203 



Based upon these discoveries the German government in- 

 stituted experiment stations. Other countries were quick to 

 follow in establishing these facilities for scientific investigations. 

 Every civilized country in the world now recognizes the immense 

 importance of these institutions to their agricultural resources. 



in the United States particularly has the government been 

 quick to give the farmer every scientific aid possible. No bet- 

 ter illustration of the value of such aid to agriculture could be 

 given than to point out the results obtained by the United 

 btates experiment stations, and especially should attention be 

 called to the splendid scientific w^ork being done by the Ha- 

 waiian Sugar i'lanters' Uxperiment Station of Hawaii, in the 

 aid of our staple crop, which it was my recent privilege to be 

 shown in all us many phases, 



Perhaps science has given no greater aid to agriculture than 

 in working out the nitrogen problem. We owe the solution of 

 this problem to the science of bacteriology. 



It was formerly thought that plants absorbed their nitrogen 

 by means of their leaves. But we now know^ that the agency of 

 bacteria inhabiting the root nodules of leguminous plants, such 

 as clover and peas, are the only means of assimilating nitrogen 

 directly from the air. By this knowledge we are now enabled 

 to make fertile otherwise sterile soil. Upon the investigations 

 of Prof. Xobbe of Saxony, and others, is based the recent theory 

 of soil inoculation with nitrifying organisms. 



The science of bacteriology is also to be credited with the re- 

 markable advance in dairying. The souring of milk, the ripen- 

 ing of cream, the flavor of butter and cheese, is now directly 

 traced to the action of bacteria. In consequence the rule of 

 thumb butter-making days are a thing of the past. 



It is because of the importance of pure, wholesome milk as an 

 article of diet for our students, and because dairying is among 

 the most intensive divisions of agriculture, including as it does, 

 every branch of farming, and the sciences related to it, that 

 dairy husbandry has been given special prominence in our agri- 

 cultural department at Kamehameha. 



Here the student begin wath the tillage of the soil, culti- 

 vating and harvesting the crops, compounding feeds, feeding 

 and milking the cows, testing the milk, separating the cream, and 

 making butter. He not only assists in the practical care and 



