48 AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BILL, 1924. 



cleared and fence<l land for postures and forajre production. At none of the 

 stations is the area of cleared land under fence adeciuate for the supi)ort of 

 the stock now on hand and to continue the crop work under the conditions 

 pertaining in that country. 



One of the great needs of Alaska is extension work in agriculture. M«»st of 

 the honie.steaders were formerly miners, fishermen, or hunhemien, and when 

 funds are aviilahle it is desired to have an agent who will visit the vjirious 

 agricultural valleys and instruct the settlers regarding the hest method and 

 crops found hy the stations. 



HAWAII STATION. 



The Hawaii station reports progress in its efforts to diversify the agriculture 

 of that Territory. New forage crops, fruits, and vegetables have been success- 

 fully introduced, establish, and distributed throughout the various islands. The 

 value of the Kusaie 1 me and the Macadam a nut has i)een siiown. ami they are 

 being widely planted. The \ariety of tomato or. ginati'd by the station continues 

 to be resistant to the Mediterranean fruit tly. and large numbers of plants have 

 been distr buted for extensive trial. The demand for the station's improved 

 fruits and vegetables can not be met with the present facilities for the proi)aga- 

 ti(in of planting and budding materials. 



The selection made from Guam corn has proved to be adapted to cultivafon 

 at low elevat ons and it has ahso been found to be an acceptable table corn, a 

 dist net acquisition in the Tropics. Breeding experiments with sweet potatoes 

 have resulted in the development of new variefes of great merit. 



Owing to quarantine regulations only a few kinds of fruits can l»e shipped 

 from Hawaii and there are often supplies in excess of h)cal demands. The 

 chemist has recently developed imja-oved methods for the utilizati(m of surplus 

 fruits and ve.geta])les by which nuich material that is now wasted can be used 

 to a profit. There is said to be a rather conmion belief that locally grown 

 vegetables are deficient in certain con.stituents. particularly lackiig lime and 

 iron. A preliminary test indicated there was little basis for this belief, but to 

 determine it more definitely an experiment is in i)rogress in which vegetables 

 from the same lots of seed have been grown in two places in Hawaii. ;it the 

 Arlington Farm, near Washington, D. C, and at Bellingham Wash. The 

 products will be subjected to analysis to determine whether there is any real 

 inferiority on the part of Hawaiian grown vegetables. If no inferiority is 

 shown there should be enlarged demands for locally .grown produce. A sinn-ial 

 study is in progress of the salt content of irrigation wati'rs and the limits of 

 tolerance by crops in an effort to extend the irrigation supplies now. available. 

 In some places slightly brackish waters are found that it is hojied to use to a 

 profit. 



The a.gronomist in charge of the station has been repeatedly called upon for 

 advice regarding the agricultural problems connected with the Hawaiian Homes 

 Conunission, wliich is seeking to locate native Hawaiians on farms on the 

 island of Molokai. 



The station is conducting experiments on the slopes of Haleakala on the 

 island of Maui, where a homestead tract has been ojiened. and it has alreatly 

 found some crops that api>ear promising for that elevated region, wliich is sub- 

 .ject to high winds. 



The extension work authorized by Congress is progressing satisfactorily. 

 On the island of Hawaii <me man gives all his time to this work. Kecently 

 the manager of a large ranch has set aside a lO-acre tract and furnishes all 

 the labor necessary to conduct demonstrations of agricult\ir«' suited to the 

 region. Some home demonstration work has been begiui on a part-time iaisis. 

 This work has reached a consi<lerable number of people reiu-esenting many 

 races, all of whom apiwar interested in the effort to im|u-ove the home life 

 of the iK'ople and many re(pi(>sfs have been received asking that the woman 

 who is carrying on (he work be employed on a full-time basis instead of only 

 two days a week. 



I'OUTO ItlCO STATION. 



The I'orfo lUco sfa1i<»n is continuing its i)olicy of agricultural diversification 

 for the island. .Much attention has been given the live-stock industry, and 

 through the example of the station the possibility of the eradication of the cattle 

 tick has lieen demonstrated, and it is believed probalde that an eradication cam- 

 paign can be put on in a few yeais and the menace of tick li>\er removed from 



