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AGRICULTURE 
 
 IN 
 
 HAWAII 
 
 BY JARED G. .SMITH 
 Special Agent in Charge, Hawaii Experiment Station 
 
 ISSUED BY THE 
 
 Hawaii promotion Committee 
 
 Representing 
 
 The Territory of Hawaii 
 
 The Honolulu Chamber of Commerce 
 
 The Merchants Association of Honolulu 
 
 HONOLULU, T. H., 1908 
 
 EVENING BULLETIN PRINT 
 

f"J 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 AGRICULTURE IN HAWAII. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Climate of Hawaii 5 
 
 The Soils 6 
 
 Commercial Fruits 7 
 
 Pineapples 7 
 
 Bananas 9 
 
 The Chinese Banana 9 
 
 The Jamaica or Bluefields 10 
 
 Mangoes 10 
 
 Citrus Fruits 11 
 
 Grapes 12 
 
 Avocados , 12 
 
 Cocoanuts 13 
 
 Flowers 17 
 
 Bees 17 
 
 Stock and Poultry L7 
 
 Dairying 17 
 
 Poultry Raising 18 
 
 Stock Raising 21 
 
 Silk 21 
 
 Field Crops and Industries 23 
 
 Sugar 23 
 
 Coffee 24 
 
 Rice 26 
 
 Sisal 27 
 
 Rubber 30 
 
 Hay and Forage 31 
 
 Vanilla 33 
 
 Tobacco 34 
 
 Corn 35 
 
 Vegetables 36 
 
 Sweet Potatoes 37 
 
 Advantages and Disadvantages 37 
 
 M150934 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2008 with funding from 
 
 Microsoft Corporation 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/agricultureinhawOOjarerich 
 
THE CLIMATE OF HAWAII 
 
 Although the Hawaiian Islands are within the tropics, 
 the climate is sub-tropical. Summer maximum tempera- 
 tures seldom range above 85 degrees Fahrenheit, while at 
 sea level, winter minimum temperatures never descend 
 below 50 degrees. The daily range averages about thirteen 
 and seldom exceeds twenty degrees. At Honolulu the 
 average annual temperature is 74 degrees Fahrenheit, with 
 a daily average range of eleven degrees. The daily range 
 usually increases toward the higher elevations. The aver- 
 age relative humidity is 72 per cent., which is low for 
 the tropics, and to this fact may be attributed much of 
 the salubrity of the climate. 
 
 The climate is insular. The rainfall, the number of 
 cloudy or clear days per month, the amount of wind, and 
 the humidity of the air, vary according to the situation 
 in relation to the mountain ranges, or to altitude above 
 sea level. Frequent light local showers are characteristic 
 of the Hawaiian climate. They often seem to come from 
 a clear sky, and it frequently happens that one locality 
 may be drenched by a sudden shower, while a few hundred 
 yards distant there has been no rain. The prevailing wind 
 is the Northeast trade, which blows on an average 260 
 days in the year. Devastating winds are of rare occur- 
 rence. There are light breezes and ocassionally a "Kona," 
 \*hich is a severe Southwest wind. November and Febru- 
 ary are the especial seasons for the Kona storms. The 
 rainy season extends from November to the end of March. 
 Electrical disturbances are occasional but not serious. 
 
 The rainfall varies according to the seasons of the year 
 and and location. The Northeast and East coasts of each 
 of the islands are wet, the opposite sides of the islands 
 dry. The rainfall in certain districts on the dry sides of 
 the islands may not exceed twenty inches per annum, 
 while on the wet side it may average as high as thirty 
 inches per month. The valleys, plains, plateaus, gulches 
 and mountains all have a climate peculiar to themselves. 
 
 Honolulu is on the South or dry coast of Oahu. It lies 
 in a land of sunshine. Whatever the day, the nights are 
 always cool. Monotony is the keynote of a sub-tropical 
 climate. There are no frosts, no "northers," no tropical 
 thunder-storms, no hurricanes or cyclones. There never 
 
has been a case of sunstroke in Hawaii. Hawaii differs 
 from all the rest of the tropical world in that the summer 
 is the dry season. The humidity is low at all seasons so 
 that a man can work out of doors in comfort any day in 
 the year. 
 
 One characteristic that impresses itself upon newcomers 
 from the Mainland is the brilliant intensity of the sun 
 shine. This intensity of light is one of the factors govern- 
 ing the growth of sub-tropical plants. Hawaii is not a 
 land of flowers, but the landscapes are gorgeous because 
 of their contrasts of shades of green on mountain slopes, 
 plains and valleys. 
 
 Any man who has lived a year in Hawaii will never be 
 satisfied with the climate any where else. 
 
 THE SOILS 
 
 The soils of the Hawaiian Islands are mostly volcanic, 
 the only exception being certain low-lying coastal p^ns, 
 of coral origin. The soils differ widely from most of the 
 agricultural soils on the Mainland, and require different 
 treatment. Their chief characteristics are their acidity, 
 the exceptionally high percentage of iron and their high 
 percentage of nitrogen. Most of the soils are also rich in 
 phosphoric acid and potash, but these are so locked up 
 with the iron and other elements as to be entirely unavail- 
 able. As a general rule all of our soils require the use 
 of fertilizers to secure the best results. The physical 
 condition of the soils is such, and the prevailing slope of 
 the agricultural lands is so high, on many of the islands 
 averaging 500 feet per mile, that irrigation is required, 
 except in regions with a high average monthly rainfall. 
 Our soils do not retain moisture. The average content of 
 nitrogen exceeds 0.3%, or six tons in the soil to the depth 
 of one foot on an acre of land. 
 
 The volcanic soils are all of comparatively recent geolog- 
 ical origin. They range from primary disintegration prod- 
 ucts caused by the decomposition of lava, ashes and 
 volcanic mud in the spot where originally laid down to 
 those of a semi alluvial nature — the wash and wind-drift 
 of the coastal plains, — all modified by days or centuries 
 of fern and forest growth. 
 
 The windward soils are abnormally rich in nitrogen but 
 it is tied up in such a form that the leaching of nitrates 
 proceeds very slowly, — almost not at all. The lime con- 
 tent is very low, that of magnesium very high. The silicon 
 
PINEAPPLE PLANTATION 
 near Honolulu 
 
is low, titanium high, while iron and manganese are often 
 so abundant that the soils approach ores of these minerals 
 in their composition. 
 
 Hawaiian soils respond quickly to the application of 
 organic and inorganic fertilizers, and, like all other new 
 soils improve under rational cultivation. 
 
 COMMERCIAL FRUITS 
 
 PINEAPPLES. Over 3,000 acres are now planted in 
 pineapples, and it is estimated that there 
 will be at least 10,000 acres in bearing within five years. 
 The industry is on a very profitable basis. Large areas of 
 land are still available, and there is no immediate proba- 
 bility of overproduction as the markets of the United 
 States will absorb unlimited quantities, not only of the 
 fresh but of the canned fruit. There are pineapple lands 
 on all of the islands. The requirements are good drainage, 
 shelter from winds, and a rainfall from forty to eighty 
 inches per annum, although the pines grow to perfection 
 with double or treble the maximum here stated. The 
 plants grow better on the red soils than on the brown or 
 black. The best areas thus far brought into cultivation 
 are at from 400 to 1200 feet above sea level. 
 
 Clean cultivation is practiced. The land, if virgin sod, 
 is plowed, cross plowed and harrowed, and is planted with 
 suckers or tops. The plants are set at the rate of from 
 4,000 to 10,000 per acre. Three methods of planting are in 
 vogue. Where the object is to grow fresh fruit for ship- 
 ment the plants are set out in rows six feet apart, 20 to 
 24 inches in the row, or at the rate of about 3,600 plants 
 per acre. This distance between the rows permits the 
 cultivation of the crop with horse labor, and machinery, 
 and leads to the production of large attractive fruits. 
 The plants set out at this wide distance often produce 
 fruit averaging from six to nine pounds. For canning 
 purposes smaller fruits are more desirable. The plants 
 are set two feet apart in rows four feet apart, at the rate 
 of about 6,000 plants per acre, or in rows 2y 2 by two feet, 
 requiring from 8,000 to 10,000 plants to an acre. In either 
 of the closer methods of planting it is necessary to leave 
 road-ways through the plantation for convenience in gather- 
 ing the fruit. If there is a good stand and the plants 
 are in a healthy condition, about ninety percent may be 
 counted on to bear fruit in from eighteen to twenty-four 
 months after the plants are set in the field. 
 
_8 
 
 Where an acre of land is planted with 6,000 pines, the 
 first crop will average about ten tons. The second, or 
 ratoon crop, will be somewhat higher because many of 
 the plants produce two suckers which bear fruit. The 
 yield of the ratoon crop of pines has run as high as twenty 
 tons per acre under exceptionally favorable conditions. 
 
 The cultivation consists in keeping the soil between the 
 rows in good condition and free from weeds. The pine- 
 apple is a crop that gives best results with perfectly clean 
 cultivation. Where the plants are set in rows four feet 
 apart, all of the cultivation for the first twelve to fifteen 
 months may be done with horse labor. When the plants 
 flower, and as they begin to ripen their fruits, the leaves 
 of the plant spread out so that it is no longer possible to 
 take machinery between the rows, and after that time 
 hand labor is necessary. The cost of production, provided 
 the plants can be secured at a reasonable figure, is less 
 than $15 per ton of fruit, and in some cases, less than 
 $10 per ton. Cannery prices for the fruit range from $20 
 to $27 per ton. If the fruit is shipped fresh to the Pacific 
 Coast or Eastern markets, prices as high as from $200 to 
 $240 per ton may be realized. 
 
 The variety of pineapples chiefly cultivated is the Smooth 
 Cayenne, although the Red Spanish, a smaller and more 
 woody variety, finds favor with some growers. The quality 
 of the Hawaiian pineapples is superior to that of any other 
 pineapples which reach the American market. 
 
 The Hawaii Experiment Station has conducted a num- 
 ber of shipping experiments with this fruit. Enough has 
 been done to show that fruit which is carefully handled 
 and packed, will stand shipment at least 5,000 miles. 
 
