700 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



grown in Hawaii has exceeded any received from the Pacific coast 

 and is about equal to that grown in the Ohio Valley. The crop thus 

 far has not been seriously aiFected l)y any pests, and. by ratooning, 

 a second and third crop of shorter brush suitable for small brooms 

 can be secured ; thus three crops can be produced in one year from a 

 single seeding. 



The investigations with tropical fruits have been continued. Dur- 

 ing the past season a budding method for use on avocados has been 

 perfected to a degree that has given successful unions in 85 to 90 

 per cent of the crises on young trees, and from 50 to 75 per cent on 

 old trees where top- working is required. Spraying experiments 

 have shown that the rusty blight of avocado leaves can be controlled 

 with Bordeaux mixture. Investigations with the papaya have shown 

 the possibility of orchard production through planting of pistillate 

 plants, without the intervention of male trees, the fruit of which is 

 almost worthless, when any is borne. A wide interest in banana 

 culture has been aroused and the station is assisting it in the distri- 

 bution of suckers of the Bluefields banana and in cultural experi- 

 ments. From some of the latter it seems probable that a wider 

 spacing in planting is to be recommended, as the plants when given 

 plenty of room are more robust and withstand winds better. 



A number of miscellaneous investigations are in progress. These 

 include varieties and cultural requirements of various forage plants, 

 with special reference to ranch conditions. The results of these 

 experiments are rapidly being put into practice, as is shown by the 

 largely increased production of feed and forage materials. The 

 possibility of weed destruction with arsenite of soda used as a spray 

 solution has been thoroughly demonstrated, and during the past 

 year about 2,000 acres of land were rid of shrubby and herbaceous 

 weeds. The station has in progress experiments on the economic 

 production of oil from kukui nuts, the possible utilization of the pulp 

 from sisal mills, the fiber in banana stalks and pineapple leaves, etc. 



During the year a number of bulletins describing some phases of 

 the station's work were issued in the Hawaiian and Portuguese 

 languages for the benefit of those not able to understand readily the 

 English tongue. 



During the past year, under Territorial funds, the station has 

 established three demonstration farms, one on Kauai and two on 

 Hawaii. By means of these farms the station will be better able to 

 bring the results of its work to the farmers and at the same time 

 conduct experiments with different crops under varying climatic 

 conditions. Two similar farms on Maui are to be established soon. 



PORTO RICO STATION. 



The Porto Rico Station has made substantial progress during the 

 year. The new building has been completed and occupied and the 

 general condition of the station greatly improved. The lawsuit in- 

 volving the title of the station farm has been decided in favor of the 

 station. A few changes have been made in the personnel of the sta- 

 tion. Mr. W. C. Taylor, assistant chemist, resigned, and he has been 

 succeeded by Mr. C. W. Ageton, formerly with the agricultural ex- 

 periment station of the State of Washington. Mr. W. V. Tower, 

 entomologist of the station for five years, resigned at the close of the 



