Polynesian., 1844-10-05
THE ESIA N.
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE HAWAHA!
GOVERNMENT.
HONOLULU, SATURDAY, OCT. 5, 1874.

Agriculture being the foundation Of public
wealth, the father of commerce, the source
Of revenue, and consequently Of power, the
incentive to industry, and indirectly the
promoter Of population. is the main reliance
therefore Of this country for its prospective
prosperity. Without it, the body corporate
will breathe family, circulation be tardy, and
the country remain a reproach from ProvI
dence upon the neglect Of man. With it, it
can become a smiling garden, a granary
Of life, and millions of hands hardened by
honorable labor, be appraised in thankfulncss
70 the Rewarder Of toll. 1t is necessary,
however, in order fully to understand the
capabilities Of the country, to pass in review
its staple productions. Among them we find
not only all that are common to the tropical
zone, but many indigenous to climates far
North; so that the vegetable resources
Of both zones are with us comprised in a
circle Of a few miles diametcr,-a natural
advantage which may be made of meal
culable value. The chief dependence must
be placed on the following plants. Sugar
cane, coffee, indigo, tobacco, cotton, and
csbinet-lumber. All grow in great luxuri-
ance, without cultivation, and the quantity
Of land suitable for each is very consider
able. Porto Rico, in the West Indies,
though not under the most favorable govern
ment for the development of domestic indus
Try, and with . superfcies Of but two-thirds
the extent Of these islands, and a climate
subject to disastrous hurricanes, produced
in 10000 sugar 4e, AL ,s2c lbs., molasses
1907 500 CALLS, coffee % ,ooo, 900 lbs., and
Of cured tobacco $3.50 qtls.-exports to
the value Of ST., Zoo, 00O-while her imports
were $4,000 900; and that to a population
Of but 323,s3s, Of whom upwards of one
half were blacks. What was done there
can be done here. In 1878, its population
was but 10000. In 1890 it's live stock con-
sisted Of 10, 100 head Of cattle, 50, $40
horses. 25,0s7 swine, &c.-numbers which
with the vast amount Of pasturage lands
here, we could easily excel. Cattle and
their products, horses, hides, goat-skins,
glue, salt. tallow, and provisions, are dcs-
tined to be ofthe principal ingredients of ma
tional wealth. Among those of secondary
value, may be reckoned - maize, wheat,
potatoes, yams, mustard-seed, ~cocoa-nut
OIL. arrow-root, hemp, raw silk, castor
oil, ginger, beans, and fruits both pre-
served and fresh-such as oranges, lemons,
f'gs, p'ne-apples, grapes, etc. The aggrc-
gate value Of them, both for export and home
consumption, can be made very considerable.
To these may be ~added--rice, cochineaI,
cocoa, olives, buckwheat, mangos, pimento,
man'oc, and other inter-tropical and tempe
rate productions. which require but enter.
prise and skill to be successfully acclimated.
The islands Of Bourbon and Mauritius, in
the Indian ocean, in many respects afford a
comparison with ours. In extent they are
equal to Maui and Oahu. and probably have
an equal If not greater amount Of unavailable
territory for agriculture, consisting of active
volcanic mountains, deep assures, -basaltic
e%olonnades, and what is graphically called