 The 1907 crop of Hawaiian pineapples is valued at more 
 than $500,000, and it is estimated that the crop of 1912 
 will amount to 100,000 tons or more. Pineapple cultiva- 
 tion affords a wide field to practical agriculturists both in 
 the growing and marketing of the fruit. The markets for 
 our product are world wide, and are capable of almost 
 indefinite expansion. The principal Hawaiian crop ripens 
 from June until September, a period during which there 
 are no other pineapples in the American market. There 
 is a second crop from November to February. 
 
 There are ten or twelve canneries now in operation in 
 Hawaii and other in process of construction, or to be built 
 during the coming season. Large areas of land are avail- 
 able for the cultivation of this crop. Lands may be leased 
 at from $5 to $20 per acre, or can be purchased at from 
 
$75 to $500 per acre. The demand for the canned fruit 
 is greater than it has been possible to supply, on account 
 of the superior quality of the pines, and it is probably 
 that this demand will continue to increase for a good 
 many years to come. 
 
 BANANAS. Bananas require a rich soil, abundant rain- 
 fall, or irrigation in connection with a good 
 drainage and protection from high wind. While there are 
 more than forty varieties of bananas in cultivation in 
 Hawaii, only two of these are of commercial importance. 
 These are the Cavendish, or Chinese dwarf bananas, and 
 the Jamaica, or Bluefields. There are a number of table 
 varieties such as the Apple, the Lady-finger, the Jamaica 
 red, and the Brazilian, the ripe fruit of which is considered 
 much better than that of either the Cavendish or the 
 Bluefields. These table varieties and a number of native 
 cooking bananas find a considerable market locally. Some 
 of these will undoubtedly, in the course of time, become 
 popular on the mainland. 
 
 The Chinese 
 
 Banana is the one most largely grown. It is 
 
 propagated by means of suckers or off- 
 shoots which spring from the base of the plant. These 
 are removed and transplanted direct to the place where 
 they are to grow. The suckers are usually set at intervals 
 of about ten feet each way. The ground should be plowed 
 and put in good condition before the bananas are set out, 
 but if plowing is not practicable the suckers are set in 
 holes two to four feet across and two feet deep, the holes 
 being filled with surface soil, rotten leaves, or soil mixed 
 with manure. The banana fruits in from fifteen to twenty- 
 four months from the time of planting. Each plant bears 
 only one bunch of bananas. When the bunch has matured 
 the tree is cut down, and one or two of the suckers which 
 have matured at its base, are allowed to replace it. In 
 this way there is always a succession of banana plants 
 coming on. A number of crops may be harvested from 
 a single planting, although it is a matter of dispute among 
 growers as to how long this suckering may be permitted 
 without replanting. 
 
 The Chinese dwarf banana yields from 700 to 900 
 bunches per acre per annum. On new land the bunches 
 are large and full, and the growth of the plants rapid and 
 vigorous. Continued cultivation of bananas on the same 
 
10 
 
 land for a number of years tends to decrease the produc- 
 tion through diminishing the size of the bunches. 
 
 The Jamaica 
 
 or Bluefield This was introduced into Hawaii in 
 
 Banana. 1903. It is the chief banana of the Ameri- 
 
 can trade. It stands shipping better than 
 the Cavendish, as the bunches require no wrapping. The 
 fruits are larger, well placed on the bunch for convenient 
 handling, and the bunch itself is larger and more compact 
 than that of the Chinese, or Cavendish variety. The plant 
 is larger than the Chinese and requires about twenty-four 
 months to begin bearing. The Jamaica has not been cuxti- 
 vated in Hawaii long enough to say what the yield per acre 
 will be. 
 
 The Chinese banana can be produced at a profit at fifty 
 cents, per bunch. This price includes the wrapping with 
 hay or dead banana leaves. The cost of shipment to San 
 Francisco is about thirty-five cents per bunch, so that if 
 the banana sells in the San Francisco market for $1.00, 
 there is a small margin of profit. The price often ranges* 
 as high as from $1.75 to $2.50 per bunch; and, of course, 
 at such prices the business is extremely profitable. 
 
 The banana is a cheap fruit, the market for which de- 
 pends largely upon the abundance or scarcity of apples 
 and other cheap fruits. When there is a shortage in the 
 apple crop the market is good and the prices high, so that 
 there is a considerable margin of profit. If, however, there 
 is a glut of deciduous fruits, the demand for bananas almost 
 invariably falls, so that the margin of profit diminishes. 
 There is a good opening in Hawaii for the cultivation of 
 bananas by any one having experience in the growing 
 and especially in the handling and marketing of fruits. 
 While competition is sometimes keen, there is a possi- 
 bility of any one having business ability, working up a 
 good trade in this fruit, the cultivation of which is not 
 at all difiicult. 
 
 MANGOES. The mango has been called the king of 
 the tropical fruits. With its unique forms, 
 rich coloring, and luscious taste, it is certainly deserving 
 of the high rank thus conferred upon it. The mango is 
 a large, well shaped tree, which grows best in good soil 
 with abundant moisture. Its dark green foliage and com- 
 pact habit of growth make it one of the most prominent 
 trees in any tropical landscape. While the mango is a 
 
MANGOES, {% Natural Size) 
 
11 
 
 native of India, it is now widely distributed through all 
 tropical lands. The mango is propagated from seed, and 
 by inarching and budding. As in many other cultivated 
 fruits, the seeds do not come true, so that the oniy sure 
 way of getting an orchard of a given variety is to bud or 
 graft. In Hawaii the mango usually flowers in January, 
 or from December to March, depending somewhat upon 
 the condition of the weather and the location of the trees 
 in relation to elevation above sea level. The mango season 
 lasts from about June until August. 
 
 For home use the fruit is allowed to ripen upon the 
 tree, but for marketing purposes it is necessary to gather 
 the fruit while yet firm. If picked when full grown its 
 excellent flavor is retained. The mango ships well in 
 cold storage. The Hawaii Experiment Station has made 
 successful shipments to New York and to Manila. They 
 are commonly shipped from the West Indies to London, 
 and even from India to the same market, arriving in good 
 condition. If picked without bruising, properly packed, 
 and transferred direct to cold storage, the mango can be 
 shipped to any point which can be reached within from 
 30 to 35 days from the point of origin. 
 
 The varieties of mangoes are very numerous. There 
 are said to be over 500 in India alone. Where this fruit 
 tree is propagated from seedlings, new forms are con- 
 stantly arising. 
 
 The rarer varieties of mangoes, especially the so-called 
 Indian and Manila strains, and some of the improved sorts 
 which have been introduced from the West Indies find 
 a very ready market locally, selling at good prices; and 
 it is believed that the returns from systematic mango cul- 
 tivation would be large, even were the grower to depend 
 wholly on the local trade and not attempt to ship to the 
 mainland markets. The New York market receives con- 
 siderable shipments of mangoes every year from the West 
 Indies and Southern Florida. There is a growing demand 
 for. this fruit in the markets of the Pacific Coast. The 
 tree begins to bear in from five to seven years from seed. 
 
 CITRUS FRUITS Citrus fruits have been cultivated 
 in Hawaii for more than one hundred 
 years. The records of Vancouver's voyages show that that 
 explorer gave some orange plants to one of the Hawaiian 
 chiefs in 1792, and both orange and lemon trees were 
 set out on the island of Niihau at about that date. Fre- 
 quent introductions have been made since the first, com- 
 
12 
 
 ing from the islands to the southward, Tahiti and Samoa, 
 and many more recent introductions having been made 
 from all citrus growing countries. All of the citrus fruits 
 have found a congenial home in Hawaii, but while there 
 are orange, lemon, lime and pomelo trees in almost every 
 home garden, but little has been done in the way of syste- 
 matic orchard cultivation. 
 
 When properly cared for and fertilized, some of the 
 native orange trees produce fruits of perfect flavor. Never- 
 theless, the yearly importations into Honolulu of oranges 
 and lemons alone amounts to over $50,000. The citrus 
 fruits are amenable to orchard cultivation, although as a 
 rule but very little scientific cultivation has ever been 
 applied to these trees in Hawaii. The local field is a 
 large one and the rewards of a successfully established 
 orange or lemon orchard should be sufficient to be attrac- 
 tive to any horticulturist who understands the growing, 
 harvesting and marketing of citrus fruits. 
 
 GRAPES. Grapes have been cultivated in Hawaii ever 
 since the first Portuguese settlers arrived, but 
 the industry has only just begun to attain commercial 
 proportions. There are two wineries in successful opera- 
 tion and plenty of room for others. Because of the equible 
 climate, and the absence of frost, the vine can be made 
 to fruit at almost any season of the year, by pruning. 
 The main crop comes in the autumn, but there is hardly 
 a month when grapes are not obtainable in the Honolulu 
 market. 
 
 There is a good opening for the cultivation of table 
 grapes to supply the Pacific coast markets during the six 
 months of the year from December to June. It is believed 
 that any one who understands the cultivation of this crop 
 who will undertake grape raising on a fairly large scale 
 and on suitable land cannot fail to realize large returns. 
 
 The yields of grapes, where these are grown for wine 
 making, have been considered satisfactory, and the indus- 
 try is expanding quite rapidly. The wines are mainly of 
 the Madeira type. There is a large local market for cheap 
 wines among the Portuguese, Hawaiian, Spanish and Japa- 
 nese population, so that there is room for building up a 
 considerable wine industry in Hawaii. 
 
 AVOCADOS. The avocado, or alligator pear, is a tropi- 
 cal fruit for which the demand is constantly 
 increasing in the mainland markets. The tree is of medi- 
 
ALLIGATOR PEARS, | ' .Natural Size! ' 
 
13 
 
 um height ; and a rapid grower, producing fruits within 
 four or five years from seed. The trees continue fruit 
 production for many years. The avocado responds readily 
 to care and cultivation, these having an influence on not 
 only the size and number of fruits but a very marked in- 
 fluence on Its flavor. 
 
