particular matter. 1t may be
added, however, that it has been deemed
very desirable to have Mr.. Muir return
to the Moluccas and there continue his
research work and if possible, secure
further details as to the life history
of the parasite in question, as well as
perhaps discover others, so that the
undertaking may, if possible, ultimately
meet with success. In that connection,
therefore, your committee has to report
that instructions to the above effect have
been cabled to Mr.. Muir at Hongkong.
Further instructions have also been sent
to abandon temporarily the halfway
station at Hongkong, at least until such
time as the Director may receive assur-
ances that that establishment is again
necessary, it being practically useless
to maintain it as long as Mr.. Muir is
away from all civilization and steam.
ship connection. In the meantime the |
Division will keep under observation |
such cane fields in the several districts |
of these islands in which the predaceous |
beetles above referred to have been lib |
Grated. Tt should be particularly noted |
that the Director has called attention |
to the fact that even should these pre-
1aceous insects become established, they |
are more liable to suffer from the pc |
riOdical burning of the trash in the
cane fields than would be suffered by i
any parasite. In connection W tn the
work done by Mr.. Muir in the Malay !
Archipelago, your committee might
state, as a matter of information, that
the lack of a reliable mail service, to-
gether with interrupted and infrequent
shipping facilities, throughout the
Dutch Indies, has caused the Division,
and Mr.. Muir in particular, much annoy
ance and anxiety, and has to some ex-
-ent hampered the work. Letters which
have been mailed to the Director via
(the nearest and safest
route) have frequently come via India,
London and New York taking twice the
time to get here. In some instances
packages. as we'll as letters, even when
have gone astray, apparently
through the negligence of the postal
in the Dutch Indies, through
whom all Mr.. Muir s mail and other
matter has to be handled prior to its
arrival at Hongkong or other central
ports. This quite important
matter has already been made the sub
ect of correspondence with the authori
ties in the Postal Union, and further
complaints will shortly be made by your
committee with a view to having all
such mail matter if possible reach it's
destination quickly and safely. The as
;istance and courtesies rendered to the
Division generally, and to Mr.. Muir in
by the respective U. S. Con
,uls at Batavia and Hongkong, in con-
lection with mail matter, has been
much appreciated. The same may be
said of the General Agent of the Pacific |,
Mail Steamship Company at HongkOng,
IS regards courtesies rendered in the
natter of insect shipments to Honolulu.
The Agricultural Institute at H0ngkong
through its officials has also rendered
very possible facility to both Messrs.
Terry and Muir during the period these
gentlemen have had the use of its
laboratory, and has also extended other
which have been much ap,
,reciated by your committee.
'Last April arrangements were made
through the Director to have Mr.. Koe,
,ele visit parts of Europe in search of
natural enemies of the horn-fy. Mr..
zoebele began his Investigations in this
about June last, the expenses
# which are to some extent being con,
to by the Territorial Board of