The Hawaiian gazette., 1875-04-28
Rice Cultivation.

Among the industries which will receive an
impetus under the reciprocity treaty is rice
culture, the duty on which article in American
ports is two and half cents pound. The
treaty exempts It from this tax, and as soon as
1t goes into operation, rice cultivation will be
greatly increased. Nearly all our valleys are
adapted to taro cultivation, and from time i'm
memorial have been devoted to it. But with
the decline Of population and the consequent
falling Of in the demand for food, the land
once devoted TO growing It has lain idle The
same lani is admirably adapted to rice, and
precisely the same method Of cultivation is
pursued with both 1t follows, that this in
dustry Is well suited 10 the natives, all of
whom-men and women-are more or less ac-
quainted with taro culture. If, as we do not
doubt, the removal Of the duty, which will be
practically a bonus to the cultivator, tends to
develope rice culture and consequently to in
crease industry among the poorer and laboring
classes, special care should be taken now to
provide the best seed for their use. There is
none better than the Carolina or Louisiana
paddy. Government should import, or author
ize the importation, from America of say ten
tons, semi-annually, of the best seed obtaina-
be, 70 supply at cost to such as wish to buy.
or free Of charge to the poor, who wish to
plant, but are unable to pay for 1t. Whatever
system may be adopted should be under regu-
latiOns, which viii apply to all alike, and yet
tend to encourage all who desire to engage in it.
Foreign seed has been several times i'm
ported, but it soon detenorates, and produces.
in the course of four or five years, much
smaller kernel, as may be seen with most of
the nee grown at the present time. The grain
is much smaller now than it was six. years ago.
when Hawaiian rice was considered in San
Francisco nearly equal to Carolina rice. At
present there is a difference Of at least two
cents a pound in the price of the two qualities.
unless Hawaiian rice has been repolished and
the small broken grains taken out, by pass
ing through the San Francisco rice mill at a
cost Of one cent a pound, and a loss in weight
equal 10 at least quarter cent pound.
In order to produce the finest quality of rice,
We need first class cleaning and polishing
mill capable Of turning out from FIVE to ten tons
aday. That of the Messrs. Chulan is very good |
IS far as 1t goes; but its capacity is limited.
We must soon provide ourselves with facil- |
ties for cleaning every pound of paddy grown |
litter the treaty goes into operation-be 1t two /
millions or five, or else must export the paddy |
md pay tribute to foreign mills and labor in 4
,leaning il, which we should avoid, if possible.
There never was a finer opening for capital
md mechanical skill than the establishment |
f first class mill in OF near this city. We
'ay here, because this is the natural center
o which all the crop must come, and where
he rice should be finally put up in such per-
ect order, as to always command the best
nice from purchasers who will come here to
,uy It.
Our contemporary, in some very pertinent
emarks on this subject, refers to the China
"a Tios, as desirable variety. An our expe-
ience has been against the cultivation Of this,
which has already been introduced, and unfor-
unately become so mixed with the white
rain, as to damage the sale Of it in all foreign