 The Hawaii Experiment Station has made a number of 
 shipping experiments with this fruit and has demonstrated 
 that the avocado may be shipped in cold storage, if 
 properly packed, to any market in direct ocean communi- 
 cation with Hawaii. These fruits sell in the Honolulu 
 markets at from five to twenty cents each and in the San 
 Francisco markets from $2.50 to $4.00 per dozen, the de- 
 mand especially in the latter market, being usually greater 
 than the supply. 
 
 The avocado is a salad or breakfast fruit and is not 
 suitable for eating out of hand. The flesh is oily, with a 
 delicate nutty flavor. The fruits are cut in half, length- 
 ways, the large seed removed, and the flesh is eaten with 
 a spoon after being dressed with salt and pepper, or vine- 
 gar, or sugar. It is very excellent in salads, either alone 
 or in combination with other fruits, celery or nuts. It is 
 also prepared in cocktails with various sauces or is eaten 
 with soups. Anyone who has acquired the taste for the 
 avocado will never tire of eating this healthful fruit. 
 
 There are many openings for the cultivation of the 
 avocado commercially on an orchard scale. The trees 
 often bear from 200 to 500 fruits, which, if of a good 
 variety, are salable in the Honolulu market for an average 
 of 6 cents to 10 cents each on the tree. The tree is readily 
 propagated by both budding and grafting. There are up- 
 wards of 40 varieties of avocados in the Hawaiian Islands, 
 including many of the best varieties grown in other trop- 
 ical lands. 
 
 The tree requires rich soil, a fair amount of water and 
 protection from winds. It grows and fruits in all districts 
 of the Islands from sea-level up to about 1800 feet. 
 
 COCOANUTS. While the cocoanut is one of the few 
 species of palms native of Hawaii, being 
 widely, but somewhat sparsely, scattered along all the 
 coast lines of the group, its cultivation on an extended 
 scale does not date back of 1904 or 1905. Renewed in- 
 terest in the cultivation of this extremely useful tree is 
 due in a large measure to the rapid increase in the demand 
 for the oil and fibre. The value of cocoanut oil has long 
 
14 
 
 been recognized for soap making and as an illuminant. 
 Cocoanut oil is the basis of a number of patented food 
 compounds and butter substitutes, finding for the latter 
 purpose an enormous sale within the tropics, because the 
 melting point of the so-called "butter" manufactured from 
 it, is higher than for either pure butter, or any of the 
 oleomargarine compounds manufactured from animal fat. 
 Not only is there a more or less legitimate field for the 
 sale of artificial butter made from cocoanut oil in hot 
 countries, but its use as an adulterant is said to be prac- 
 ticed on an enormous scale in Denmark and other Europe- 
 an countries where dairying is an important industry. 
 Cocoanut oil is being rapidly displaced aCs an illuminant 
 by the cheaper petroleum. A characteristic of the oil is 
 that it burns without smoking. 
 
 The value of the by-products, after the extraction of 
 the oil from the copra, is also rapidly increasing. Cocoa- 
 nut meal is becoming recognized as a concentrated feed 
 of high value, and as an organic fertilizer equal to cotton 
 seed meal. 
 
 Coir, the fibre of the husk of the cocoanut, is in itself 
 a valuable product. This fibre is used in the manufacture of 
 ropes and cordage and is woven into bagging and matting. 
 The stiff, harsher fibres obtained from the leaf stalk and 
 from the mid-rib are used in the manufacture of all classes 
 of brushes. In oriental lands the leaves provide materials 
 for thatch and the trunks for house and bridge construc- 
 tion. 
 
 Another product of the cocoanut, not as yet utilized in 
 Hawaii, is in the manufacture of a liquor or alcoholic bever- 
 age by fermentation of the sap obtained by bleeding the 
 inflorescence. Elsewhere in the tropics the cultivation of 
 the cocoanut for this purpose alone utilizes groves of 
 hundreds of thousands of acres in extent. Sugar was 
 formerly made from this sap in large quantities, and even 
 now the natives of many outlying tropical districts obtain 
 the family sugar supply from this source. 
 
 The food value of the meat of the cocoanut has long 
 been recognized. The shredded nut dried, with or without 
 the addition of sugar, is used by housewives and con- 
 fectioners the world over. 
 
 The cocoanut tree is a native of the tropics and is not 
 known to occur at a distance of more than 28 degrees 
 north or south of the Equator. It is at its best farther 
 to the south than Hawaii. While the tree has largely 
 been considered a sea shore plant, and while many authori- 
 
RICE, BANANAS AND COCOANUTS 
 
"• • • •.• 
 
15 
 
 ties have considered that salt water was essential to its 
 most perfect development, recent cultural experiments 
 have demonstrated that a much more vigorous and pro- 
 ductive growth may be obtained far inland. 
 
 The cocoanut tree demands above all things good drain- 
 age. It thrives neither in swamps nor on rock. The 
 roots are thick, fleshy fibres, there being no tap root. 
 The roots seem to be especially adapted for the storage 
 of considerable quantities of water, but wherever they 
 reach the level of permanent standing water, or wherever 
 stagnant waters rise above the level of roots already 
 formed, these, rot and the tree sends out new and shorter 
 roots only as far as the perfectly drained and well aerated 
 soil extends. The tree is a heavy feeder, requiring culti- 
 vation and fertilization, giving best results where these 
 can be augmented by irrigation or abundant rainfall. 
 
 Another factor is that the tree grows best in windy 
 locations. Specimen trees in sheltered valleys, where 
 the wind never strikes them, are more liable to be spind- 
 ling and unhealthy. The requirements of the cocoanut 
 may be summed up in having light and room in windy 
 locations, where the soil is rich and well drained, and 
 there is abundant artificial or natural irrigation. 
 
 In planting the cocoanut only the ripe nuts, carefully 
 collected, from neither very young nor very old trees, 
 should be taken. Nuts intended for planting should not 
 be dropped or thrown from the tree, for if the shell is 
 cracked within the husk germination will not take place. 
 The husk contains enough moisture for germination, pro- 
 vided the seed bed is moist and half shaded. In drier 
 locations the nuts should be planted on their sides and 
 partially covered with loose, mellow earth, leaving about 
 two inches of their surface exposed. The seed-beds thus 
 prepared should be kept moist, but not soaked. Ger- 
 mination takes place in from two to six months. As soon 
 as the plumule pushes out through the husk on one side 
 and roots are just appearing below, the seedling is ready 
 to transplant to its permanent location. 
 
 Two methods of planting are in vogue. In India pits 
 three to six feet across and two to three feet deep are 
 dug twenty-seven to thirty-six feet apart. These pits are 
 filled with sand, manure, ashes, compost, rotted leaves 
 and rich soil. The germinating seed is half buried in the 
 center of the pit, and no further cultivation is given ex- 
 cept to clear the weeds and no more fertilization than 
 to utilize the cocoanut grove for pasture lands. 
 
16 
 
 The newer method, and one which has been proved to 
 give better results, is to plow the land and work the 
 whole surface into the best possible state of cultivation. 
 Frequent tillage follows with the planting of leguminous 
 inter-crops and the addition of commercial fertilizers. The 
 trees should never be planted closer than 30 feet, or at 
 the rate of from 110 to 150 trees per acre. Close planting 
 in rows, as seen in many native groves and in dooryards 
 around Honolulu, and for that matter, all through the 
 Islands, is neither a satisfactory nor profitable method 
 of cocoanut cultivation. 
 
 There is the widest variation in the Dumber and size 
 of cocoanuts borne by individual trees. Some trees may 
 produce only a dozen nuts in the course of a year, others 
 bear from 150 to 200, or more. Some trees begin to bear 
 in their fifth or sixth year, others not for ten or fifteen 
 years. The greatest profit in cocoanut cultivation will 
 come by planting only nuts from trees known to have the 
 most desirable qualities, both in early maturity and pro- 
 lific yield. The trees continue to bear for fifty or sixty 
 years or more, but during this time cultivation should 
 be continued and the supplies of plant food taken from the 
 soil returned in the form of organic or commercial fer- 
 tilizers. 
 
 When the plantation begins to bear the nuts are gather- 
 ed as they ripen, the husk removed, either by hand or 
 by modern decorticating machines, of which there are 
 many styles and patterns designed for the dual purpose 
 of husking the nut and saving all of the fibre from the 
 husk. The nuts are then split in halves and placed on 
 drying floors in the sun. In twenty-four hours the meat 
 curls loose from the shell and may be shaken or emptied 
 out. The meat is then dried for one or two days in the 
 sun and finished off by artificial heat, or the meats are 
 sliced by machinery and finished in steam heated drying 
 houses. 
 
 The Samoan cocoanut is considered the best variety for 
 cultivation in Hawaii because it commences to bear at 
 an earlier age and is more prolific than the Hawaiian 
 tree. A cocoanut orchard in good bearing should yield 
 from 1.0,000 to 15,000 nuts per acre per annum. Yields 
 of nearly double these amounts have been obtained in 
 other lands, but the Hawaiian average is considerably 
 under this. The best practice would be not to produce 
 copra for export but to extract the cocoanut oil on the 
 nlantation where the nuts are grown. The flesh of the 
 
17 
 
 nuts contain on an average about 35 per cent, of oil. If 
 this is extracted by modern commercial methods at least 
 30 per cent, of the oil is recoverable and the cake, or 
 waste, becomes a valuable by-product for feeding cattle 
 or for returning to the land as fertilizer. 
 
 FLOWERS 
 
 The flower business of the Islands is largely in the 
 hands of Hawaiians and Japanese. Carnations, violets 
 and asters flower almost continuously, especially at eleva- 
 tions above 1,000 feet. The Honolulu market is well sup- 
 plied with flowers, such as they are, but a number of 
 florists find it profitable to bring considerable quantities 
 of the finer classes of cut flowers in cold storage from 
 San Francisco. The opportunity is open in. the production 
 of the finer types and strains of cut flowers, ferns, green- 
 house plants and ornamentals, as in the case of vegetables 
 of improved types. 
 
