Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1852-08-21
REPORT ON WHEAT, CORN, OATS
AND OTHER GRAINS.
" j, s. GRE

II AND OTHER GRAINS.
BY J. S. GREEN.
/ Mr.. PRESIDENT and Gentlemen Of tn
Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Society:
y To those of you who have resided at tn
islands twenty years, / need not say that tn
article which we once used As bread-siufi
was Of an inferior quality. You recolIec
that there was often a scarcity of -four, ant
! also that from some cause, what reached u
from the u. S. was barely tolerabIe, occa
sionaly too poor for feeding swine. o.
opening barrel stamped Z" Flour" chise
and mallet were always put in requisition +,
prepare the way for sitting. and these ever
were SD Intellectual ollentimes that pick-ax.
ar crow-bar seemed necessary for the work
la those days the demand for saleraius was
imperious-the constant and free use of il
indispensable. Ii one found on removing
the head of hiS-barrel that the -four is moi
musty, he felt quite satisfied though he might
marvel that bugs and worms could have had
patience to perorate so hard a substance
and though he might find his -four well nigh
sour enough TO set on edge the teeth. In
this case double dnse of saleratus, when
we could obtain it, was the only remedy.
have little doubt that the i'll health of many
of the early residents at the islands, had IFS
origin IN the character of the flour which was
imported from abroad. Indian corn was
raised at that time by the Hawaiians, but
sold commonly and eaten green. | do not
recollect of seeing corn meal in anv conside-
rable quantity during The first ten or twelve
years of my residence at the islands. Neither
oats, barley, nor any other grain, so far as ]
know, up TO 1882 cheered the eye of the
traveller as he made his way over the plains
of Hawaii. Up to this time no experiments
In this line had been made, and the general
opinion seemed TO be that neither the soil nor
climate of the Sandwich Islands was adapted
to the raising of cereal grains. 1t seemed
likely that we should always have to depend
ON foreign lands for our bread To this sup
poSed necessity all of us became more recon-
ciled as our foreign -four has improved in
quality from year tn year till IL is now very
good. Still there was no ground io hope that
the people of the islands could ever use for
eign -four, for hitherto some, if not many of
the poorer f,reigners have obtained only a
partial supply.
Not far, think from 1885, while was liv-
ing at Wailuku, a native of Kula, near the
Jdse OF Haleakala, came to me one day with
a Hingham box, and removing the cover he
asked me to see and tell him what he had
there. | looked into his box, and great was
my pleasure on serIng some two quarts of
fine looking wheat which he had raised
told him lis name and value +; purchased it,
and charged bin to SOW again, also TO tell his
neighbors that they too might cultivate IL.
This, believe, is iIit, brief history of the in
PRODUCTION of wheat into the Sandwich Is
lands. | regret that IL cannot be known TO
whom the natives OF Kula were indebted fnr
the few grains of wheat which enabled them
to bless the country with so useful product
1t was several years after | purchased the
few quarts of the Kula native before wheat
became SO abundant as 10 be sold by the bar
rel, or even by the bushel. used occasion-
ally TO see it growing in small patches, and
observed that it was of large growth and of
excellent quality The grain was sometimes
carried to Lahana. This learned when
on a particular occasion through
Kua sought little seed, wishing To try
the experiment Of raising it at Wailuku.-
All could find was a small quantity, say
about peck, which enclosed in strong
cloth was used as uluna or Hawaiian pillow
1t was then introduced at Waluku, Mr.
Bailey raising two or more crops. 1t grew
very well, the berry was fair, hut for some
reason, the -four was decidedly inferior To
that raised in Kula. Of late years none has
been sown at that place.
When in February I;,43. removed to
Makawao, the pledge having been given me
they could produce from the sod was con-
E,i., la hot 4 oh
need ten bushels of their good wheat for my
family use. This they furnished for two or
hree years. soon found, however, tha, the
raising, or rather the cleaning of wheat, was
4 costly service. The grain they rubbed out
On rough lava stones, and the chaff they blew
,ff with their mouth. AS they could earn
much more by cultivating the Irish potato,
even when sold a. one dollar per barrel. /
concluded 10 try the experiment of whea:
growing at Makawao. | planted in drills
about one acre, ana though lost some of it
by the wind throwing It down, and by the rats.
,et gathered tweniy-seven bushels OF excel
ent quality. Finding that could raise the
grain easier than they, the people of KuIa be-
!an to relax their efforts in this department
,f labor. In the winter of 1916, some eight
,r ten Of my ncighbors living near the bor-
lers of Makawao united in planting field
which they called "Palaoa Mahina Hou," or
monthly concert wheat, being planted and
ended on portions of the first Monday of the
month, the proceeds of which being devoted
o benevolent objects. When this was ripe
called ont the cultivators, and introduced
he sickle Most Of the wheat reaped, but
lllowed all who wished. 10 try their hand at
his novel business The women then rubbed