“Impressed with the barrenness of plantation camps, Mr (Frank S) Scudder (editor of The Friend) arranged for a supply of government seeds and shrubs. He then offered prizes … In a few months’ time, districts without grass or trees were converted into what, comparatively speaking, might well be termed veritable beauty spots.” (The Friend, February 1, 1917)
“We desire to furnish plantation laborers with fruit seed so they can have fruit in their own dooryards. If you have fine mangoes, or aligator pears, don’t throw away the seeds, keep them and let us have them to distribute. Any fine strawberry guavas? or any suggestions as to other fruits that can be easily raised?”
“Our ears are open to suggestions as to ways in which hardworking people, without much restful leisure, may be led to improve their home surroundings—to make the camps more delectable places to live in. Any suggestions as to flower or decorative plants? The Friend will be glad to receive Seed Thoughts.” (The Friend, February 1, 1911)
“In 1909 we planned a tree planting campaign. Mr. Ralph W. Hosmer, superintendent of forestry, kindly agreed to raise 2000 trees for free distribution in the camps.”
“The To mo – a Japanese magazine published by the Hawaiian Board – to add zest to the competition, offered four prizes for the best results in tree culture which could be attained in one year. Mr BD Baldwin, of Makaweli, offered $25 in prizes for his plantation.”
“Arbor Day, 1909, was set as the day for delivering and planting the trees. … The awarding of prizes was a delicate task. Some contestants had excelled in securing artistic effects, some in producing the finest trees and some in attaining remarkable results in spite of serious handicaps.”
“The consequence was that instead of giving five prizes as at first promised, the judges had to award eight second prizes as the only possible way out of their dilemma.”
“The writer was so perplexed that his dreams were disturbed by visions of trees and prizes and judges, and he chose as the subject of his prize awarding address the words, ‘I see men as trees, walking.’ The saplings, when set out on Arbor Day, 1909, averaged about 8 inches in height. At the close of the contest Dec. 31, 1910, they ranged from 6 to 15 feet.” (The Friend, March 1, 1911)
“Improved conditions throughout the plantation camps of the islands may be said to be a byproduct of this initial attempt to interest the people in producing a prize winning garden.” (The Friend, February 1, 1917)
Then, the Star-Bulletin sponsored the contest. In January, 1917, the Honolulu Star- Bulletin began an interesting experiment in the form of a school and home garden contest in cooperation with the school department, offering a series of prizes for the best gardens on each of the islands. (Kuykendall)
“With greater financial backing and a more elaborate publicity campaign, the Star-Bulletin can hardly fail to get results. Interest in school gardens has a direct bearing upon the much-mooted question of the small farmer in Hawaii. We bespeak for the campaign a well merited success.” (The Friend, February 1, 1917)
At the close of the contest, three months later, the Star-Bulletin said, with pardonable enthusiasm, “This garden contest has been a remarkable eye-opener, not only to the teachers and pupils, but even to the agricultural experts here, an eye-opener in proving how quickly boys and girls can be trained to raise edible and marketable produce.”
“As a result of this contest, not less than 5,000 boys and girls in Hawaiʻi are becoming producers – are becoming practical gardeners. Twice that number are interested in the gardening.” (Kuykendall)
The Honolulu Advertiser generously acknowledged the good results of this contest, stating that “the management of the Star-Bulletin has, apparently, hit upon a scheme which has accomplished much and promises more. … The best part of the project is that it demonstrates to those who need the knowledge, that vegetables can be produced in all parts of the Territory, if proper care and attention is given them. … The Advertiser congratulates the Star-Bulletin upon the success of its public spirited efforts which are doubly beneficial at this crisis when food production may become one of the vital issues of the day.” (Kuykendall)
“So successful the home and garden contests recently conducted by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and so urgent has been the demand for continuation of the work for which the foundation already has been laid, this paper has decided repeat the contests during the coming school year.” (Star-Bulletin, August 17, 1917)
“The Star-Bulletin contest is a splendid thing both in attracting the attention of the public to the subject and in reaching in a practical and effective way those who, I believe, have the first right to be and ought to be encouraged to be, the future farmers in the Islands – the children born in the land.”
“I am afraid that I have but little sympathy with the idea of encouraging white farmers from the mainland to come to Hawaii.”
“In addition to this work of encouraging the boys and girls to look forward to life on the farm, which the Star-Bulletin is so splendidly helping along, there is need of providing a decent opportunity for them when they are ready to go on the land, and of surrounding their life there with conditions conducive to success and contentment.”
“However, there is cause for much encouragement too. Behind one of the most important measures is the splendid backing of Mr CH Cooke and Mr HA Baldwin, which ensures its passage.” (Edwin C. Moore, Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station, Star-Bulletin, January 24, 1917) The contest continued for a few more years.
An interesting side note related to the Garden Contest came from a report by J Vincent, Principal of Kealahou School in Kula, “For years the Kula farmers have planted small plots to onions but from any seed they happened to purchase in five-cent jackets in our local stores and no special variety was even thought of.”
“This spelled failure end the majority of our farmers had come to the conclusion that onions could not be successfully grown in Hawaii.”
“Our school experimented with a number of varieties but did not have much success until a representative from Aggeler &
Musser (Seed) Company called on us and recommended that we plant Bermudas, which we did.” (Bermuda is a variety of sweet onion.)
“We then succeeded in raising a fair crop and in a remarkably short time, as Bermudas mature very early. The farmers became enthusiastic and purchased over 50 pounds of seed. They also raised a fine crop ….” (Star-Bulletin, April 14, 1917)
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I went to Kamehameha III elementary in Lahaina, Maui 72 years ago and we had a garden we worked at once a week…each grade had their turn during the week.
I am not sure what we did with our produce but it was probably sold to those who knew about it. I think I was in the 7th or 8 th grade at the time.
The best memory of our time with this plot off campus about a block was….the toad we cut in half with a hoe…unintentionally of course!!! And we girls were absolutely horrified…the memory lingers on…Mr. Nobu and Mr. Kuihara were our teachers …can’t think of who else may have been part of this team…
Lahaina was a lazy, wonderful town when I grew up…My classmates are still meeting often and Nov. will be a reunion in Las Vegas.
I live in Mesa now…My oldest sister has lived on Molokai for 60 some years…I miss Hawaii.. thanks for the historical information…ALOHA
I remember that same Kam III garden that I worked in during the W W II Days. It was called our Victory Garden.