 Besides the opportunities for florists, there are open- 
 ings for the establishment of nurseries to supply fruit, 
 shade and forest trees. There is no commercial nursery 
 and no local seed house in this Territory. 
 
 BEES 
 
 There are no openings for bee-keeping on a large scale, 
 practically all of the pasturage now being fully occupied 
 by individuals and corporations already established in the 
 industry. However, there are still opportunities for in- 
 dividual farmers or land holders to work up a trade in 
 comb honey for family or city trade, and in bee raising 
 for the production of wax. Hawaii is a good bee country. 
 Feed is fairly abundant and continuous. The honey is 
 not of the best quality when compared with Mainland 
 honeys produced from floral nectar, much of the island 
 honey being of the honey-dew type. It is valuable in the 
 baking trade, but is not as highly flavored as Mainland 
 honeys, and is not so well suited for table consumption. 
 
 STOCK AND POULTRY 
 
 DAIRYING. There are fifty dairies on the Island of 
 
 Oahu and others on each of the larger 
 
 islands. The climate is a good one for stock. The only 
 
 serious diseases which are widely prevalent are tubercu- 
 
18 
 
 losis and liver-fluke. No serious epidemic disease of cat- 
 tle has ever been introduced into the Islands. Many herds 
 have registered animals of Jersey, Holstein and other milk 
 breeds. 
 
 Grasses and forage crops for soiling purposes are easily 
 grown, but all concentrated feeds with the exception of 
 rice polish and rice-bran are imported from the Mainland 
 and are hence high in price. The algaroba bean, a local 
 produce similar to the mesquite bean of Texas, takes the 
 place of concentrated feeds to some extent. Sorghum and 
 alfalfa are the chief forage crops. Alfalfa yields with 
 irrigation, from ten to thirteen crops per annum. Sorghum 
 may be cut every two months for five or six years. Other 
 forage crops are guinea grass, paspalum dilatatum, para 
 grass and Rhodes grass. Spanish clover is abundant in 
 some districts on the islands. 
 
 Milk retails in Honolulu, at from 10 to 15 cents per 
 quart. Butter retails from 30 to 50 cents per pound. 
 There are enough local dairies to supply milk and cream 
 for a larger population than is now in the Islands, but 
 the importation of butter amounts to $40,000 per annum 
 for the Honolulu markets alone. There are no special 
 difficulties in butter making other than good water supply, 
 and care and cleanliness in handling the milk. The inter- 
 island transportation problem is one of the chief obstacles 
 in the way of butter production on the islands other than 
 Oahu, for the Honolulu market. 
 
 The market for cheese is good. There are no local 
 factories so that the field is an open one. 
 
 POULTRY Chicken raising is an extremely uncertain 
 
 RAISING. industry in the Territory of Hawaii, as 
 evinced by the high prices both of eggs and 
 poultry, live or dressed. Fresh eggs sell in the Honolulu 
 markets at from 30 to 60 cents per dozen, while the ruling 
 prices for live fowls range from $12 to $18 per dozen, 
 depending on their age, condition, and breed. For pure- 
 bred fowls even higher prices are asked and given. This 
 condition of scarcity is unusual in any country. It makes 
 eggs and chickens a luxury only within the means of the 
 well-to-do, instead of contributing to the daily bill of fare 
 of all the people. 
 
 In the country districts the mongoose has much to do 
 with causing this state of affairs, because of his prefer- 
 ence for young chickens, but even in the towns, wheie 
 the mongoose is seldom seen, poultry raising is and has 
 
_ 19_ 
 
 been a precarious industry as far back as authentic records 
 extend. This is mainly because of the great number of 
 disease prevalent here, as elsewhere in the tropics. Chiei 
 among these is a malady commonly known as sore head, 
 which decimates the flocks at the time when the chicks 
 are being weaned by the mother hen. Roup, diarrhea, 
 cholera, and especially colds and pneumonia, are also all 
 too prevalent, while lice and intestinal worms do their 
 share toward depleting the chicken yards. Most of these 
 diseases are due to neglect, improper care, and faulty 
 yards and houses, and all are largely preventable 
 
 It does not require close calculation to show that chicken 
 raising can be made profitable in these islands if the 
 grower will devote as much care and attention to details 
 as in any other minor industry. The high prices for eggs 
 and chickens and the amount consumed prove that such 
 close care and attention to the details of the business 
 would be profitable. During the year 1900 there were 
 imported into Honolulu alone, from the mainland, about 
 40,000 dozens of eggs and about 75,000 pounds of dressed 
 chickens, besides numerous lots of live fowls. The value, 
 wholesale, for imported eggs was about $12,000, and for 
 refrigerated chickens about the same. Thus, besides the 
 home supply, there were imported for the use of the one 
 island of Oahu fully $25,000 worth of eggs and chickens. 
 Hawaii, Maui, Kauai, and the smaller islands are not 
 taken into consideration in this calculation, but a good 
 many cases of eggs find their way to Hilo and other 
 Island ports direct from the Pacific Coast. The supplying 
 of steamships and sailing vessels with fresh eggs and 
 live poultry ought in itself to be a lucrative trade. 
 
 A brood of chickens in the dooryard, vineyard, or or- 
 chard would soon pay for their keep in the destruction of 
 Japanese beetles and other insect pests. The waste from 
 the kitchen and table could also be turned to more general 
 account. Clean houses, nests, and roosts, pure water, good 
 food, plenty of sunshine and shelter from the winds, a 
 dust bath, some broken coral, daily care to keep the birds 
 healthy, and instant isolation of ailing members of the 
 flock will do a great deal to lower the price and increase 
 the sales of fresh eggs and spring chickens in Hawaii. 
 
 The feeding problem for poultry in Hawaii is one of 
 considerable importance because of the absence of cheap 
 grain crops. The only cereal produced is rice, which 
 ordinarily sells at from three and one-half to Ave and 
 one-half cents per pound, placing it out of the question as 
 
20 
 
 a chicken food. Wheat, barley, oats, and corn, all im- 
 ported from the Mainland, sell for from one dollar to two 
 and one-half dollars per hundred pounds, while screenings 
 and the various mixtures known as scratch foods sell from 
 one to two cents per pound, according to the ingredients 
 of which they are composed. Meat scrap and green bone 
 are proportionately high. The only cheap foods which 
 could be produced on a large scale for poultry feed are, 
 alfalfa, starchy root crops, such as cassava, arrow root, 
 and the upland taro, and the fruit of the papaia. The 
 scarcity and high price of available poultry feeds is prob- 
 ably largely responsible for the high price of the product 
 in eggs and chickens, but the prevalence of disease among 
 the flocks has some influence. 
 
 The most destructive disease affecting poultry is sore 
 head or chicken pox. A characteristic symptom is the 
 formation of scabs on the head, feet, or other bare portions 
 of the body of the fowls. When infection is on the head 
 the course of the disease is very rapid, often causing 
 blindness and swelling or distortion of the beak, so that 
 the bird is unable to either see its food and water or to 
 swallow. Death from sore head in young poultry is due 
 either to starvation or to colds, or pneumonia. While 
 the nature of the disease is well understood the method 
 of infection has not been definitely determined, but the 
 general healthiness of the flock and the care given, has 
 some influence on the severity with which the birds are 
 attacked. Remedies are, preventative, that is, to feed the 
 flock well, and see that their sleeping quarters are dry, 
 clean, and protected from draughts, or curative, when the 
 infection exhibits itself, by direct application of carbolated 
 vaseline, a mixture of kerosene and lard, nitrate of silver, 
 glycerine, permanganate of potash, iodine, ichthyol, or 
 an alum solution. 
 
 Other serious diseases are cholera, roup, colds, pneumo- 
 nia, intestinal worms, lice, and the general run of poultry 
 diseases common to fowls in all countries. 
 
 With well constructed, dry, clean houses, good feeding 
 and fresh water, the poultry business can be made as 
 profitable in Hawaii as in any other country. The high 
 prices obtained for eggs : and live, or dressed fowls, com- 
 pensates for the high prices of the feed required, so that 
 there is always a good margin of profit. The failures in 
 poultry raising are due as much to the poultry owner 
 giving over the entire care of his flock to oriental em- 
 
21_ 
 
 ployes as to any special difficulties not attendant upon 
 the production of poultry in other lands. 
 
 STOCK-RAISING There are about one hundred ranches 
 in Hawaii besides many individual 
 cattle owners. A recent estimate is that there are about 
 170,000 head of cattle, 75,000 sheep and 30,000 horses on 
 the island ranches and plantations. The grazing lands of 
 all of the islands are pretty well occupied, so that there 
 are but few openings unless persons desiring to go into 
 the ranching business come here provided with sufficient 
 capital to buy out some ranch that is already established. 
 There is, to a certain extent, an over-production of beef, 
 but thousands of mutton carcasses are imported. 
 
 The stock on the island ranches is of very good quality, 
 many breeding animals of the best beef breeds having 
 been imported. As stated elsewhere, sisal waste is an 
 excellent feed for fattening cattle. Cane tops are fed to 
 stock wherever these are available. 
 
 Pig raising is a profitable industry where one has a 
 large run or can obtain cheap feed. Live pork finds a 
 ready market at high prices among the Chinese. Suckling 
 pigs a month old sell for $5.00 each, provided they can 
 be produced for the holiday markets, Thanksgiving, Christ- 
 mas, New Year's and Kamehameha Days, — the 11th of 
 June. Both hogs and cattle may be fattened on Cassava, 
 a plant which grows almost without care. Other feeds 
 used for fattening hogs are papaias, bananas, taro tops 
 and parings, and the fruit waste from the pineapple can- 
 neries. Hog cholera is prevalent, and occasionally epi- 
 demic, as it is on the Mainland. 
 
