The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-11-16
VINE CULTURE.

We notice that wine is rapidly becoming an
important article of export from California
important both in quantity and quality. II IL
gaming ground very fast upon the imported
article IN the Eastern States, owing to its purity
and excellence. X seems 10 US that we might
probably and successfully produce good wine
here. Our soil and climate are most favorable
for the growth OF the vine, and the cultivation
Of the grape is 4 kind of labor especially adapted
10 the habits of our people. There are hundreds
Of valleys and ravines on all the Islands where
the vine would grow TO perfection. Whatever
legislation may be in force of Z discouraging ten
dency as 70 the production Of wine can be easily
modified, and still LEFT in such q form as 70 guard
the people from any danger in the way of excess
IN the use OF the wine. Frankly speaking. We
believe the HawaiIans would much prefer selling
the product OF their vineyards for money, 10
keeping 1t for their own consumption. They
might use a part of 1t, but that part would be
small. Let them be placed by the law upon the
same footing with others here. in their own
country, as to personal rights, privileges and res
possibilities. IL is not necessary here to repeat
what has been 50 often stated. that in those
countries where wine is commonly drank by all
classes, there Is less drunkenness among the peo-
pie than is to be observed where wine drinking
IS not general, for the fact is universally admit
ted to be true, and affords an additional and
argument in favor of vine culture.
Our sumptuary laws, in their partial a~ppIica-
ton, have failed, in the past, of accompljsbino
the object for which they were enacted. tbrouob
that very partiality. What is necessary in our
view Is, that these laws should be of general
appLcatIon, and bear on all alike. No odious {
'Ia5s legislation; no laws constituting, in fact. n :
OF caste; no statutes allowing to one race '
privileges denied to another. Has civilization /
las Christianity, has the teaching of the Church, !
he School, been so far a failure with the Hawai-
an race? If not, then blot out those laws on
he statute-book which declare by inference that
IL these benign influences have had no effect in
lOulding the national character, and which.
'hlle they remain the law, are a standing insult
D the native race. And is it not q notorious =
lct that the native Hawaiian, in spite of the
wv, can get all the stimulants he has the money
} pay for?
Who will take the lead in vine culture. i
nd thus open up a new source of industry
the Islands to which we feel assured the native
laTaIians will take readily? 1t is said thew are pP,t
to plantation labor, and this is true to a Pa
egree; but their objections in this respect would Pc
se their weight in vineyard culture, az the II
Dor IS OF a different nature, and the VINEYARDS
ould be mostly owned by themselves. The pro- W
8 would be theirs, and thus every inducement A;
thrift and industry would have full force upon
cir minds. Tr
The following, which we copy from the San
'ancisco Market ReUie10, has so close a relation W.
the preceding, that We give it in full. We Mi
lIeVe there is a good deal of similarity in the
i of the g foothills 3" and the timber belt Of E M;
lwaii. IA
A. Elliott, a fruit-grower near Newcastle. Placer
Iihty, gives MS experience in fruit growing in the foot Me
Is as follows " take the liberty to send Won n small Poe
Z d grapes and one of peaches. The vines that [ ga Mo
Ieu III grapes from are four years old from the cut
SS, and are turning of about thirty tons To the acre on,
There are 700 vines to the acre. and 7 have On
shipping them at the rate of 800 per ton. | have Mel
peach treeS-han three years old and half four vears Iol
seventy Oh them have been picked, and averaged
e cases d peaches to the tree, that brought me from :
70 to 81 per case and 1 ann gathering from the otber n
trees, ana think they will do quite as well as the 49,
seventy. They are growing on about seyeD-ei0btbs -"
n acre of land, and | took off !, 40 worth AZ sfraw -
res from the same ground this spring. T came To
place about four and a half years ago. The land was =
oNered with brush that no one dared to tackle it. / ISL
z put out $4,000 trees and plants, all with my own *
Us. Ihe hrst year l took off 81 900 worth of nrCducn. = 9
second Sl,SO worth the third, 81, 600 worth and I GA
IA MS year that l will realise about $4,000 worth. / M
nity years OF age. / also have about twenty TONS =
ay, which L had to cut with a scythe. and I emf IL ali -
hlhgs, before breakfast. L started in with s.. 900 that
working by the month. 1 would not thank a &
g nave not brought me a dollar y4 - 400