104 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



of purebred Galloway cattle and 100 sheep were carried through 

 the Avinter entirely on native forage. Eleven cows with good milking 

 records have been purchased (o add to the herd, with the view of devel- 

 oping a milking strain of Gallowa3^s. The stock-breeding work 

 received a temporary backset through the eruption of a volcano some 

 95 miles away covering the entire pasture and hay lands with ashes 

 to a depth of 14 inches or more. This has necessitated the removal 

 of the best of the cattle, and arrangements will have to be made for 

 their future disposal. This will make a serious inroad on the re- 

 sources of the stations and may require additional support during 

 the year. 



HAWAII STATION. 



Some results of the work of this station in diversifying agriculture 

 are begining to ajDpear. The pineapple industry has risen to second 

 rank among the industries of the islands, and the station's work on 

 soils, pineapple breeding, etc., has contributed very materially to this 

 extension. The effect of manganiferous soils on pineapple growing 

 has been pointed out, and experiments are in progress that seem to 

 promise good results in rendering the manganese less injurious when 

 present in the soil. The work with cotton has been continued, the 

 best results being obtained with some strains of Caravonica cotton. 

 The station's crop was sold for 18} cents per pound last season, and 

 the buyers ranked it equal to the best Peruvian rough cotton. This 

 form seems to respond better to perennial culture and is less subject 

 to the attack of bollworms than any others tried by the station. The 

 Japanese rices introduced by the station still give satisfaction, and 

 it is probable that the importation of milled rice from Japan will 

 gradually fall off, the locally grown product taking its place. The 

 experiments with fertilizers have again shown the inability of the 

 rice plant, as grown in Hawaii, to utilize nitrate of soda and the 

 great superiority of sulphate of ammonia applied in the first stages 

 of growth of the rice plant. Somewhat similar work with the taro 

 plant shows that it is readily influenced by fertilizers and methods of 

 culture. Continued work on the propagation of mangoes and avo- 

 cados shows that when properly understood but little greater diffi- 

 culty is experienced with their propagation than with ordinary 

 deciduous orchard trees. Experiments in tapping Ceara rubber trees, 

 collecting the rubber, and preparing it for market have been carried 

 out and methods devised that are economically profitable. Rubber 

 prepared by the method worked out was rated in New York as but 

 little inferior to the best Para rubber. 



The station's demonstration work that is carried on in cooperation 

 with the Territory and private individuals is beginning to attract 

 attention. Five such stations have been established, where attempts 

 are being made to work out local problems and at the same time give 