 SILK 
 
 A number of attempts have been made to establish a 
 silk industry in Hawaii at intervals since 1837. when the 
 first mulberry plantings were made on the island of Kauai. 
 The silk worm is a temperate zone insect and although 
 it can be successfully reared in the warmer portions of 
 the islands, the cultivation is only uniformly successful 
 in the cooler zone above 2000 feet where climatic condi- 
 tions approach those of more northern countries 
 
 The Hawaii Experiment Station has carried on a num- 
 ber of experiments with silk. The product has been pro- 
 nounced by experts "well worthy of being graded as first 
 class." The silk which the station has produced reels 
 
22 
 
 to better advantage than the average Japanese or Chinese 
 product. Three pounds of dried coooons yielded one 
 pound of raw silk. The average in Japan and elsewhere 
 is four to one. Well dried cocoons are worth from 90 
 cents to $1.20 per pound f. o. b. Honolulu, while the reeled 
 raw silk is worth from $3.00 to $5.00. 
 
 The food of the silk worm, the mulberry, thrives from 
 sea-level up to 4,000 feet. The Experiment Station has 
 introduced and is propagating varieties of mulberry which 
 are considered the best for silk production. 
 
 An even temperature is important. The worms are ap- 
 parently not seriously affected by excessive humidity, pro- 
 vided the temperature is low, and the leaves are not wet 
 when fed. Districts subject to high winds or severe storms 
 should be avoided since the destruction of the foliage of 
 the mulberry trees might occur at a critical time, thus 
 resulting in the loss of a crop of silk worms. 
 
 The returns from silk are low, so that it is best taken 
 up as a side-line in connection with some other branch of 
 agriculture. The care of silk worms is not an industry 
 for women and school children, as has often been stated, 
 but requires a man's full time during the whole period 
 from the hatching of the worms from the eggs until trans- 
 formation takes place into the cocoon. Women and chil- 
 dren may be employed to advantage in gathering the 
 leaves from the mulberry trees, but the care of the worms 
 in the silk house is one demanding considerable technical 
 skill. Island industries which employ labor during only 
 a portion of the year could well undertake the growing 
 of silk worms, both because of the profit and as a means 
 of supplying work for the laborers during the dull seasons. 
 
 The requirements for silk raising are a considerable 
 acreage planted to mulberry trees; and, dry, well lighted 
 and ventilated house with large floor space. An ounce 
 of eggs will produce enough worms to require one man's 
 care for one month. This number of worms will consume 
 from 2,200 to 2,400 pounds of mulberry leaves. They will 
 occupy 60 square yards of shelf space during the last 
 stages of development. The worms from an ounce of 
 eggs will produce 90 pounds of fresh cocoons. These 
 shrink on drying to about 30 pounds, worth at present 
 quotations, as stated above, from 90 cents to $1.20 per 
 pound. This would give a total return of from $27 to $36 
 as a result of one man's labor from one month, in the silk 
 house. At the Experiment Station it was found that a 
 single mulberry tree of medium size and leafage, yielded 
 
23 
 
 $y 2 pounds of green leaf at a single picking; so that it 
 would require about 300 mulberry trees to produce . leaf 
 to care for worms from one ounce of eggs. 
 
 The above yields and prices are average ones. The 
 mulberries are in continuous leafage in Hawaii. Mulberry 
 trees planted for silk production are usually set in close 
 rows or hedges; the trees are pruned closely, and forced, 
 to make them throw out young shoots. The newly hatched 
 silk worms are fed only the youngest leaves and the older 
 and more mature leaves are fed successively as the worms 
 grow. The industry is one requiring considerable skill 
 both in the handling of the worms and in the production 
 of abundant supplies of mulberry leaves in their proper 
 stage of development. 
 
 The production of eggs and the reeling of raw silk are 
 operations calling for skilled labor and an investment of 
 capital. Under the newer agriculture it is found practi- 
 cable to keep' silk worm eggs in cold storage for rather 
 indefinite periods, so that crops of worms can be started 
 in sequence at any season of the year. Egg production is 
 a business by itself and should not be attempted by any- 
 one who seeks to grow silk at a profit. 
 
 The profits of silk growing are as much in the reeling 
 of the raw silk and the manufacture of cloth and piece 
 goods as in the production of the cocoons. Silk weaving 
 is a household industry the world over, probably 90 per 
 cent, of the Chinese and Japanese silks being woven on 
 hand looms in the homes of the laborers who grow the 
 silk worms. The weaving of silk is more an occupation 
 for the employment of women and children than is the 
 growing of the silk worms. There are a great many 
 laborers in Hawaii who have come here from the silk 
 producing Provinces of Japan, and these would undoubted- 
 ly take up this industry in Hawaii if they could receive 
 the encouragement of men with capital. The market for 
 dry cocoons and raw silk would have to be developed 
 along with the market for silk manufactures. The field 
 is an attractive one and it is believed that there is oppor- 
 tunity for the investment of considerable capital in the 
 development of the industry. 
 
 FIELD CROPS AND INDUSTRIES 
 
 SUGAR. Sugar cane is the principal crop of Hawaii. 
 
 There are about two hundred thousand acres 
 
 planted, one-half of which is cropped each year. The 
 
24 
 
 average yield is a little over four tons per acre. While 
 sugar cane is mostly cultivated by large corporations un- 
 der the plantation system, there are a number of farmers 
 who grow cane on their own account to sell to the sugar 
 mills. Sugar land is not readily obtainable. If new land 
 must be cleared for planting it requires two and a half 
 to three years to mature the first crop and market it; or, 
 an average of about eighteen months if land can be ob- 
 tained which has been cleared or previously planted to 
 this or some other crop. After the first plant crop is taken 
 off, a ratoon crop follows in about fourteen months, fol- 
 lowed by a second or long ratoon crop in eighteen months. 
 It requires a capital of at least $100 per acre to grow 
 sugar cane, but some plantations are capitalized as high 
 as $600 per acre. With proper cultivation, fertilization 
 and good seasons, a larger profit can be obtained from 
 sugar cane than from most agricultural crops in temperate 
 climates. Anyone coming here to grow sugar cane should 
 have, not only enough capital to carry the crop from plant- 
 ing to mautrity, but also other resources. At the proper 
 elevation, say above 1000 feet above sea level, white 
 farmers can perform all of the labor in the cane field. 
 A number of farmers in the Olaa district are profitably 
 engaged in this industry, and suitable lands are available 
 there and elsewhere. 
 
 COFFEE. Hawaii produces annually about 1500 tons 
 of coffee. The value of the crop ranged from 
 $270,000 in 1901, to $336,000 in 1906. About 4,500 acres 
 is devoted to this crop and the average yield is 650 pounds 
 per acre. From 24,000 to 30,000 bags are sold to the 
 Mainland markets and from 1800 to 2000 bags of the 
 poorer grades are consumed in Hawaii. The average cost 
 of production was 11 cents per pound in 1901, which has 
 been reduced to about seven and one-half cents per pound 
 in 1907. The present average value of the Hawaiian coffee 
 crop is about lO 1 /^ cents per pound. 
 
 Hawaiian coffee is of the mild type and in general 
 compares with the Mexican and Central American product 
 rather than with the rank coffees of South America. 
 Some districts produce a broad, flat bean, which, when 
 properly aged, is not distinguishable from the best Old 
 Government Java. 
 
 Coffee prices have been very low for the last seven 
 years. The sudden fall in world's prices from 1898 to 
 1900 wiped out a great many farmers and plantations, 
 
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 PICKING COFFEE 
 Island of Hawaii 
 
25 
 
 but those who succeeded in living through the crisis, as 
 well as those who have entered into the production of 
 coffee under the new condition of low prices, are running 
 their plantations at a profit. If prices should rise, and 
 especially could protection be assured the industry, there 
 are great possibilities in coffee in Hawaii. This industry 
 is an ideal one for white labor, the zone of coffee lands 
 being one in which the climatic conditions are most favor- 
 able. 
 
 Coffee grows in practically all districts in the Islands 
 at an elevation of from 1000 to 3000 feet. The Kona dis- 
 trict on the island of Hawaii, has the largest acreage in 
 this crop, and produces a bean which has made a name 
 for itself in the Mainland markets. There is also much 
 coffee in the Hamakua, Hilo, and Puna districts. One 
 of the methods of accommodation of cost of production 
 to lower prices for the product is the utilization of the land 
 between the coffee rows for the first three years after a 
 new plantation is established, for the cultivation of inter- 
 crops such as land taro, soja-beans, vegetables and small 
 fruits. During this preliminary period of growth, until 
 the coffee tree comes into bearing, it is treated practically 
 as a secondary crop upon the land. The cultivation of 
 the inter-crop is discontinued when the trees come into 
 bearing, when, through increase in size, they have filled 
 in the rows. 
 
 There is much variation in the distance at which the 
 trees are planted; in the practice of shading the coffee, 
 or growing it without shade; in the use of fertilizers; and, 
 in methods of cultivation. The young trees are set at the 
 rate of from 650 to 900 per acre, depending somewhat upon 
 the soil and the varying ideas of plantation managers. 
 With so narrow a margin between the cost of production 
 and marketing, and the selling price of the finished coffee, 
 there are wide opportunities for differences in methods 
 of cultivation and handling. 
 
 The Hawaiian method of handling coffee is to pick the 
 cherry as it ripens, the ripening period usually extending 
 over several months. The cherry is run through a ma- 
 chine which removes the sweet, outer pulp. The coffee 
 seeds are surrounded by a thin, hard bladder-like sac, 
 technically known as the parchment. As soon as pulped, 
 coffee in the parchment is fermented in water-tight bins 
 or trays of shallow construction. It is finally washed and 
 dried in houses especially constructed for that purpose, 
 or spread on drying floors in the sun. When the coffee 
 
26 
 
 is completely dried the parchment is removed and the 
 green coffee is sorted, polished and graded by machinery- 
 It is then hand picked, and, when bagged, is ready for 
 the market. 
 
 The opportunities in the coffee industry are good pro- 
 vided the prospective investor is satisfied with a low, but 
 reasonably certain, return. The industry is now on a 
 natural basis in Hawaii, the prices being governed more 
 by the law of supply and demand and the world's produc- 
 tion, than by legislative protection. There has been a 
 steady improvement in the market conditions as affecting 
 our coffee crop. Demand is constantly increasing. Con- 
 siderable areas of new lands are now being planted. Our 
 coffee has, to some extent, established a market for itself, 
 and the outlook for the industry as a whole is good. 
 
