LXXIV REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 



government, as in the case of the other States and Territories where 

 the national funds have been largely supplemented by local grants of 

 money for buildings, equipment, and current expenses of the station." 



On examination of the records of the Hawaiian government before 

 the annexation of this Territory to the United States it was found 

 that while there were evidences of the intention of that government 

 to reserve the Kewalo-uka tract for experimental purposes, the reser- 

 vation had never actually been completed. Soon after the annexation 

 of the Territory, on recommendation of the Secretary of the Navy, 

 the President issued a proclamation (November 10, 1899) reserving 20 

 acres, more or less, of the best agricultural land of this tract as a site 

 for a naval hospital, and on recommendation of the Secretary of the 

 Treasury another reservation of 7 acres has -been similarly made as a 

 site for a hospital for the Marine-Hospital Service. Through the 

 courtesy of the Secretary of the Navy, this Department has been 

 granted the temporary use of the naval hospital site for experimental 

 purposes. After negotiations with the government of the Territory 

 of Hawaii, the larger portion of the Kewalo-uka tract was definitely 

 set aside in proclamations issued by the acting governor of the Terri- 

 tory for the use of the experiment station, to be conducted under the 

 direction of the Secretary of Agriculture. 



About 50 acres of land have been cleared, and half of this area has 

 been plowed and harrowed. This includes 13-J- acres of forest land on 

 the upper portion of the reservation, where there is sufficient rainfall 

 to make it possible to carry on experiments without irrigation. This 

 will be devoted to horticultural plantations, and in this way will be 

 covered with trees again. A water system has been provided by the 

 erection of several large tanks, Svhich are connected with the city water 

 system and operated with the aid of a gasoline engine and pump. The 

 following buildings are in process of erection : Residence for the special 

 agent in charge, office and laboratory, one frame cottage and two 

 grass huts for laborers, one stable, and one covered manure pit. 



Plantings of taro, the principal food plant of the islands, have already 

 been begun with the special object of studying a disease which plays 

 havoc with that crop. This is an important matter, as probably 50 

 per cent of the working population in these islands depend on taro for 

 their daily food, and within the last decade the price of taro has 

 increased 500 per cent because of the losses from this disease and 

 the attendant deterioration in quality and yield of crop. There are 

 many other fungus diseases of fruits and vegetables prevalent on the 

 islands in Hawaii which should be studied. Some poultry experiments 

 have also been inaugurated, with a view especially to finding a way of 

 raising healthy barnyard fowls in these islands, where hitherto the 

 supply of poultry has kept below the demand because of the losses 

 from the ravages of diseases. It is reported that live chickens sell in 



