The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-09-16


ooes.mer-ffke threads. whose beginnings and end.
6oat on the ambient air indiscernible- dreamed
then. I stood on the highest peak Of the poli. Be
FIRE me vere sprcad out IA fhs lovsly valleys OF Oahu
Arau;. Kauai and Hawaii, and strange. not . native
Int VAS to be seen. They had sTl ~disppeared. The
eocbanter,s wand in their sod lad dlt the sides
~ =. hills and the level plaine vii ut pt4gss'
"a Ae,r vhifes PAINTED sjaes sconsTS ~ b ntilh lly
9th the luxuriant Krreen 81 he vall<6s; ~ ere
ERE nee4 lotticed verandahs g. tia h6uses, 4e;s4nd
bioom;ne iprmeas; and vines ritz clustering Espes
ANT thsr ta.der teudrlis over and Sound q fssdes.
and when the gentle breeze swept over the valleys.
the crouns Of trees waved their lark branches and
the sun cilded the transparent young leaves o. sne
bananas. fast unrolling from among the dark-gresn
foliage. It was a lovely picture. indeed, OF conssnss
and peace. and plenty. The crawl Of q centlpene
awakened me. Oh, then! it was but q dream. Ine1e
were the same novels still around me. But wouio
such a dream become a reality Can these valleys
ever present such a picture Of content, and peace, ana
plenty?
In specializing on these questions. another ques-
ton. the FIRST, will arise What il the power which
can call forth the reality ."-and the invariable an
sver viii be, s. the almighty dollar" What. is ques-
ton the second, viii bring the almighty dollar to onr
shores land the answer is, export" But what
product of this zone can become such . staple or com-
MERGE that dollars win stick to the hands Of the poor
est nntive. sufficient to change the dirty house into
the pleasant dwelling? We produce sugar. coffee.
the products Of the grazieF. wheat and, may 1t not be
forgotten, An immensely Of poi. VIII any one or I'll
OF these products ever become an article Of export,
SUFFICIENT to infase its golden rewards in the pockets
Of the poorest ~natives I doubt il, for many and OBJ
vious reasons. Any product, to become the most
prominent staple for export, and to become OF general
and individual benefit to all CLASSES of the people,
should be of such a kind rs would be cultivated not
only by the capitalist, by the wealthy foreigner and
chief, but equally by the poorest and most
humble native. 1t should be a product, the exporta-
BILE bulk of which should not only and alone depend
ON extensive plantations, but even more 90 on the
proceeds of the single acres and half acres OF the
humber classes. It should be q product which re-
quires no capital, if grown on only a small scale;
which requires neither oxen nor horses, neither plows
nor harrows, neither skill nor (the greatest. the most
essential consideration of ALL hard work or constant
work, because, as all the world knows. . native loves
work as much as a mad dog loves water.
Another most necessary condition to anything ever
becoming an article of general cultivation by natives
is this The profits must be great. the returns must
be quick and come in the tangible shape Of dollars.
Such q product is rice. It is an article which Is con-
sumed in every part Of the globe, and always CON-
mands remunerating prices. No other product ap-
pears to me so eninently suited to this climate. this
country and this population. The United States pro-
duced, in 1S47, over three million pounds of rice, two
thirds of which was grown in South Carolina There
cannot be the least doubt that. ifa general and lively
interest were taken in the cultivation of rice by the
population. this country could successfully
compete with South Carolina even. That these islands
can produce rice has been already shown in former
years by several enterprising gentlemen. but it win
perhaps not be amisst to view the culture Of rice in
country in comparison with the rice culture in
South Carolina and ON the Mississippi. The most OBJ
vious reason in favor of these islands is that rice in
he United States is the product OF slave labor, and
siave labor never can compete with the labor Of
he free mans hands is a fact absolute. I will even
make the assertion, that If this day every native
would lay hands on the work. the labor Of one single
week, with what seed is on hand, would in time of
ix months set the rice crop of the Sandwich Islands
Town at a hundred thousand pounds, and this because
ii . idiu III dfC Hoy PACphtCA "a ~ I'LL Jill
wants the Same process of clearing as a talo patch
prepared for kalo planting. In South Carolina good
land is valued at $500 per acre, while the best
cotton lands sell for one-tenth that sum, according to
Dr.. Cartwright's statement, proving that rice is more
than cotton. In South Carolina but one
n year is harvested, the rice being generally
in March or April and harvested in September
n October. In South Carolina four thousand pounds
ger acre is considered an excellent crop, which after-
Yards falls short on account of rains, gales and high
ides, rs in 1850 to 1851. To prepare q rice field re-
,uires a heavy outlay of capital in leveling, making
cutting water courses. etc.
Now let US glance a moment at these islands
The average value of an acre of kalo land I am un-
acquainted with; perhaps there is yet not even any
lversge Mt all. That rice can be grown here more
han once a year, and doubtless twice. if not offener, |
8 almost certain. send you a sample of rice which
vas sown May 14th, and reaped over-ripe yesterday,
sept. 4th, one hundred and twelve days. Expert
nents have to teach US yet the best time for sowing,
o you may depend upon it that in a fortnight hence,
he same ground will have another crop growing six
high. I carefully measured by a tapeline one
square ground, and bent those ears not belong
ng to it aside, and gathered the grain by hand. It
three-fourths of q pound less one-half ounce.
is by no means the correct weight of what the
prUuuCeu, uSSHuSos 1t Dctu8 OseF-T1pe, the
had strewn a good deal all over the ground. 1
m certain that, undor more favorable weather, the
round would have produced one and a quarter pounds
er yard square.
Allow me to give you a short report Of the weather
luring the time of the growth Of the rice. The seed
ms sown on the 14th Of May. broadcast. and reaped
eptember 4th.
Rainy days in 'fay, from 18th to ais, -..-..-...u
RafprA ar n rR
Rainy days IN JIly, /
Rainy days from August LIST TIL Sept. 18th, ......-.u
Total rainy days in H.,
Add to this the heavy gales Of August ID and Sd
nd the night of August 10th. at the very time the
ice opened bloom, and it is no wonder that such a