Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-09
Address Delivered in Early
Ceremonies Tells What Sta
tons are Doing in Hawaii

ercises Of the First Maui County Fair
At Wailuku on ThurBdsy, November
&C, ). IA. Westgate, director Of the Ha-
wall agricultural experiment station,
was called upon TO respond to +Aori-
culture in Hawaii" and in response
he spoke Of the 1Reistion Of the Unit
ed Stated Experiment Station to Ha-
waiian Agriculture" in an address
that contained mach Of interest, es-
peelalIy 70 those engaged in agricuI.
turai enterprises in the islands.
The relation OF the United States
experiment station TO the agricultural
industries of Hawaii can best be I'M
derstood II we look at the work Of the
United States department of agricul-
ture as whole and the activities OF
the various state experiment stations
and the effect they have had and are
having on the agricultural industries
Of the whole United States. What
II has done for the mainland agricul-
ture Il wishes TO 10 for Hawaii. The
work at Washington did not develop
so as TO warrant separate depart
ment until some % years ago. At
first o great deal OF the preliminary
work was apparently devoid of much
OF the practical results that its friends
wished for and its enemies demanded,
but at the present time most OF these
preliminary Investigations have been
carried on long enough to yield data
which Is Of great scientific and prac-
tical value.
Some OF the best achievements OF
the department have been along the
line OF the Introduction Of new varie-
ties of agricultural plants. There is
for instance IN one OF the green hous-
es at Washington the original navel
orange tree from which the navel or
ange industry Of California was start
ed. The Durum wheat obtained by
the specialists of the department in
Southern Russia has added millions
TO the resources of the country and
has made farming profitable in sec
tons so dry that the ordinary yarie-
ties of wheat cannot be profitably
produced. Similar work has been
done in the INTRODUCTION and improve
'ment Of many other crops.
Experiment Stations Seek to Aid
The work of the national depart.
ment Of agriculture has been ably
supplemented by that OF the state ex-
pertinent stations In order to reach.
with the gospel of diversified agricul-
ture. others besides regular students
IN the agricultural colleges, there have
been established short courses. usu-
ally Held IN the winter when the farm
work in the states is slack. These
have been very successful, and farm
ers Of 20 years OF age and upwards
have sat alongside Of young men just
In from the farm and all have learned
OF the practical benefit 10 the agri-
culture Of their respective districts
Still another method of bringing home
results to the farmers has been
through farmers institutes, where
practical speakers. or In some cases
scientists who have actually made the
experiments. are en- the program in
school houses and fhalls. woodland
groves and even in the fields, and
give first-hand knowledge to the as
sembled formers.
A further development Of the moves
10 bring the results home to the farm
er aud mis- wife has been the employ
ment of the county agricultural
agents. mostly men, but here. and
tic science lessons home to the farm
women. These special agents act as
middle men between the various ex-
penment stations. the United States
department Of agriculture on the one
hand and the farmer. He must he a
NAN OF broad training and IL is to his
advantage II he is a walking encycl0-
pedia regarding the best Of agricul-
ttiral practises in all OF its ramifica-
lions from the various industries that
loom large on the average farm.
Government Sends crass Expert
The fact that the u. s. experiment
station OF the Hawaiian Islands is or
ganically a part OF the United States
department of agriculture automati-
caIly brings the entire resources of
the department at Cae command of
the problems Of the local experiment
station. The regular bulletins of the
station are published ct the govern
ment printing office out Of other
funds than those appropriated for the
regular experiment station work here.
As a specific instance IL may be men.
tsone6 that within the past six months
n special study Of the grasses and
I0IUSe NluulS VI Tit lotdIUS Has bccu
shade by Prof. A. S. Hitchcock. the
leading grass expert of the L. S. de-
partment of agriculture and incident
ally OF the entire country. II wss in
response TO a request from this exper-
in,eht station that this Investigation
was made possible. As a result the
experiment station will be in posses
sion not only of his report on the mat
ter. but also complete collection of
Hawaiian grasses which he made
while here viii be on file at the ex-
neriment station in Honolulu. 1t had
heen hoped that this collection would
- available for exhibition at this fair.
bnt the specimens have not yet been
esmrIctely identified and returned
from washington.
,spoar Industry Benefited
Coming closer home we have the ex
ceilent work a the experiment station
me " S. P. A. which has meant
VI cAS - - ,<-nfitable dpVplODmpnt