Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-05
James Steiner Draws Attention
to Star Bulletins COMPETE
ton and Puunene Letter
Editor Honolulu star-Bulletin,

HUlCiR Tile SCHOOL OdIueH "
Edna A. Brown, principal Of Puunene
School. deserves wider circulation and
should be especially called to the at.
tention of the legislature now conyen-
ing in the city.
The schools in the country districts
seem to take a lively interest in
farming and gardening and this in
terest could easily be stimulated and
made more Of a feature by giving
I some money prizes TO both the teach
ers and schools that make a deserving
\ effort sId good showing. A small ap.
preparation for that worthy object
/ would surely bring good results and be
4 of great benefit in this era OF uni
yersal preparedness.
i JAMES STEINER.
The Star-Bulletin, in response to the
! suggestion above. reprints the letter
from Principal Brown referred to:
Puunene, Maui, T. H.. Feb. "a. 1917.
Editor Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
Dear Sir: We are still able to re-
port continued growth of interest in
| the StartBulletin Farm Contest. At
! this time our records show 133 pupils
! trying for "a StarBulletin prize, los
of whom are proceeding under our
school contract system. Besides this
number, we have 66 boys enrolled in
our regular agricultural classes and
these are trying TO win the first prize
| for the PuUnene school. in other vo-
cational work. so boys are learning
the underlying principles of animal
care by doing much of the work OF
tending, our rabbits and chickens.
Thirty-eight more are gaining some in
sight into carpentry in our shop
classes All of this work is in direct
charge of Mir. Louis Camara, grad
uate of the Honolulu Normal school
with the class of 1916.
Some of the work of the regular
school garden boys will be observed
in the pictures that | am enclosing.
One picture represents a lesson In
washing produce and putting it in at
tractive packages for market An
other view shows the boys In reaiii-
ness to start to sell the lastly pre-
pared produce. ! am sending you also
two views of our home garden under
our rental system. You will note
the activity of both girls and boys.
Some large stones that have been
removed with great difficulty are TO
be seen. Still another picture shows
our Experimental School Garden as
it appeared on the 18th inst This
garden was planted between Decem-
Der 90 and January 3, last, and has |
produced crop of radishes which
sold at the rate of $6S355 per acre.
We are now harvesting a crop of let |
tuce which promises to prove equally |
profitable. The part that produced |
radishes has been replanted to let |
tuce.
From our experience, it would seem
that living out of tin cans" is entire
ly unexcusable in Hawaii A garden
80 #. by 40 it. can easily be made to |
produce enough wholesome vegetables |
to supply the table of large family |
Most of the labor required for such a |
garden can be performed by child |
six years of age and the labor ex.
pended would be character building
exercise developing both body and |
mind to high degree.
Why, then, do we appear so neg !
lgent in this particular? / would ans /
wer that We are the servants OF
HABIT. We have formed the habit /
of depending on one industry. This
dependence on the cane fields has
blinded us to the vegetable garden. |
Our blindness can be cured only by [
education II was formerly the |
HABIT of the boy who took corn to |
the mill to place a bag, containing |
corn In one end and stone in the |
other. for balance, across the back of |
his horse. II took years of EDUCA-
TON to break up this foolish HABIT 1
and make him understand that he I
might Just as we'll have corn in both |
ends of the bag. But this is the age |
OF rapid learning. Corn is brought I
to the mill in train loads instead of IN /
bagfuls borne on the back of horse. |
Why not have a school adapted to I
the needs OF the age and the locality?
Suppose that 200 boys between the
ages of IL and Is years were brought |
together for training in an industrial
school designed to fit them for their
countrys services. Bring them from 1
all parts of the territory. Make the |
inducements to attend this school /
strong enough to attract boys of more
than average intelligence who we're |
destined to become leaders in their
communities. Let their school records
be the basis for selection Train them
to become farmers-intelligent in
vestigators of agricultural possibili-
ties. Give them an adequate amount
of instruction in carpentry and black
smithing and other kindred agricul-
tural subjects. Make the curriculum
broad enough to fit the requirements
of the various localities-make II
representative school. After the pupils
have formed the desired habits, send
them home to convey their ideas to-
their neighbors by actual demonstra-i
ton. While such course would re-
quire the outlay of large amount of
money, within few years it would be
returned to tae government in the
form of taxes or Increased valuations
due directly To the diffusion of learn
ing through the agency CT the pro-
poSod school. --....-