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


School, deserves wider circulation anC
should be especially called to the at
tentiOn Of the legislature now cOnVen
ing in the city.
The schools in the country districts
seem TO take q lively interest In
farming and gardening and this in
terest could easily be stimulated and
made more Of a feature by giving
some money prizes to both the teach
ers and schools that make 4 deserving
effort a.d good showing A small ap-
preparation for that worthy object
would surely bring good results and be
of great benefit in this era of uni
versal preparedness.
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-BulIetin. =.
Dear Sir: We are still able to re-
port continued growth of interest in
the Star-Bulletin Farm Contest. At
this time our records show 1873 pupils
trying for a StarBulletin prize, 10S
of whom are proceeding under our
school contract system. Besides this
number, we have IS bows enrolled in
our regular agricultural classes and
these are trying to win the first prize
for the Puunene school. In other Vo-
cational work. 90 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
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 lesso: in
washing produce and putting it in at
tractiVe packages for market. An
other view shows the boys in readi-
Less 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 go and January :, last. and has
produced a 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
30 #. by 40 #. 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 a child |
six years of age and the labor ex.
pended would be a character building |
exercise developing both body and |
mind to high degree.
Why, then, do we appear so neg
iigent 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. 1t was formerly the |
HABIT Of the boy who took corn to |
the mill to place a bag, containing |
corn in one end and q stone in the |
other, for balance, across the back OF |
his horse. II took years of EDUCA-
TON to break up this foolish HABIT |
and make him understand that he |
might just as well have corn in both |
ends of the bag. But this is the age |
of rapid learning Corn is brought |
to the mill in train loads instead of in
bagfuls borne on the back of a horse. |
Why not have a school adapted to |
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
country's services. Bring them from
all parts OF the territory. Make the
inducements to attend this school /
strong enough to attract boys of more
than average intelligence who were
destined to become leaders in their
Let their school records
be the basis for selection. Train thea
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 It a
school. After the pupils
have formed the desired habits. send
them home to convey their ideas to
their neighbors by actual demonstra-
ton. While such a course would re-
quire the outlay of large amount of
money. within few years il would be
to the government in the
form of taxes or increased valuations
due directly to the diffusion of learn.
ing through the agency Of the pro-
posed school.
We are striving to do what we can
with our limited facilities and with
our primary pupils TO approach this
ideal. But ours is not n vocational
school We ara mn naofactjnp any /