The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-07-20
q e Enterprise.


Now that the dull season is upon us in full
force, ard the eTst-while busy merchants, i'm
pOrters, traders, jobbers, agents and capitalists,
may be seen yawning together in listless groups,
while the drowsy breeze carries no whispers Of
trade or full freighted ships to our port, we
would like TO suggest something for our men of
enforced leisure u talk about, discuss and figure
on, in the hopes that a new and profitable enter
prise may he started, a new source Of wealth
Opsued up.
We would propose that the growing Of Manila
hemp or fibre be started here, and We are of the
opinion that we can give some good reasons for
predicting the success Of the undertaking.
In the first place that variety Of the banana
that affords the fibre known as Manila, can be
and is grown here with as much ease, and under
the same conditions of habit, &C., as any of the
many kinds that we cultivate for the sake of the
fruit. We use the word Sc cultivate - because it
is a convenient one, and not to express the idea
of careful methodicaI treatment of the plant
from the time when the young sprout is planted
until it natures; for we all know that no care
Whatever is bestowed upon the banana tree be-
yond ensuring it a constant, though not necessar-
lily superabundant supply of water.
NOW ~ 0Adulid VI -utmp-DdDdud, h6 We
choose to designate it, can hardly be distinguished
while growing from other kinds, 1--WE are not
writing bOtanically) but the fruit is not consid-
cred edible, simply because the pulp is filled with
black seeds and the flavor is not liked so well as
that Of other kinds but the valuable part Of the
plant is in the fibrous structure of the layers of
leaf stalks that form the trunk or body of the tree.
This is the same as we see it in all other varieties,
but in the ease with which tho useful portion of
the "hemp banana is separated from the
glutenous Part, lies the superiority of this variety
over others. From our experience in growing
this kind of banana we are of the opinion that
the parent tree, upon arriving at maturity, is
more prolific in throwing up shoots than are the
edible varieties. Whether this is so or not, we
have been surprised to see how many young
plants will cluster around the main trunk, and
we are satisfied that q very few plants to begin
with would soon grow into a large plantation.
The young plants should be set out so that the
surface Of the ground Immediately around 1t is
sunken a little, say six inches, below the general
level in other words a hole should be made in
which to Plant the sprout, and when set, the hole
should not be filed up entirely thus the young
plant is protected somewhat from strong winds
uud lccc h1OlC " NO upAOOSNA. u pialto "
be at least eight feet apart each way to allow the
young sprouts to come up freely, and it is a good
plan to always transplant the shoots, as they do
better by being moved from where they first saw
the light of day.
The plant natures in less than a year and when
the fruit is fully ripe, the tree is ready to be cut
down. Although the fruit, as we have said, is
not much liked, when we can get any other kind,
still it is very fattening for hogs, and need not be
altogether thrown away. After the tree is cut
down even with the ground, the head should be
cut of so as to leave nothing but the compactly
rolled leaf-stalks that form the body. These
should be unrolled, and passed between heavy
rollers, to press rs much of the juice out rs posi-
bic. 1t will naturally suggest itself to those who
have access to the rollers ola sugar mill to use them
for this purpOse,-the pans arranged under the
rollers to catch the cane juice could Of course be
temporarily fixed to carry off to waste the mois-
ture from the leaf stalks-and their guage set so
as to dry the hemp without injuring it's fibre.
When the stalks have passed through the rollers
they arc laid ont in the sun to dry, and when
thoroughly dried are beaten over a frame in a
manner very similar to the Chinese method of
thrashing rice from the ear. This treatment frees
the fibre in a great degree from the worthless
husk, and leaves it ready to bale for shipment to
the manufacturers of coriage.
From first to last 1t viii be seen that the
growth of the plant and its preparation for the
market is simple in the extreme, too simple we
are afraid to ensure the experiment being tried
by some who cannot appreciate tie value of
cheaPness.
But the fact that any one who chooses to try
the experiment, even on the smallest kind of a
scale, can do 50 without any very great outlay by
a sprOut or two and setting them where
they will grow and wait for them to mature, should
induce SONS to try it and in this connection we
would say that we will be happy to furnish any
of our readers with information as TO where the
young plant can be obtained, il they will but ask
US 20 do so.
With the question as to what is the yield in
pounds per plant, we would say that we believe
ten per cent. of the gross weight Of the newly cut
trunk to be marketable fibre, and from the
British Trade Journal we find that the price is
from S225 to $3.50 per ton of 2,2iO pounds
Now every one can make his own estimate of
the cost of cultivation and manufacture, and we
presume that they will see in them a fair margin
for profit.
The discussion of the subject of preparing the
Manila fibre leads us naturally to en-
1uire if we could not go on and manufacture the
as well The question involves the i'm
Dortant one Of Whether We could get the requisite
skilled labor at prices that would enable ne to
.omuefe With others IN the business.