The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1865-01-07

man with to!erable enterprise and Ten to twenty
thousand dollars capital TO begin with
t2) Is the climate lcel adapted 10 cotton and
sugar?
3 80 Is labor cheap and reliable:
al What kind Of title to and cost Of lands?
(5) Is the climate healthy for a native Of the
Northern States;
81 Do all the tropical fruits flourish with yous
10 Can any fruits, grain, &c, Of the Temperate
Zones be grown?
~ Have you a liberal government!
(9) Are taxes oppressive?
G0) Is the cost Of living great?
With an apology for troubling you SO much, I beg
to remain,
Very truly your obedient servant
". n. B+**..
The above, which came to hand by the Smyr-
mote, is one of several letters received by US
during the past few months, inquiring about
our islands, their capabilities, and the prospects
for immigrants who may come hi.her. We have
answered them generally by letter, but as the
above calls for Il statement which may be as well
made publicly, and is, withal, SO brief and bust
ness-like, that we prefer to answer it through
the columns of our Journal. We do so with
the more pleasure, as we recognize in the writer
a member of the editorial fraternity, who will
doubtless concur in the p~ropriety Of the mode
we have adopted for answering him.
We ought here to state, for the information
u sumo WIN may HUI hlio" l, bHdG Iic pOpu-
lation of these Islands is less than 20, 1000. The
last census, taken In 1860, made it 80 800.
But, though the native race has decreased, the
foreign population IS Increasing, and is now not
less than 5000. Owing to the increased indus
try of the natives, and the demand on them for
labor, as well as the Improvement in their houses
and clothing. it is probable that the decrease
among them will be less every year, and soon
be entirely checked. The foreign population
will unquestionably continue to increase rapidly.
With these preliminary remarks, we will pro-
coed, as fully as our limits allow, to notice our
correspondents queries, which, for convenience
we have numbered.
j. " Are there good chances in the Islands for a a with
to begin with ?"
Yes, there are. In almost any business he
may engage in, but especially in agricultural,
a man with capital, and a fair knowledge Of the
business he intends to pursue, can succeed.
Capital and enterprise are wanted here. and the
more of these materials imported the better. 1t
is true that in some branches, there is less GER
tainty Of success than in others, and there are
persons here as elsewhere who have had to pur-
sue their calling for years before they found it
begin to pay. But indOmitable perseverance
and enterprise will, in the end, overcome all diff
~ticulties. Our remarks apply more especially
to agricultural pursuits. Perhaps in no coun-
try in the world does the producer receive a
more liberal reward for his labor than at these
islands.
e. is the climate WfH adapted to sugar and cotton ~
1t is, most admirably; and not only the
climate, but the soil. For growing sugar, each
of the four principal islands have been fairly
tested, and we say, without any fear of contra
diction, that there is no country in the world
where Il finer climate for the cultivation of sugar
exists, or a richer soil. OF course some locali-
ties are better adapted to it than others, and the
yield per acre varies accordingly. While our
group is, TO a remarkable degree, free from those
hurricanes which sweep with such destruction
over the West and East Indies; while our crops
are free from the ~blighting frosts that frequently
visit Louisiana. Texas and other Southern States;
the yield of sugar is sure and large, seldom less
than 1900 pounds, and in favored localities
reaching to 5000 and even 10, 900 pounds to
the acre. \ fair average may be stated as 5000
pounds Of sugar to the acre, with its usual
yield of molasses, say-300 gallons. This is not
an annual yield. for the cane requires generally
eighteen months to reach maturity
There are thousands of acres on each of our
islands still uncuitivated, but most admirably
suited for cane and we are within bounds when /
we say that within twenty years, if the requisite
capital is supplied, our annual product of sugar
will exceed one hundyed millions Of pounds. IN
deed. those who are best acquainted with the
subject, maintain that the large island of HalcoY
alone Is capable Of producing that quantity.
\ few years ago, no one thought that sugar
plantations could be successful on this island,
Oahu but we have already screen in progress,
and within ten years there will be twenty more,
for here is the land. and all that is needed are
capital and enterprise 10 start and conduct them.
Respecting cotton, we cannot answer our cor
respondent with so much confidence. Yet, so
far as i: has been tried, the climate and soil are
well adapted to both the Sea Island and upland
and from all we can gather from the
natives who have been engaged in its cultiva-
ton, the yield per acre is larger than the usual
average in other countries, owing to this import
fact, that whom the plant commences bear
ing, it continues almost without Interruption
throughout the year, yielding of course more
after the wet season, which lasts from Novem-
Der to March, and it continues 10 bear well for
several years. With foreigners to conduct a cot
ton plantation. as the sugar plantations are con-
we have no doubt that the cultivation
of cotton will yield a larger income in proper
ton to the capital invested than any other agri-
cultural pursuit. This of course applies to the
present high prices, which, 50 far as the long
staple or Sea Island cotton is concerned, will
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