 RICE. The rice industry is second in importance to 
 sugar, there being about 12,000 acres devoted to 
 the cultivation of this crop. The annual rice crop is 
 worth about $2,500,000. While the Chinese control the 
 rice industry, there are opportunities for the introduction 
 and operation of labor saving machinery, such as har- 
 vesters and threshing machinery. At the present time 
 the methods of cultivation are oriental. The seed is sown 
 in nursery beds and the individual plants are transplanted 
 by hand into the field. The sickle is used in harvesting, 
 and much of the threshing is still done with horses on 
 stone threshing floors. Preliminary experiments carried 
 on by the Hawaii Experiment Station indicate that the 
 use of improved harvesting machinery is entirely prac 
 ticable, provided laborers can be obtained who understand 
 the use of such machinery. Several good threshing out- 
 fits could find ready employment, because the Chinese 
 rice growers recognize the value of labor saving appli- 
 ances when properly operated. 
 
 There are two harvest seasons, or in some localities 
 three, depending upon the variety of rice which is culti- 
 vated. There are spring and fall varieties, just as in the 
 case of wheat, and the alternation of spring and autumn 
 varieties is well understood by the Chinese rice growers. 
 The fall ripening varieties, if planted in early spring will 
 only make one crop, continuing to grow without heading 
 for ten months or more. The same variety sown at the 
 proper season, matures in 120 days. The cultivation of 
 rice lands is continuous, there being on an average, five 
 crops in two years. Even with the expensive, primative 
 
27 
 
 methods employed, rice cultivation is a very profitable 
 industry. 
 
 SISAL. There is much land suitable for the cultiva- 
 tion of sisal on all of the islands of the group. 
 Sisal is not in the stricter sense a cultivated plant, prac- 
 tically no cultivation being given after the plantation has 
 been established, other than to clear out glue, lantana 
 and other weedy undergrowth. Sisal may be cultivated 
 on any land not too thickly grassed, from sea-level to an 
 elevation of 2000 feet. The controlling factor is rainfall 
 and not elevation above sea-level. While this crop has 
 been cultivated in large areas in extremely barren and 
 lainless country, such a location should not be chosen 
 if cheap lands in a moderately wet district are available. 
 Better results through more rapid growth and maturity 
 are obtainable in locations where the rainfall ranges from 
 20 to 50 inches per annum, than where it amounts to less 
 than 20 inches. 
 
 Sisal is propagated from suckers or offshoots which 
 appear at the base of the mature plants; and from pole 
 bulbs, which follow the flowers instead of seeds. The 
 sisal plant almost never produced true seed pods, and even 
 when these are produced the seed is seldom fertile. If 
 suckers are used they may be transplanted at once to the 
 field, but pole bulbs must be planted a year in fertile land 
 to force their growth. While pole bulbs are sometimes 
 set out in regular nursery rows, far enough apart to culti- 
 vate between them, a better style of plant for transplant- 
 ing is secured by setting the bulbs in a compact mass, 
 the individual bulbs not more than two to four inches 
 apart. This makes a close, compact plant, easier to trans- 
 port and handle than are the suckers or pole plants which 
 have been set in nursery rows at wider distances. The 
 object of nursery planting is to force growth in the early 
 stages; shorten the period between planting and maturity; 
 and add greater uniformity to the field. 
 
 Before planting it is best to clear the land of brush 
 and weeds. Roadways should be laid out on such a con- 
 tour that portable tracks may later be built through the 
 plantation to facilitate the harvesting of the crop. 
 
 The plants are set in the field in regular rows from 
 seven to nine feet apart and from four to eight feet in the 
 tow, at the rate of from 800 to 1.100 plants per acre. It 
 Is a disputed question as to the amount of cultivation that 
 can be profitable given, as well as the amount of prepara- 
 
28 
 
 tion necessary before planting. Practice varies from pick- 
 ing up a circle three feet or more in diameter around the 
 young plant, to no cultivation other than a hole made 
 with a single blow of a mattock loosening just enough 
 dirt to pack the plant in position until it sends out roots. 
 Harvesting begins at the end of the third year after the 
 nursery plants or suckers have been set in the field. The 
 leaves are considered ripe for harvest when they have 
 fallen from their rigid, erect position to a looser, horizon- 
 tal one. From 10 to 20 of the lower leaves are cut from 
 each plant. In six months another crop is cut and so on 
 until all the leaves have been taken. The leaves are 
 bundled, and hauled to the mill on carts or cars. The 
 location of the mill should have been decided upon before 
 any planting was undertaken, being located either at the 
 lowest point of the land, or convenient to shipping facili- 
 ties. The fibre is extracted from the leaves by high power 
 modern machinery especially devised for the purpose. 
 Two systems of milling are in use. One type of machinery 
 requires a supply of water which is trickled over the 
 leaves while the fibre is being extracted. The other type 
 requires no additional water supply other than the abund- 
 ant juices of the leaf itself. As soon as the fibre is ex- 
 tracted, it is hung on lines out of doors where the sunshine 
 can dry and bleach it. When well dried and bleached it 
 is made up into firm bales of 400 to 500 pounds and is 
 ready for the market. 
 
 In Hawaii the average life of the sisal plant is about 
 nine years. At least two crops can be harvested every 
 year beginning with the third. As soon as the plant has 
 thrown up its flowering pole it dies; the plant is then 
 uprooted and another nursery plant set in its place. 
 
 Hawaiian grown sisal is pronounced by fibre experts to 
 be of the best quality. It is superior to that produced in 
 Yucatan, its only direct competitor being a limited supply 
 which comes from German East Africa. The yield of 
 fibre varies according to the number of plants set to the 
 acre, and their size and vigor, but may be taken as averag- 
 ing about 500 pounds per acre per annum, or about 3000 
 pounds per acre for the full life period of the crop. The 
 fibre composes about 4 per cent, of the weight of the leaf. 
 In milling the larger portion of the short fibres at the 
 base of the leaf go into the waste. The average recovery 
 of fibre in milling does not exceed 2% per cent, of the 
 total weight of the leaf and sometimes, through careless- 
 
29 
 
 ness or badly adjusted machinery, not more than one-half 
 of this amount. 
 
 The profitable disposition of the waste is somewhat of 
 a problem. In Yucatan the waste is fed to cattle, a portion 
 of the wages of the plantation laborers being paid in fresh 
 meat. Every plantation in Yucatan runs a large herd of 
 cattle. The milling takes place in the day time and the 
 cattle are turned into the mill yard at night cleaning up 
 thoroughly the pulp and waste fibre produced by the ma- 
 chines during the day. Cattle eat the sisal pulp readily 
 and thrive upon it. In Hawaii the only use thus far made 
 of sisal waste has been to dry it, clean out the short fibres 
 and curl them for use in the manufacture of mattresses. 
 The sisal waste, or at least that part of it consisting of 
 the short and broken fibres, is worth from one to one and 
 one-half cents a pound as paper stock. The size of the 
 plantation and the amount of waste will to some extent 
 govern the method of its disposal. 
 
 Fibre extracting machinery is not expensive. The total 
 cost of buildings and machinery for a sisal plantation of 
 500 acres should not exceed $10,000. The outlook for this 
 crop is a very good one. The total world's crop of sisal 
 is less than 400,000 tons and the demand for sisal has been 
 growing more rapidly than for Manila or other competing 
 fibres. The prices f. o. b. Honolulu during the last five 
 years have ranged from six to eight cents per pound, al- 
 though during the panic in the latter part of 1907 the 
 price fell to four and one-fourth cents; — bringing financial 
 ruin to practically the whole Mexican province of Yucatan. 
 At this writing prices have recovered to about 6^ cents 
 and the trend seems to be upwards. Those who have 
 studied the fibre market of the world believe that both 
 demand and prices are bound to increase. 
 
 The sisal crop is an attractive one for individuals or 
 corporations owning large areas of cheap lands suitable 
 only for grazing. There is practically no cost of cultiva- 
 tion other than the most meagre preparation of the land, 
 the purchase of plants, setting them in the field, the har- 
 vesting of the leaf, and the shipping of the fibre. The 
 industry is one which does not require the continuous 
 employment of large numbers of laborers. It may be 
 undertaken at a comparatively small capitalization per 
 acre and may be carried on without the large monthly 
 expenditures which must be incurred in the cultivation 
 of more remunerative crops on better land. There is much 
 
30 
 
 land suitable for the cultivation of sisal on every one of 
 the islands in the Hawaiian group. 
 
 RUBBER. The rubber industry is a new one in Hawaii, 
 but already large areas have been planted. 
 The variety planted is the Ceara, Manihot glaziowii, a 
 rapidly growing tree, native of southern Brazil. It makes 
 its best growth in regions of high temperatures and high 
 rainfall, but is adaptable to cultivation in semi-arid regions, 
 free from frost. Over 400,000 trees have been planted in 
 Hawaii, and new plantations are rapidly being established. 
 There are large areas available for its cultivation. 
 
 The tree has a habit of shedding its leaves, remaining 
 bare for two or three months every year. The flowers 
 accompany the young leaves which are put forth at the 
 end of this resting period. The Ceara rubber tree makes 
 an extremely rapid growth and seems especially well 
 adapted to Hawaiian conditions. It is widely distributed 
 throughout the group, importations having been first made 
 fifteen to twenty years ago. 
 
 Preliminary tapping experiments, made by the Hawaii 
 Experiment Station, indicate a high yield of rubber of 
 good quality, even from trees three or four years old. 
 These preliminary experiments have shown that it is possi- 
 ble to secure from 1-3 to 2-3 of an ounce of rubber per day 
 per tree for about half of the year. 
 
 Rubber is a product the price of which has been rapidly 
 increasing because of the inadequate natural supply and 
 increasing demand. While its cultivation is now being 
 undertaken in all tropical countries, it will undoubtedly 
 be many years before the production will have increased 
 to such a point as to materially decrease the returns. Be- 
 cause of the rapid growth made by the Ceara tree, its 
 response to cultivation, and its heavy yields in Hawaii, 
 the establishment of a rubber plantation is one of the 
 most attractive fields for large investments. Rubber grow- 
 ing is a business which will demand as much science, skill, 
 and knowledge, together with business ability as would 
 any other new enterprise. But, there is this in its favor, 
 that rubber is one of the few of the world's agricultural 
 products in the production of which there are still enor- 
 mous profits, its cultivation being everywhere on a natural 
 basis. 
 
