EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



Vol. XIL No. U. 



The preliminary operations of the Hawaii Experiment Station have 

 been actively entered upon. Since his arrival Mr. Jared G. Smith, the 

 special agent in charge of the station, has devoted himself primarily 

 to the tinal steps necessary for securing a site for the station, and 

 familiarizing himself with the general conditions. The station is to 

 occupy a tract of land known as Kewalo-Uki in Makiki Valley on the 

 island of Oahu. The land extends from the Punchbowl, in the suburbs 

 of Honolulu, along the east slope of the volcanic ridge, rising from 

 about 100 feet to nearly 1,400 feet in a distance of 2 miles. The lower 

 slope is densely covered with thickets of lantana. with scattering- 

 groups of Prosopis piliflora and Opimtia txiiia; the upper third is 

 covered with a planted forest of Australian Eucalyptus, Acacia, and 

 Grevillea species. A site for the headquarters and residence buildings 

 has been definitely decided upon, and it is expected that considerable 

 progress toward the erection of the buildings will be made by July 

 1. Contracts have been let for the clearing of other portions of the 

 tract, which will furnish a large amount of lire wood and sufhcient 

 fence posts for inclosing the whole tract. 



Mr. Smith writes that one of the most important lines of work to 

 be taken up at once is that of providing forage and pasturage, as hay 

 is imported in large quantities from California and retails at from |2T 

 to $35 a ton in Honolulu. This work will be preliminary to feeding 

 experiments and other experiments in animal production, to be taken 

 up later. A trial will ])e made of ensiling the cane tops for use as 

 fodder, as at present the sugar planters dry these tops and l)urn them, 

 and l)uy hay from California. Another important line of work will 

 be the establishment of new agricultural crops. The great need 

 appears to be for something which can be grown ])y men of limited 

 means and for which there is already an established Avorld's market, as 

 the Honolulu market is a limited one and is easily glutted. An effort 

 will be made to find varieties of citrus fruits especially adapted to the 

 locality and which will ripen before the California oranges are ready. 

 All of the oranges and lemons used in the islands are at present imported 

 from California, oranges retailing at 5 cents apiece and lemons at 25 

 cents a dozen. The pomelo grows well and is of good quality. Limes 



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