Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-12-01
PRESIDENT ], ?. COOKE OF SUGAR
Planters ASSOCIATION REVIEWS
WORK OF YEAR in ANNUAL REPORT

ing for q parasite for the anomala bee
tie. s, Much other defensive work has
bee accompanies by our scientists
in G. nbatting Injurious insects and
fungus diseases Our canefields today
are by no means free from pests and
diseases, but the marked successes OF
our eniomofogists and pathologists In
the past. have led us to place implicit
l.ccnfidence in them. ~ :sF. 90.
The first aggressive work began
with the successful experiments In
raising cane from seed. Mr.. Giffard.
then chairman of the committee, at
once recognized the Importance of
this discovery from q practical side,
and under his direction, over 5000
seedlings were grown In 1905. BY ar
tificial selection, this number has been
gradually reduced to SO. Among those
that remain are several varieties that
rank higher than our standard canes.
For some years these have been dis
tributed among the plantations and
grown in an experimental way Dur
ing the past year, Seeding propaga-
ton has been resumed This year for
the first time, new varieties we're har-
vested on q commercial scale on sew
eral plantations. The results are very
gratifying and will be presented to
YOU In special report 1t is only
fair to add that the best results in the
field have been obtained from De-
mefara and not Hawaiian Seeding.
The first successful experiment In.
growing cane from seed was made in
Demerara There is certainly great
future for these new Yarities, as the
work has only just begun. ~
Mr. Eckart,s original work on fer
tilization, has been of almost equal
importance. His fertilizer experiments
extended over long series of years
and the results obtained were EN-.
bodied In bulletin 20, published in
May, 1903 The conclusions reached
were considerably at variance with
former theories In accordance there
with the old fertilizer formulas were
greatly modified. These new formu-
las have been used for several years
by the plantations and have resulted
in increased yields and lower cost for
the fertilizers
On mill control, Mr.. Noel DEER
and DR.. Norris have done and are
doing aggressive work of a high or
der, and the value of this work is
being more and more appreciated by
the plantations.
We have every reason to be proud
of what our entomologists, patholo-
gists, chemists and agrieulturists
have done for us. BY conscientious
work they have built up a station
that is second to none The station
has great future and 1t is safe to
predict that the accomplishments of
the next 10 years will be of even
greater practical benefit than those
of the last 10.
Details of the work of the past year
will be submitted to you in the re-
port of the experiment station com.
mittee.
LABOR. u
The labor situation has been salts
factory during the past year In
fact, 1t has been very satisfactory
from the laborer's standpoint as the
rates. especially on contracts, have
been high. considering the present
price of sugar and the future pros
poets. The conditions on the planta-
tons under which the men live and
WORK were never better than at the
present time. Immense sums have
been expended during the past five
or. six years on laborers' houses. To
a large extent, the barrack system
has been abandoned and homes pro-
vided for each family. In most of
the plantation camps, concrete drains
have been laid and concrete floors
provided for the wash and cook
houses. During this period, liberal
expenditures have been made for hos
pitfalls and several of the more recent
compare favorably with the best hos
pitats in the city. The water systems
of the camps have been improved at
large cost. Much thought has. been
given to perfecting ways for getting
the laborers to and from their work.
On one plantation where railroading
is difhcult, automobile trucks are
used to transport the men to and
from the more distant fields during
the harvesting season. Churches,
schools and kindergartens have re-
eeiEed substantial aid Fairgrounds