179 



and other solutions) has also continued. Much more of this 

 latter work, as well as spraying,- will no doubt be possible as 

 soon as the congressional appropriation is available after Dr. 

 Back's arrival. The spra3ang solution used is the well-known 

 Cape Colony (Mally) formula, viz., proportions of arsenate of 

 lead, molasses and water. Our small appropriation, which had 

 to last for over a year, or until the next legislature convened, 

 has not made it possible to spray beyond the experimental 

 stage, although during May much has been done by a special 

 gang on these lines. 1 have refrained from this method in the 

 large colonies of honey bees, as it is quite possible that the 

 solution may poison the workers in more or less numbers. As 

 the honey business in the Territory has increased to large pro- 

 portions of late years and is in fact equal, if not greater, than 

 any commercial interests in fruits other than pines, I am in- 

 clined to disfavor spraying with poisoned solutions in sections 

 where hives are kept on a commercial scale. When Dr. Back 

 arrives I shall present this feature to him most forcibly and, 

 if possible, prevail upon him to restrict spraying, as I am doing 

 now, to such areas as are not frequented by large numbers of 

 bees seeking food. 



I have also to report that as a result of laboratory work the 

 fruit fly has been bred naturally out of fleshy seeds of the sugar 

 palm {Arcnga saccharifcra) and the fruits of the elengi tree 

 {Mimnsops elengi). The foregoing list may be added to the al- 

 ready extensive breeding results from our laboratory. 



As there is a possibility that the labor gangs of the Sanitary 

 "Clean-Up Day" Committee may mix quantities of fruit with 

 other garbage on June 20 (Clean-Up Day), I shall communicate 

 with the above organization and request its cooperation in order 

 that the fruit gathered may be sent immediately to the inciner- 

 ator and not left indefinitely on sidewalks or clumps. I intend 

 further to show that the board has a desire to cooperate in the 

 general clean-up of the day by loaning them our full statT of in- 

 spectors. 



INIr. Weinland, the representative of the California Horticul- 

 tural Commission, has during May increased his staff of inspec- 

 tors of fruits, etc., intended for shipment to the coast. This has 

 proportionately reduced our own gang for the time being. I shall 

 immediately bring up our own stafl^ to such proportions as the 

 monthly apportionment of both the California and Territorial ap- 

 propriations will permit. 



During May I made a short visit of inspection at Hilo, Kau and 

 Kona. In the latter district I stayed the best part of a week in- 

 vestigating fruit fly conditions in coffee. As the pest distributed 

 itself throughout the district in a very short time after its first 

 discovery, the planters were somewhat alarmed as to what might 

 be the result to their cofl^ee and other crops. I found the district 

 well oro-anized as to a "Control Committee" and the members of 



