THE jHAWAIIAN 



mtSm I AGRICULTURIST 



Vol III. APRIL, 1906 No.4^''-^' 



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Few countries are so well provided with the means to investi- 

 gate and combat the difficulties arising from insect depreda- 

 tions, as Hawaii. No less than three excellent institutions, repre- 

 senting the Federal and Territorial governments and the Sugar 

 Planters respectively, possess laboratories equipped with mod- 

 ern facilities for entomological work, and presided over by 

 properly trained entomological experts. By means of these a vigi- 

 lant warfare, which is gradually and encouragingly reducing the 

 dangers which threaten the agricultural prosperity of the Islands, 

 is carried on. The chief work of these laboratories and stations 

 has centered around the solution of problems connected with 

 insect ravages of sugar cane and other plantation crops, and 

 has been chiefly observable in field work. Investi- 

 gations of such practical utility as those to determine the 

 possibilities of establishing the production of silk in Ha- 

 waii, have also been undertaken and have been rewarded with 

 success. Of the more tedious laboratory work, entailing much 

 original research and long series of systematic experiment, the 

 general public has known little, but it has contributed generously 

 to the welfare of our Islands by helping to render our plantation 

 crops more immune from destructive insect and other agencies. 

 Well as this country is provided in this respect, there is still 

 an opportunity for entomological utility in a direction at pres- 

 ent not attended to. However adequately the enormous inter- 

 ests involved in the safeguarding of our plantation crops are de- 

 fended, our gardens are beset by such insect enemies as have 

 not been overcome by efforts mainly directed to larger issues. 

 There is no doubt that without the excellent work of our ento- 

 mologists in the past, few citrus or other fruit trees in the Islands 

 would be free from insect pest or fungoid blight of some kind. 

 ^Yet in many cases after the destructive agencies have been in 

 -' general overcome, colonies of the pest have remained in out of 

 the way situations, from which they have spread as opportunity 

 presented itself. The necessity now arises of eradicating from 



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