The Hawaiian gazette., 1871-05-10

1
tree inflicted great injury on our district Maka-
wac is not worth so much to-day for Hawaiians
as it was when sold to them % years ago.
(2) The raising Of so much wheat TO the cx-
clusion of everything else, injured the people in
another way. As the grain ripened nearly at the
same time from one part Of the field to the 9th
er, the owner. of no large field could muster help
enough of his own to harvest it. So soon there
fore as his grain began to ripen, each farmer
would hasten to some merchant and purchase
piece after piece Of cotton cloth for which he OBJ
tanned credit, securing the merchant from loss by
mortgaging bis field Of wheat With this cloth
he hired aborers to harvest his wheat. and as the
price he received was uncommORy low. it was
seldom that anything remained after his debts
were paid My ADVICE to the farmer was TO vary
the product Of his field or fields after this man
ner A few acres sown to wheat. an acre or two
planted with Indian corn as many to potatoes.
beans, squashes, melons, etc, etc, then let the
farmer begin in season to exchange work with
some of his neghbOrs till he had enough due him
TO secure the harvesting Of his wheat when ready
for .he sickle. But have yet TO learn that 4
single Hawaiian in my field ever exchanged work
with neighbor. This system Of having their
grain harvested, and paying interest on debts con-
tracted to pay their hborers has caused the
wheat-growing enterprise to prove a failure so
that the greater portion Of those who purchased
lands and who would have gladly kept them,
have been compelled to part with them that they
might cancel their debts. It is nearly twenty
five years since these lands were sold to the pe0-
pie of Makawao. Nine-tenths of ths native
owners have sold their little bomesteads to for
| eigners and though most Of thea have been re-
moved by death, yet nearly every one Of them
died homeless. The King did 7hat he could to
favor the people Of the district. He sold every
man of them as much land as he asked and paid
for, and at a reasonable price, and gave each one
an acre and the house which stood upon 1t.
49, When | say the system Of having the
wheat harvested, and paying interest on debts
contracted, caused the enterprise to prove fail
ure, should not conceal that there were other
causes of the failure. From the frst the farm
ers of MakaWaO and Kua have been greatly az
aicted by the ravages Of insects, particularly Of
the peeiitG or cut worm and the caterpillar When
the peelua attacked the grain as it was springing
up from the ground and this was very counor.
they would destroy whole field in a single night
The farmer then plOwed the field and soWed
again. Two sowings were quite common and
sometimes three. The caterpillar waited till the
wheat was growing Justify, and sometimes till it
reached half way to the knee, when :hey came
on, like Millions locusts, irnumerable, and swept
all before them The Hawaiian Agricultural So
ciety offered handsome premiums 20 any one who
would discover a method Of destroying these in
sects, but no such discovery has been made. The
enemy still lives to annoy every enltvator Of the
soil More than one foreigner has tried the ex-
pertinent at Makawao Of raising vegetables,
hoping, if successful to take up bis abode with
us. Bringing with him an assortment Of garden
seeds, such an one has remained ill be has seen
them utterly destroyed by the tooth Of the mex
orable peslud.
(4) 1t is plain that the experiment Of wheat
growing on cur island has proved failure The
causes Of the failure have now Indicated II
these causes Of the failure seem to you insufficient,
let me add that we cannot compete with our Cal
ifornia neghbors in raising this grain. Though
we have generally produced very good wheat at
Makawao, land especially at Kula, where there is
less rainl and some seasons truly excellent, stl
the climate Of California is better adapted 10 the
production Of cerials of every kind than our
islands. Early in the history Of wheat growing
at Makawao we nearly lost our crop one year in
consequence of long continued rains isjuring the
kernal. Had we sown in March 1870, though
there might have been heavy growth, it would
have been difficult, if not impossible 10 harvest
it on account of the frequent and copious rains.
We may as well yield the palm Of wheat growing
to our friends in California eheerfully as TO con-
test the question Of success with them As
things now are, there is no probability that the
business Of wheat raising will be resumed On this
part of Maui. Much Of the land is covered with
a heavy growth Of sugar cane, and the balance Is
a dense wilderness Of oi, to remove which and
prepare the ground for sowing, would cost a
great amount Of labor. And the scarcity Of Ia
borers, may say in conclusion, forbids all hope
Of seeing our fields again waving with grain Of any
kind, and the difficulty Of procuring help IN eny
department is constantly increasing. The peo-
pie are still dying around u.s. Multitudes who
have thas far survived, are disnciiued to labor,
are iickly, stupifed with aloa drinking or beer
guzzling, and thus preparing rapidly to follow to
the land Of silence and darkness, their neighbors
and friends who since 1869 have gone thither
What can be done to arrest the tendency Of
things downward and save the remnants Of
once numerous race from selfprocured ruin. VIII
none Of your correspondeuts-friends Of the na-
tion-give kIeir advice at such a time as thh
Blessed will be the name and sseet will 30 tbs
memory Of the mAa who shall point out the way
and persuade all, chiefs and people. foreigners and
to walk in it, which shaa result in
the increase Of the race, and in the confirmed
habits Of industry, temperance and virtue Of ali
1H these charming isles.
Yours respectfully, J. s. GEzEx.
...---.--
Mas. PARTIxGToS, on reading the account Of
schooner having her jbboom cayis5 away on
ono Tsiond Corrd ooa r;~bt l,-t - -