The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1862-07-24
Correspondence of the Pacific Commerce. l Advertiser.


Mr.. EDITOR From most respectable sources, |
have received the information that, in the present
emergency of the country, it is not only wisdom to
abrogate and destroy the labor of years, and the only
establishment that has existed to experiment on and
develop the agricultural resources of these islands, to
wit, the Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Society's gar
den. but that the successful efforts of one of the most
humble subjects in the introduction and development
of what appears to become one Of the most remunera-
tive and beneficial resources of this country is ques-
toned. Against the last, justice to myself compels
me. by your permission, to enter my protest, and in
doing SO, | beg to insert the following history of rice
culture on the Hawaiian Islands:
Previous to 1857, some slight efforts ut rice-culture
had been made on these islands, but were given up.
In 1857, the POiyaesian contained an article adyo-
eating, as Il means to give employment to the numer-
Gus Coolies, TO provide them with land for cultiyating
rice. Shortly after, His present Majesty offered
liberal grants of rice land, but without any result.
In the same year, the Il. II. \. Society imported a
large quantity of China recessed and offered the
same for Observation-Disclosures without any result. In
1888. when | undertook the charge of the Society's
grounds, l planted the first field Of rice with marked
success. the rice ripening in III days. and yielding
10. to the square yard and on September llth, |
wrote my first communication to the -4dreTtiSer,
advocating the culture of rice, followed during the
following years by a number Of communications on
the same subject, that appeared in the -iirertiSer and
POlyncSian.
In 1859, l again raised about three-iourths of an
acre of the same China rice, yielding $500 lbs. Out
of this. | sent 500 lbs. to the Honolulu hour-mill, and
the balance in auction. The result I"ls, that China
rice was not n marketable article Rice-culture
appeared to be a failure. Still, not codtent with the
result. | procured, direct from South Carolina in the
following year. 1860, two pounds Of the most approved
South Carolina rice planted on August II, of the
same year, one pound and a half, and harvested
December Doth, 10 lbs. In March, 1861, DR. Ford
received from me four pounds, and before the end of
November, $500 los. of seed rice were received from
this garden and it i but a fair estimate to suppose
that the /! lbs. sown August II, 1860. will yield by
August IL, 1862, over a million pounds Of superior
rice.
Mr.. Editor. | have given you, in the above, n con-
else history of rice culture on these islands. Wisdom
or Vandalism may uproot every tree that this hand
has planted, throw to the East and West and North
and South the plants that have been collected from
every quarter of the globe, destroy the work of years
Of hard labor, | must be silent, because nothing IS
Justice, deny that the successful introduction Of rice
culture, the employment Of hundreds Of laborers, the
rise in the value OF worthless lands, are due to me.
This, at least, must be left TO me.
Respectfully, lIoISTEgE.