The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-12-18
R M NOISES.

This humble class of plants, and other cryp-
togami which are usually regarded as among the
lower orders of the productions of nature. have
apparently become the great staple Of Hawaii.
Ferns are to be first and foremost, and to con-
stitute the strength of our show at the great
Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia next sum-
mer. We expect to beat the rest of the world
in ferns. The blacks of Hayti on our right may
design to outshine us with the crystals of their
plantations and with the precious things of the
forests of Cibao; but we will extinguish them
with our polypOdiums. The blacks of Liberia
on our left are going to exhibit the negro's in
yentive powers in displays of machinery and the
costly products of Palmas but Hawaiians are
to illustrate their superior civilization and the
capabilities of their archipelago by an array of
the parasitic weeds that adorn our tree-tOps and
our mountain boulders. The saying that the
rolling stone gathers no moss = can be so applied
in our case, that we shall prove to the rest of the
world our great wealth by the amount Of moss
we have gathered. We have been bewildered by
the display of moses. We have here, as Victor
Hugo says there are in the forests of La Vendee,
every variety of shape of moss, from a caterpillar
to a star. And us we have looked upon variety
after variety following in succession to the amount
of several hundreds, our head has acquired that
dazed condition where it begins to see nothing
else but stars, and our multitudinOus botanic
display has appeared but little more than a may
tracery of weedy trash.
But we don't say it is trash. By no means.
We appreciate the enlightenment that seeks
knowledge in shells and grasses, as well as the
enterprise that seeks dollars in sugar and coffee;
II z. IL .,ok;nn 20 ubaFhar - xunuId no
better to illustrate before the worlds great gath
ering at Philadelphia our inducements for pro-
ductiye industry, or our opportunities for small
displays in natural history. 1t has been urged
by influential men on 50 the beach and to
whose opinion we defer-that it would be unwise
to send our beautiful, white refined sugar to the
great American Centennial, because in doing so, or
in showing off any good thing we have to too much
advantage, we might inspire opinions on the
continent-ln our political foster-father- land, .
that We could do too much; and SO We might defeat
our chances of a reciprocity treaty that we desire
Therefore the curious fern and tiny moss are
intended to supply the place of articles that
would too damagingly illustrate our productive
capacity, and hence our Centennial Commission
have ordered multitudes Of MOSES, and ferns
in folios. We shall have leather-bound sets and
yelvet-bound sets of cryptogami so that Hawaii
shall appear a glorious fernery, rather than q
dangerous big plantation that could supply all
America with sugar.
But don't think we sheer at ferns as being
non-productiye. If there was no money in them
there would be no fern-fever, even amongst good
people. But it is just such an industry as the
delicate and tasteful hand of woman should sup
ply. The naturalist of eminence, a Hooker, a
Darwin or a Gray, must collect and mount ferns
for their study but when got up as a pretty
show to please people of taste, then such collec-
tions, in the way that we are getting them up,
belong to woman's work and consequently We
recommend that q Lady Commissioner should
represent this kingdom during the Centennial
Exhibition in Philadelphia. We do not dare to
indicate a choice, rs so many tasteful and grace
full candidates have come under our observation,
7 from Hawaii to Kauai. The trip to the Centen-
NAL would afford a healthful recruit to many an
excellent lady, and we cannot think of one whose
absence would occasion other than social regrets,
and whose stay in America for eight months
would endanger or occasion neglect to any great
public interest, either agricultural, commercial
or educational.
Our Centenp. al Commission has in hand, or is
promised fve>thousand dollars. And as we un-
derstayd the Commission advances half the cost,
as estimated by the collector, upon collections of
ferns, we think we ought to be provided with a
generous show of our mussi, dlices, lycopodiaca,
svp@a runnsner, honoIuIu, ii.
$1,000 uUg ~ ~.asz ~ r.a'tukU