BANANAS 
 
31 
 
 HAY AND FORAGE One of the most noticeable fea- 
 tures of Hawaiian agriculture which 
 invariably appeals to newcomers, is that all the hay and 
 grain used in this Territory is brought from the Mainland, 
 and that prices are very high. Baled wheat hay retails 
 for from $30 per ton upwards. Oats, barley, and other 
 grain feeds are proportionately high in price. 
 
 On the sugar plantation the standard feed is cane tops, 
 California hay only being used for some of the draft teams. 
 In the cities baled hay only is obtainable. 
 
 A number of attempts have been made to grow wheat 
 for hay, but these have not been uniformly successful, and 
 such production is only occasional, and has thus far cut 
 no figure in the market. A grass has recently been intro- 
 duced from South Africa which, however, bids fair to solve 
 the question of local hay production. This is the Rhodes 
 grass, Chloris gayana. This grass is a drought resistant 
 species, of tall, upright growth. It seems to be exception- 
 ally well adapted to Hawaiian conditions. It makes a hay 
 of a very excellent quality and yields very heavy, it being 
 possible to harvest several crops during the year. 
 
 On lands capable of irrigation, alfalfa grows remarkably 
 well, especially in suitable locations on the dry side of 
 the islands. At Waialae, near Honolulu, there is a field 
 of about 300 acres which, under irrigation, yields thirteen 
 crops per annum. Following the usual custom, this and 
 other grasses and forage plants heretofore cultivated in 
 Hawaii are fed green, but there is a good field for the 
 cultivation of both alfalfa and Rhodes grass for supplying 
 hay for the local markets. 
 
 Other grasses cultivated for forage are Sorghum, which 
 ratoons readily, so that a field planted with it often yields 
 continuously for five or six years without replanting. The 
 Guinea grass, a tall growing, bunch grass, is well liked 
 although it requires a good deal of water and is rather 
 a slow grower. Guinea grass is propagated by division 
 of the roots, seed not being readily obtainable. 
 
 Para grass is widely cultivated under the name of 
 "Panicum grass." It requires a good deal of water, and 
 rich land. Under proper conditions heavy yields are ob- 
 tainable every two months throughout the year. This is 
 a succulent, leafy grass, excellent for dairy purposes. 
 
 Johnson grass, locally known as Evergreen Millet, or 
 Australian Millet, is as much of a pest where once intro- 
 duced, in Hawaii, as in any other part of the world. It is 
 much cultivated by dairymen who esteem it highly, be- 
 
32 
 
 cause of its quick recovery whenever cut or closely grazed. 
 The qualities which make it desirable from the standpoint 
 of the dairyman or rancher, make it equally a pest in cane 
 fields or orchard cultivations. This grass was introduced 
 into Hawaii under the name of Evergreen Millet, and it 
 was not recognized as being synonymous with Johnson 
 grass until it had obtained wide distribution throughout 
 the islands. 
 
 One of the best cultivated pasture grasses is Paspalum 
 dilatatum, an Australian species. This is a bunch grass 
 having about the same habit of growth as the Orchard 
 grass, or Cock's Foot. It is a very strong, leafy grower; 
 drought resistant, and has been widely planted by dairy 
 men and ranchers throughout the group. 
 
 The most abundant pasture and lawn grass is the ma- 
 nienie, or Bermuda grass of the Southern States. This is 
 a rapid grower, especially in cultivated lands where it 
 becomes a bad weed. It grows best from sea level to 
 about 2.500 feet elevation. 
 
 At elevations above 2,500 feet many of the European and 
 American pasture grasses have been introduced. Many 
 of the grazing lands are now heavily stocked with English 
 and Italian Rye grass, Kentucky Blue grass, Rescue. 
 Smooth Brome, White clover, Mesquite and Red top, as 
 well as with the weedy grasses and clovers. Buffalo grass, 
 which is the same is the St. Augustine grass of the South- 
 ern States, is a very valuable pasture and lawn grass at 
 elevations from 1,500 to 2,500 feet. 
 
 The cultivation of the improved hay and pasture grasses 
 and clovers is simply a matter of the proper elevation and 
 rainfall, and new introductions of forage plants are con- 
 stantly being made. There are excellent openings on all 
 of the islands of the group for the cultivation of both 
 Rhodes grass and alfalfa for hay. 
 
 While the cultivation of wheat for hay has not been 
 uniformly successful, there are some of the more leafy 
 varieties of dry land rices which bid fair to form a satis- 
 factory substitute for the imported article. A crop of two 
 to eight tons of hay can be secured from an acre of dry 
 land rice at least twice, and often three times during the 
 year. The cultivation of hay bids fair to be one of the 
 most profitable of the minor industries of Hawaii. 
 
33 
 
 VANILLA. The vanilla bean is the cured and fermented 
 fruit of a climbing orchid. The finished podh 
 are very dark brown or black, glossy, somewhat wrinkled 
 on the surface, from five to eight inches long, and about 
 as thick as a lead pencil. The vanilla extract of commerce 
 is simply an alcoholic extract. 
 
 The vanilla plant is grown either on a trellis or is planted 
 at the base of a tree so that it can clamber up the trunk. 
 . Any soil is suitable, provided the drainage is good. It 
 grows well in regions of abundant rainfall on the Kona 
 side of the islands. A mean temperature of from 65° to 
 75° F. gives good results. 
 
 The plants are propagated from cuttings, which are 
 simply lengths of the vine itself, from two to six feet 
 long. The length of the cutting has some relation to 
 flower production, the longer ones yielding flowers in a 
 shorter period. The leaves are cut from the lower end 
 of the cutting and the stripped portion of the stalk is buried 
 horizontally under two or three inches of soil and rotting 
 leaves. The upper end of the cutting is fastened to the 
 trunk of the supporting tree to which it soon becomes 
 tightly attached by its aerial roots. 
 
 The vanilla plant begins to flowei during its second 
 or third year and continues flower production until seven 
 or eight years old. Cultivation consists in keeping down 
 the weeds and underbrush in the plantation. 
 
 The vanilla plant only bears pods when the flowers are 
 hand pollinated. This is a delicate operation not difficult 
 to learn. Any one who attempts it becomes quickly pro- 
 ficient so that a good many flowers can be pollinated in 
 the course of a day. The pod matures in from six to eight 
 months, becoming hard, thick and greenish-yellow. They 
 are gathered before ripe. 
 
 The curing process is a somewhat complicated one. 
 After gathering, the green pods are spread out and ex- 
 posed to the air for 24 hours, being roughly assorted into 
 grades according to size. After being graded, the pods 
 are sweated between the folds of woolen blankets exposed 
 to the heat of direct sunshine. During the period of fer- 
 mentation the pods turn dark brown, becomes soft and 
 leathery and sweat freely. The pods are manipulated for 
 several days until the proper degree of color and aroma 
 have developed. After the fermentation they are dried 
 in the sun for a few hours and finally in cloth covered 
 trays in the shade with gentle heat. When fully dried, 
 that is when the pods no longer lose weight, but are still 
 
34 
 
 moist and pliable to the touch, they are packed U&utly 
 in tin boxes and are again manipulated in bulk for one or 
 two months. When completely cured the pods are sorted 
 to size and color, tied in bundlps and these packages packed 
 in tin lined boxes which are soldered when full. 
 
 The yield per acre in Hawaii has been estimated at 
 about 13,000 pods, producing about 120 pounds of finished 
 vanilla beans fully cured and ready for the market. 
 
 The industry is a very profitable one for persons having 
 sufficient means, who will give this industry their personal 
 supervision. The price of the vanilla bean depends as 
 much upon the outward appearance of the finished product 
 as upon its actual quality as indicated by aroma and flavor. 
 Care is therefore necessary at every stage in the growth 
 and fermentation of the crop. 
 
 Five acres of vanilla in bearing should yield from $400 
 to $500 worth of beans per acre per annum after the third 
 year. There are vanilla plantations in the Kona district 
 on the island of Hawaii and in the Kona district of Oahu 
 uear Honolulu. Much land is still available which is en 
 tirely suitable for the cultivation of this crop. 
 
 TOBACCO. Tobacco experiments conducted by the Ha 
 waii Experiment Station have been carried on 
 for four years at a sub-station in the Hamakua district on 
 the island of Hawaii. These experiments have been mainly 
 in the production of cigar leaf. The results have been 
 very favorable, the tobacco produced being of good color, 
 texture, flavor and burn. 
 
 The tobaccos of the Cuban type show themselves to be 
 well adapted to cultivation in the Islands and it is believed 
 that there is a large acreage which will, in time, be 
 utilized in this industry. The larger and more favorable 
 tobacco districts, as indicated by the character of the soil, 
 amount of rainfall, and protection from high winds, are 
 on the island of Hawaii in the Hamakua, Olaa, Puna, Kau, 
 and Kona districts. There is a considerable area of to- 
 bacco land on Maui in the Makawao and Kula districts 
 and smaller areas on Oahu, Molokai and Kauai. The 
 striking characteristic of all Hawaiian tobaccos is their 
 very excellent burning qualities. 
 
 While there is as yet no cultivation in Hawaii on a com- 
 mercial scale, the outlook for the establishment of an in- 
 dustry is very good. While to a certain extent a market 
 must be created before the production of filler tvpes qf 
 tobacco is undertaken on a large scale, there is sufficient 
 
35 
 
 demand for wrapper leaf of the better qualities to make 
 the cultivation of these types of tobacco an assured suc- 
 cess, even though the crop must be marketed in open com- 
 petition with the leaf imported into the United States from 
 Cuba and Sumatra. The burning qualities of the Hawaiian 
 grown leaf will sell it in any market. Should Hawaiian 
 grown leaf when cultivated on a field scale show as high 
 flavor as the Cuban grown article, it should not be difficult 
 to create a market on the Pacific Coast which would ab- 
 sorb all cf the tobacco produced in these Islands for many 
 years to come. Hawaii has the advantage over either Cuba 
 or Sumatra in that this crop is heavily protected, the duty 
 en Cuban fillers amounting to 28c, and on other foreign 
 filler, 35c. There is a protection of $1.85 per pound on 
 wrapper tobaccos. 
 
