June and July of 1902 not reported. March, 1903, not reported. August, maximum for 16 days. September for 15 days.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HAWAII AGRICULTURAL EXPERI

MENT STATION FOR 1903.

By JARED G. SMITH, Special Agent in Charge.

BUILDINGS.

During the fiscal year 1903 the work of construction of new buildings and permanent improvements was continued, it being considered essential to largely increase the equipment of the station in this regard. (Pl. XIV.) A small cottage containing 4 rooms was built on the lower portion of the reservation, and during a portion of the year this building was used as a residence by two of my unmarried assistants. Later, other arrangements having been made, it was transformed into a library and office building, for which purpose it is now being used. A transfer of the office to this site makes it more convenient and accessible from the city. The fencing, commenced during the previous year, was continued, and during the twelve months about one mile of fencing was built. Until this can be continued, so as to inclose all of the land in the station reservation, there is much of it of which no use can be made for experimental work of any character, because of the cattle and horses that run at large. A small structure was erected near the director's residence for the purpose of commencing the study of the growth of plants under cloth. One-thirtieth of an acre was covered with a frame and over this was spread thin muslin, and a beginning was made with Sumatra tobacco, cantaloupes, grapes, and tomatoes under this shelter. Before the close of the year, this preliminary work having been closed, the structure was torn down in order that the ground could be used for other purposes. The water system was extended so that about 4 acres of land on the lower portion of the reservation is provided with underground pipes for irrigation.

APPARATUS.

In addition to the buildings, fencing, etc., the permanent equipment was increased by the purchase of a number of sets of scientific books and periodicals for the library and some apparatus for the entomological laboratory. There being no chemist at the station, nothing was done toward equipping a chemical laboratory, but a commencement was made toward getting together a chemical library. Over 200 volumes were added to the library during the year, mainly along the lines

of chemistry, entomology, and tropical agriculture. The exchange list was largely increased, both from the United States and from foreign countries. We now have all of the standard economic works on American entomology and are adding, as opportunity affords, advancing the library along certain lines. During the coming fiscal year as much money as can be conveniently spent for that purpose will be devoted to filling it with books on all of the lines relating to tropical agriculture, which will be absolutely essential for best work by the members of the staff. Besides the library and apparatus a number of tools required for farm work were purchased, including some corncultivating machinery for use in one of the experiments conducted on the island of Maui.

EXPERIMENTS.

The experiments undertaken were, in the main, along the lines begun in the previous year, but, if possible to do so, an attempt will be made to extend the work to embrace other important lines of investigation.

CORN.

As has been previously stated, the most important corn-growing section in the Hawaiian Islands is the Kula district, on the island of Maui. This comprises some 7,000 acres on the leeward slope of Haleakala, at an elevation of between 2,500 and 5,000 feet. The soil ranges in depth from 6 inches to as many feet, and consists of a very fine and powdery loam. This Kula region has been famous for its fertility, the land having been in cultivation for sixty years.

It was in this district that much of the wheat grown for export from the Hawaiian Islands was raised during the time of the early gold excitement in California. This district, in common with many others of the group, is divided mainly into large holdings, but the corn land and the land capable of the cultivation of corn is leased in parcels of small acreage to Portuguese, Japanese, and Chinese tenants. Many of these small farms, if they may be termed such, especially those along the government road which runs from Makawao to Makena, have been in cultivation continuously, in some cases, for forty years. The climatic conditions are such that the best results can not be counted on oftener than three years out of five. Nevertheless the yields have in former years been so heavy that the losses of the bad years were more than made up for by the intervening good seasons, and both the corn crop and the potato crop have yielded large returns. As has been stated before, the land is in itself extremely rich, and its physical characteristics are such that it would stand a good deal of poor cultivation. The texture of the soil is so loose and friable that deep plowing and thorough cultivation would be as easy here as on the black prairie loams of the West. But good cultivation by the tenants of these