The Hawaiian gazette., 1872-12-04
"SmaII Farming


IT has been suggested during recent
discussions on the questions of labor and
population that the opportunities fol
what is called small farming in this
country are comparatively small in com.
parison with those of larger agricultural
enterprises, such as the cultivation OF
sugar, which, in order to insure success,
requires large undivided areas of land, as
well as large capital We think, if this
idea is correct, that the future of this
country, so far as a thriving, prosperous,
middle-class agricultural population is
concerned, is not very fattering. Such a
class of population can only exist in
countries where the people cultivate
their own lands froftably, or that
leased from landowners at a rental which
will enable them by their own labor, as
sisted by perhaps few others at seed
time and harvest, to produce a surplus
over their necessary expenditures. If,
therefore, lands suitable for such kind of
cultivation do not exist to any extent in
this country, there is no chance of ever
seeing this, the most desirable of all classes
which go to make up n free and pros
porous people; but we can not for
moment believe but that there are ample
opportunities in this country for precisely
that class of people, in number, indeed,
far exceeding its present population. The
soil has supported population exceeding
the present by many times, and we have
reason to believe that the area of cultiva-
ton fell far short of the whole surface
of the country which might have been so
occupied.
We need not look beyond the Island of
Oahu to find valuable lands, now lying
waste, which are specially suited to the
occupancy of small producers. For in
stance, all the valleys, such as Manoa,
Palolo, Moanalua, Kalihi, and even that
portion of Honolulu known as Palama.
All these valleys are comparatively well
watered, and are suited to the cultivation
of rice, fruits, and many other products
which would find ready market at re-
prices. These are far from
being the only portions of this Island
available for such purposes, and we firmly
believe that population many times
greater than the present one, could be
easily maintained by the cultivation of
ands now unoccupied except, perhaps, by
grazing a few horses or cattle. The other
Islands of the Kingdom present as great,
f not greater, opportunities for the sup
'ort, in prosperity, of large population
If Independent small farmers" so far as
he land is concerned, and we are quite
ure that landowners would be but
90 willing to extend every facility and
to those who would be
Wiling to engage in the cultivation of
heir unoccupied lands.
1t is not only in the valleys that people
Nth small capital can find opportunities
o put their industry to good use, nor are
he small variety of articles now produced
'r sale all the crops that can be profit
bly, raised. We believe that there are,
Indigenous to the country, fibrous and
Their plants, the cultivation of which, in
realities suited for the purpose, could be
iade highly remunerative. All in fact
rat is required to largely increase the
Sports of the country, and consequently
5 prosperity, is to avail ourselves of the
Iundant resources which nature affords.