 There are few agricultural products so highly protected 
 as is tobacco, yet with a duty of $3700 per ton against them 
 the Sumatra tobacco growers sell annually 4000 tons of 
 wrapper leaf to the American consumer. At least a part 
 of this ought to be grown in Hawaii. 
 
 CORN. There is a good market for field corn in Hawaii 
 at good prices. The local production does not 
 equal the demand. Corn lands are available in several 
 districts at elevations of from 2000 to 5000 feet and a num 
 ber of farmers and ranchers have undertaken corn cultiva 
 tion on a larger scale than formerly, having adopted Un- 
 proved agricultural machinery, new varieties and modern 
 methods of cultivation for the production of this crop. 
 
 The cultivation of sweet corn is more general. This 
 vegetable is in the Honolulu markets during almost every 
 month in the year. There is a good opening for the culti- 
 vation of standard market varieties of sweet corn for ship- 
 ment to the Pacific Coast markets from December until 
 June, during the time of the year when only hot-house 
 corn is on the market. The local demand is always good 
 at good prices, especially corn of the improved types. Ship- 
 ments recently made to San Francisco have brought an 
 average price of about 50 cents a dozen during December 
 and January. Sweet corn ships well in cold storage. As 
 stated above, it is capable of production at practically all 
 reasons of the year. Farmers with a knowledge of market 
 gardening can undoubtedly work up a good trade in the 
 growing and shipping of sweet corn without the large 
 »n\ r e c? tments of capital required in many other industries 
 
36 
 
 VEGETABLES 
 
 The production of garden vegetables for the local market 
 is almost entirely in the hands of Chinese and Japanese 
 gardeners. However, as it is a tendency on the part of 
 most orientals to plant over and over again using seed of 
 their own production, vegetables of improved varieties 
 grown from imported seed find good sale in competition 
 with the ordinary run of product at fair prices. The clima- 
 tic conditions are such that anyone who wishes to take 
 the trouble to do so, can grow almost any kind of garden 
 vegetable excepting perhaps celery, peas, asparagus and 
 cauliflower, in his own garden at all seasons of the year. 
 
 Insect pests and plant diseases are as abundant in Ha- 
 waii as anywhere else, but in Hawaii, as elsewhere, these 
 yield readily to the application of scientific methods of 
 control. There are opportunities in Hawaii for farmers 
 or market gardeners who will come, here and. undertake 
 the cultivation of garden vegetables of better than the 
 average quality. Cabbages, beans, sweet and irish pota- 
 toes, green corn, lettuce, parsley, tomatoes, beets and 
 cnions grow as well in Hawaii as anywhere else. 
 
 Vegetables of the melon and squash family are subject 
 to injury by a fruit fly which stings and lays its eggs in 
 the young fruits or in the stalks, but even this pest can 
 be successfully controlled. Excellent celery and cauli- 
 flower are grown at elevations above 2000 feet. Sweet 
 corn is in the Honolulu market the year round. 
 
 There are oportunities for farmers to come here and 
 undertake thep cultivation of potatoes, onions and cab- 
 bages, very large amounts of each of these vegetables 
 being brought to the islands every year from the Main- 
 land, or even from Australia. The success of market gar- 
 dening enterprises of this character would depend on the 
 ability of the farmer to produce a uniform supply at all 
 seasons of the year, and the climatic conditions are such 
 that this is entirely practicable. The local consumer pre- 
 fers island products to those which are brought in from 
 the Mainland. About $150,000 worth of vegetables are 
 shipped into Honolulu every year, the larger proportion 
 of which could be produced locally, and undoubtedly some- 
 time .will be, whenever the producer undertakes to supply 
 crops of any one of these vegetables in succession through- 
 out the year. 
 
37 
 
 Many of the diseases affecting garden vegetables in cold- 
 er climates attack crops grown here. All of the diseases 
 and pests are capable of control. 
 
 SWEET POTATOES. Almost all of the sweet potatoes 
 used on the Pacific Coast are grown 
 in California. The opening of the season is about the 
 middle of August and i. continues until about April 15th. 
 When they first appear on the market the prices are very 
 high, from $60 to $80 per ton wholesale, and about double 
 that price when they finally reach the consumer. In the 
 latter part of the season the sweet potatoes which are on 
 the market are those which have been stored for a long 
 time and are of indifferent quality. The Coast markets 
 are bare of sweet potatoes from April 15th or earlier, until 
 about the middle of August. The market demands a white 
 or light yellow, dry potato of medium size. The standard 
 create for shipping sweet potatoes contains about 100 
 pounds and is of light material. 
 
 There is a business opportunity for some one who under- 
 stands sweet potato growing to undertake the cultivation 
 of the sweet potato in Hawaii, with a view to meeting the 
 large demand in the Pacific Coast markets at off seasons. 
 Sweet potatoes grow the year round in Hawaii. It is a 
 crop which, under native methods, receives little care. 
 Yields are large and would be larger were better prepara- 
 tion given the land and more care taken of the crop during 
 its growing period. Yields of from 5 to 8 tons of sweet 
 potatoes are not unusual. This is a small farm industry 
 which will undoubtedly yield immediate and large returns 
 if undertaken under the proper conditions. 
 
 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES. 
 
 The farmers of Hawaii, in common with those of all 
 other countries, will be confronted by serious obstacles, 
 which must be overcome. One of the most serious pro- 
 blems is that of controlling the many injurious insects. 
 As in all other tropical countries, insects are much in 
 evidence. The pests in Hawaii are almost entirely forms 
 which have been introduced from other countries. The 
 principal insects injurious to fruits are the scale-insects, 
 mealy bugs and related species. The sugar planters have 
 to contend with a cane-borer, a leaf-hopper, mole crickets, 
 and others of a more or less destructive nature. Plant - 
 lice, cut-worms, melon-flies, and various leaf-eating beetles. 
 
38 
 
 attack garden and field crops. Grapes, ornamental trees 
 and shrubs suffer from Japanese beetles and Fuller's rose 
 beetle. However, it is well to remember that the use of 
 direct, active measures of control will keep these pests 
 in check in Hawaii just as similar methods are used against 
 insect pests on the Mainland. It is certain that precau- 
 tionary methods, the use of insecticides and cultivation 
 based on the habits and life-history of the insects will con- 
 tribute to their control. 
 
 Other drawbacks are the high winds that are prevalent 
 during the winter or rainy season. These often cause loss 
 or injury to vegetables and annual crops but are not con- 
 sidered serious in relation to the cultivation of perennials. 
 
 As in newer countries a number of settlers living to- 
 gether as a community will do better than the same people 
 in isolated locations. Whatever drawbacks there may be, 
 those now living in the Islands have faith that they are 
 only such as can be easily overcome. 
 
 The College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts of 
 Hawaii, an institution of the same scope and char- 
 acter as the Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges of 
 the Mainland, has been established and is now in opera- 
 tion. The Territory maintains an efficient Board of Agri- 
 culture and Forestry in charge of quarantine measures to 
 regulate and prevent the introduction of serious insect 
 pests and fungus diseases to cultivated crops, diseases of 
 bees, and diseases of domestic animals. This Board also 
 exercises administration over the extensive forest reserves 
 set apart on every island of the group. 
 
 The United States Department of Agriculture maintains 
 the Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station, an institution 
 of equal scope with that of any other state or territory. 
 There is also a representative of this Department in charge 
 of the execution of the Pure Food Law and an observer 
 in connection with the Weather Bureau. 
 
 The Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association maintains, at 
 its own expense, an Experiment Station devoted to the 
 interests of the sugar industry along the lines of chemical 
 investigation and control, manufacture and mill work, and 
 the control of the insect pests and fungus diseases of cane. 
 This Station is one of the best equipped in all the tropical 
 world. The results of its investigations of Hawaii's lead- 
 ing industry have been enormously profitable to the sugar 
 planters. 
 
 The Farmers' Institute of Hawaii, an organization in 
 connection with the College of Agriculture, holds quarterly 
 
39_ 
 
 meetings on the island of Oahu. The Territory is better 
 equipped in men, libraries and materials for scientific re- 
 search, investigation and experiment for the benefit of 
 agriculture than many of the older and wealthier states and 
 territories. 
 
 Tropical agriculture differs from that of the Temperate 
 Zone, in one important particular, which is that most of 
 the tropical crops are perennials and that most tropical 
 products require manufacture before being salable. A 
 farmer who grows wheat or corn or apples can sell his 
 product immediately without any manufacturing process 
 whatever. This is not true of tropical products. Tobacco 
 is not salable until it has been fermented; sugar must be 
 extracted from the cane by expensive and intricate milling 
 processes; vanilla, coffee, sisal and almost every other 
 paying crop require a larger investment of capital than 
 would be necessary for an equal acreage of any temperate 
 zone crop, because of the manipulation required to trans- 
 form the raw material into a finished marketable article. 
 Furthermore, the time limit adds to the necessity for 
 larger investment, in that most tropical crops cannot be 
 harvested in a short season. One must wait three years 
 for vanilla, two or three years for sugar, two years for 
 pineapples, and four or five for coffee, rubber and sisal. 
 Tobacco, which in its cultivation is an annual, cannot be 
 marketed in less than fifteen months because of the curing 
 and fermentation the leaf must undergo. It is absolutely 
 essential that the prospective settler should have sufficient 
 resources or credit to carry himself and family through 
 these unproductive years. Business ability is as important 
 as knowledge of agricultural methods. 
 
 JARED G. SMITH, 
 Special Agent in charge of Hawaii Agricultural 
 Experiment Station. 
 Honol lu, T. H., May 1st, 1908. 
 
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