The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1865-03-18
THE PACIFIC
commercial Advertiser.
MARCH Is.
About Cotton.

The past Two oL uit NcAl7s hAEFA iE l4'-
Of CorroS. both by foreigners and natives, be-
lieving that there Il no country III the world
better suited for It's cultivation, nor any business
likely o. prove more remuuerat.ye, according 70
the capital invested IN t., az 1t requires very lit
t- outlay beyond the labor necessary {, cultivate
II We are glad ~ hear that more attention j.
being paid To- It, particularly on Kauai and Ha-
wall. On the Latter island, We understand that
some forty or fifty acres are being planted
Some months ago we sent to New York, by
mail, samples of our cotton, both -ea island and
upland varieties. An examination Of them by
experienced dealers, and a comparison with va
rIeties grown in other countries, show oar sea
island cotton 70 be superior 10 the best American
ogu0n Of that name, while our short staple, or
upland cotton, l. said 70 surpass even the choicest
Georgian. If our ga island cotton can be raised
with care and kept pure, there IS no cotton in the
world that can rival it, and Of course it will be
sought for wherever offered for sale in foreign
markets. Thus far, very little pure has been
sent away.
These facts ought 10 satisfy every one who de-
sires to engage in it, cultivation that 1t offers Il
fine opening, with very little risk involved. Al
though the price Of cotton will fall on the tcrmi-
nation Of the rebellion, yet it viii be remunera-
tive to growers for several years to come. and the
price 1t ruled at before the war viii not be
reached perhaps during the next six or eight
years. Previous % 1920, American cotton gen
orally commanded from thirty 70 thirty-fve cents
a pound, and 1t is only during the last twenty
I've years that the price has been very low. But
the sea island variety viii long be sought for, on
accJunt Of It's scarcity.
An acre Of cotton, well TILED, will produce
here, as near as we can learn, about fifteen hum
dred 70 two thousand pounds, IN the SEED, worth
20 the grower, according to It's finencss, from one
hundred to one hundred and sixty dollars, and
those who possess the facilities for cleaning 1t can
realize even more. One man can easily manage
from twenty to forty acres, with assistance from
natives In picking the cotton, and Il more healthy
Or pleasant occupation does not exist.
The proper time to plant cotton Is from Jan
nary TO April, and if so planted it viii bear a
full crop tie same year. Ii commences bearing
when five or SIX months old. and continues till
the winter storms and winds break the flowers
and branches, which stops its yield till new
branches shoot out. Or the plants can be cut
down during the winter, and they will spring up
again in February and March. after the rains,
and bear as a5uudantIy rs before. How often
this process can be repeated, we do not know.
Cotton should be planted in rows, like cane,
six feet apart, and two or three feet apart "a The
-o,rs. This gives space for hoeing out the weeds
and for picking the cotton. Some plant alter
nate rows Of sugar-cane, eight feet apart, which
leaves four feet between the cane a d cotton
rows. The cane, a. il grows, shields the cotton
from the wind. and also tends to keep the ground
moist and In better order. After the cotton crop
is gathered, the plants are cut down and the cane
grows on alone 10 maturity. This plan. we
think, viii prove profitable on some plantations,
where the natives cultivate cane on shares, as
the cane alone Will pay the entire cost Of cuIti-
Eating both crops.
Perhaps q still better method for windy dis
tricts is that adopted by the Hon. John Ii, who
has taken great interest in this subject His
plantation can bs seen by any one riding to Wal
XXI. Il is the right-Eaud corner lot. where the
road turns off from King street, in going to Wal
kiki. lie plants three rows Of cotton, then one
of cane, the latter serving as a protection to the
former. Those Interested in cotton culture will
10 well to examine Mr.. lis mode of cultivation.
The natives do not distinguish the several va
r%ieties. nor keep them separate when gathering
the crop. Consequently, most that they raise is
mixed, and has TO pass as short staple. or upland
cotton. On this account very little pure sea
island cotton is obtainable. In the hands of for
eiguers, Its cultivation will doubtless prove more
profitable and more productive.
We hav" alluded TO the PERUVIAN TREE COT
ION. This We consider one of the best kinds.
DR.. s. p. Ford has about one thousand plants of
1t growing, and, in the course of three or four
months Will. have seeds to spare. The parent
tree, growing in bis garden, was -aised from seed
obtained from Washington. 1t is a noble tree,
twelve feet high, Its trunk three or four inches
IN diameter. and covered with hundreds of bios
SONS. About one hundred boIls, cleaned from the
seeds, viii weigh a pound, and it is said that
each tree will produce twenty pounds of cleaned
cotton annually. The b1lIs are three inches in
length. and, when Iipening, the tree looks as if
covered with -nowbails. Its staple Is long and
fine, and 1t ranks next To sea island cotton in
value IN England. where II commands fifty TO
sixty cents per pound, while India cotton Is
worth only twenty 20 twenty-lour cents.
We hope that foreigners will encourage this
new product, and urge natives 70 engage in it.
In order Il stimulate its cultivation. we have
offered a premium Of one hundred aud twenty
Ave dollars in gold. besides nine bound volumes Of
the native newspaper. u be divided among the six
natives who produce the largest amount during
1865. There Will be found some drawbacks, no
doubt The grub-wOrm NAV destroy 1t when
young, n il does other plants; or the strong
winds may iniure il. But perseverance will find
It's reward. These Islands can easily produce a
million pounds - cotton during the next twelve
months, and double the product every year after
wards.
-
CHINA sTE4MEBs-Among the telegraphio advices