HAWAII EXPERIMENT STATION. 393 



lands has beon an oxception i-atlicr than a rnlo. The practice has been 

 to ph)w to the depth of not to exceed 1 to '■'> inches and the cnl- 

 tivation has been by hand rather tlian by hors(> lat)or. practically no 

 machinery except warden tools Ixdno- used. With this extremely 

 shallow cultivation the yiidds in former years have heen surprisino-l}- 

 liii:h. as nuich as from ;>(» to 60 l)ushels of corn ])ei- acre, a yield which 

 would l)e considered above the avera^'e in the corn States. The sum- 

 mer of 1902 was a bad season for the corn orowers of this district, 

 as was also the precedino- year. The yields were uniforndy so low 

 that many of the lands were o-iven up and were allowi'd to o-o back 

 into the orass. IJesides heiiio- rather an unfavorable season, the corn 

 was badly all'ecte(l with an aphis, which increased so o-n>atly in num- 

 bers that, early in Auj^ust, at the time when the corn should have been 

 lining, the leaves of the plants were brown and shriveled as if struck 

 by frost. A demand was mad(^ by the residents of this corn-growing 

 .section that the station undertake work for the improvement of condi- 

 tion.s then existino-. and with this end in view a luimber of visits were 

 made to this district during the year. At the time the work of the 

 corn-plant louse was called to our attiMition the crop was too badly 

 damagc^l to do anything of any real value, but a survey was made of 

 the district with a view of nndeitaking new work during the next 

 'growing season. The ravages of this ])lant louse could not ])e checked, 

 but advice could be given in regard to lighting this pest should it 

 appear during the next season. To treat a large acreage by the 

 a])plication of insecticides would be impossible; but this, as well as 

 anv other insect pe.st of a similai' nature, could in a measure be held 

 in check l)y improving the coiKlition of the plant itself. Any plant 

 which has an abundance of plant food— in other words, any plant 

 which receives good cultivation — is nmch better prepared to resist the 

 attacks of insects than a plant which is not in the best condition of 

 (lev(do|>ment. In other words, the improvement of the crop would be 

 most likely to be brought about 1)V the in)i)rovement in the nu'thod of 

 cultivation. Instead of plowing the land toadeptbof 1 to ;5 inches, 

 turn it under to a dej)th of ♦! to s inches, and foi- culti\aling l)y hand 

 substitute cultivation with corn cultivators. Hecau.se of the steadily 

 decreasing crops during the past ten years, the tenants have considered 

 it impracticable to s])end inoic money in more thorough cidtivation, .so 

 that the whole industry of this little region has been on the down grade. 

 Arrangements were made with Mrs. Dora \'on Tempsky. of Kula, to 

 cultivate some 1<» acres of land, plowing it to a depth of from (I inches 

 to a foot oi- as deep as practicable. It was also thought best to intro- 

 duce new s(M'<l. A nund)ei()f ihe I test \ arietiesof corn from the ]MidilIe 

 West and fioni the New Kngland States were piocurecl. 



The practi<e \\n< l»een l(» clear oil all of the cornstalks and all of 

 the weeds ;ind grass in llie ct)i-nticld>. pile :ind burn them |)re\ ions to 



