OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 275 



abnormal. November, December, and January were unusually wet, the 

 total rainfall for the three months being 23.89 inches. During- these 

 three months there were only seventeen days on which no rain fell. 

 At the close of January dry weather set in, and during the month of 

 February the total rainfall was less than one-half inch, while for 

 March it was only 2.19 inches. This very dry spell with strong trade 

 winds from the east lasted until the middle of Aj)ril, when rains set 

 in again, and during May and June the total rainfall was 21.53 

 inches. 



Insects and plant diseases, together with bad climatic conditions, 

 and the imixjverished soil, have undoubtedly been responsible in a 

 great measure for the lack of success in bi-inging various classes of 

 vegetables and field crops to maturity.^ Enough has been done, how- 

 ever, to show that certain of the vegetables which are common 

 throughout most of the States are very difficult to grow successfully 

 here, while others may be grown quite successfully if given the proper 

 soil conditions and the proper methods of cultivation. Of the field 

 crops, corn and kafir corn will grow very well and mature an abun- 

 dance of seed. Oats produce a good growth of straw, but fail to mature 

 grain. Kye and barlej^ are practically failures. Several varieties of 

 clover, field peas, and cowpeas did i^oorly, but the indications are that 

 peas, cowpeas, and alfalfa would grow here under favorable conditions. 

 Radishes, lettuce, beets, turnips, onions, carrots, parsley, watermelons, 

 squashes, peas, beans, and spinach have grown fairly well when the 

 rainfall has not been excessive, and the plants have been fertilized. 

 Tomatoes and potatoes have been a failure, although tried several 

 times, because of a bacterial disease which has completel}^ destroyed 

 the vines, before fruit or tubers could mature. Sweet corn has been 

 tried perhaps ten or more times with absolute failure even when given 

 fertilizers. Cucumbers and cantaloupes, which are so common in the 

 States, have also j)roven failures, largely because of the inability of the 

 small plants to withstand the attacks of insects and diseases, 



A considerable amount of coffee seed was collected from the best 

 formed and sturdiest trees from various plantations in the interior, 

 and was planted in seed beds prepared especially for the pur|)ose 

 during January. The seed beds w^ere protected with sheds to keep 

 off the excessive rainfall as well as the greater part of the direct sun- 

 light. The seed came up well, and upward of 30,000 fine coffee plants 

 havebeen secured. These have nowbeen transferred to thenursery beds, 

 similar in every way to the seed beds, except that the plants are here 

 given more room in which to develop. Fertilizers in different amounts 

 and kinds have been applied to nearly all of the nursery beds, in 

 order to give rapid growth to the plants, and to ascertain what kind 

 and in what amount it is best to apply fertilizers for this ljurpose. A 

 portion of these coffee trees will be used for planting experimental 

 plats, while others will be distributed to representative planters in 

 various parts of the island, to be planted and cared for according to 

 the instructions which will be issued by the station. Preliminary 

 preparations have been made for the improvement of an old coffee 

 grove, but the actual work has not yet been commenced. 



The station entomologist and botanist Las done a large amount 

 of work with various insects and plant diseases, and has commenced 

 a collection of the flora of the island, giving special attention to 

 economic plants. He now has apijroximately 275 species in the her- 

 barium, two-thirds of which are in duplicate and of about one-third 

 of w'hich he has three or four specimens, which can be used for 



