Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-05
James Steiner Draws Attention
to Star-8uIIetin'S Competi-
ton and Puunene Letter
EDITOR Iicnoinln s,ar.LuMetLn.

amC1g the school Garden CON- est, D.
EDNA A Brown, principa! Ct pUUEen'
SahCo. .drSpcTcs wider circulation ant
Should lr especially called - the At
lcntion o. ihr legislature now coEycn
, ing in the city
III" yrh0uis in The country district
seen 70 TAX a lively interest !:
= laymiug and gardening and this in
tcrcst ~C';ld easily DC stimulated anC
made rore .; d feature by Givin.
me money prizes to both the teacl.
err ana schools that make a deserving
ci!crt ed GOOD showing. \ small ap
preparation for that worthy Objcc
would surely bring good results and be
! of great benefit in this era Of vi!
! ycTsal preparedness.
JAMES STEINER.
! The Star-Bulletin. in response to th.
! suggestion above, reprints the lettel
! 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 III
the Star-Builetin FaEm Contest. Al
! this time cur records show 1873 pupils
trying for a StarBulietin prize, los
of whom are proceeding under oul
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. 30. boys, are learning
the underlying principles of animal
care by doing much Of the work OF
tending cur 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 A;r. Louis Camara. a grad
uate of the Honolulu Normal school
with the class OF 1916.
Some of thu 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 readi-
ness to start to sell the lastly pre-
pared produce. | am sending YOU also
two views Of our home garden u:der
our rental system You will note
the activity OK beth 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 nth inst This
garden was planted between Deem
Der 90 and January 3, last, and has
nrodnnnd Hf ,.oIiCEnc Yxylrinh
sold Attic rate of $6S3.55 per acre.
We are now harvesting crop of let
tuce, which promises to prove equally
profitable. The part that produced
radishes has been replanteds to let
tuce. ...a ~.
From our experience, it would seem
that living out of tin cans" is entire
ly uneXcusable in Hawaii A garden
30 #. by 30 fl. 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 character building
exercise developing both body and
mind to high degree. ID .
Why, then, do we appear so neg
ligent 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
HABITeof, the boy who took corn to
the mill, to place a bag. containing
corn In -one end and a. stone in the
other. for balance, across the back of
his horse. II took years of EDUCA-
TION to. break up this foolish HABIT
and make him understand that he
might just as we'll 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
baCfuls borne on the back of horse
Why not. have school adapted to
the needs OF the age and the locality?
Suppose that 200 boys between the
ages of 70 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
inducem ents to attend this school
strong enough to attract boys of more
than average intelligence who were
destined to become leaders in their
communities. Let their school records
he the basis for selection. Train them
to become farmers-intelligent in
Nestigators 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
ef the various lncalities-make II a
school. After the pupils
have formed the desired habits, send
them home to convey their ideas to
their ne:ghbo-s by actual demonStra-
ton. While such course would re-
quire the outlay of a large amount Of
money, within a few years it would be
returned to tde government in the
form Of taxes or increased valuations
dive directly t. 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 vocational
school We are not neglecfing any