The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-12-19
HONOLULU
Continued from page 1O.)


liberated on the plantations had with
in year made damage from the leaf
hopper a thing of the past A some
what similar project is now being car
ried out in the introduction Of a para
site for the cane borer, the result oil
long-continued search in New
Guinea made by Mr. Fred Muir, one
of the entomologists of this station.
The outcome of this work will prop
ably be equally as important fnan-
cially to the plantations as was the
eradication of the leaf hopper. With
such examples before them it is small
wonder that the people of Hawaii are
firm believers in the benefits of eco.
nomic entomology. In this connection
1t may be mentioned that among the
strictly scientific activities of Homo
lulu stands the Hawaiian Entomolo-
gical Society, an organization num-
bering about thirty members.
In its work of fertilizer control the
Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association
Experiment Station has been the
means of saving large amounts of
money to the island plantations. AS
an example, a change of fertilizer rec
commended by the station so ad cd to
the yield of the 1911 crop throughout
the Territory that the profits for that
season were increased by several mil
lion dollars. Again, due to recon.
mendations of the station staff, made
as the result of extended field trials
and careful experimentation, a change
in the method of cultivating the cane,
whereby the process of stripping the
leaves has been abandoned, has
caused large saving in labor.
Among other scientific work of m
portance that the Planters Station is
carrying out is the creation of new
varieties of sugar cane by selection
from among thousands of carefully
grown seedlings, a feat made the
more difficult from the fact that sugar
cane has for a long time been propa-
gated by cuttings that to secure seed
at all is usually considered we'll night
hopeless. With the great diversities
of soil, climate and elevation that
exist throughout the islands, the de
STABILITY of having a number of va
rieties to choose from is self-evident
Mention has already been made OF
the research work going on at the
College of Hawaii. AS thia young in
stitution grows in years and wins its
spurs through actual accomplishment,
this feature of its activity is bound to
With its natural advantages of geo.
graphic location, its proximity to the
practically untouched fields of scien-
tifc interest in the South Pacific, and
its growing advantages of personnel
and equipment, Honolulu bids fair one
day to become the center for the sci
| entific exploration of the Pacific, Just
how far the College of Hawaii will
have a part in such a program is as
yet problematical, but an opportunity
certainly exists in the future which
the friends of the College hope it will
profit by. AS the site, for example,
for a biological laboratory, where, us
at Naples all sorts of marine life can
be studied at close range, the advan-
tages of Honolulu are almost unique,
/ In due time this will be fully recog,
nized and will draw to the islands
/ many students and specialists in this
and kindred departments of science
But even at present scientific activ
ity in Hawaii is not limited by agri
culture. For years the Bishop Mu
scum, founded in memory of Princess
Bernice Pauahi, the last of the Kane
hameha line of Hawaiian kings, has
been gathering in it's rich treasure
house relics of the life of ancien
Hawaii, as a part of it's collections
illustrating Polynesian ethnoiogy
The investigations of the museum
staff and the publications of the direc
tor, Wrffi. William T. Brigham, ar
ranked high everywhere in the sci
entifc world In addition to its ethno
logical work, the Bishop Museum l
also tackling problems in natural SC
ence, of which may be mentioned e'
pecially the work of DIR, c. Montagu
Cooke in studying Hawaiian Ian
shells.
Honolulu is more and more becon
ing the place of residence of thos
who, firing of the rough weather {
northern winters, are seeking a NOR
congenial cline Among these ar
some scientists, one being DR.. G. /
Hitchcock, professor of geology, en-
eritus, in Dartmouth College, VIII
since coming to the islands, has pu
lished a book on Hawaiian geology.
H. manu-. vaara HouOIulu ",