The Hawaiian gazette., 1878-12-25
our Undeveloped Resources.

In the early days of California immigrants
were attracted in crowds to its shores by the
glitter of its gold. Although country OF
unparalleled agricultural resources, those
resources remained for considerable period
almost or altogether untouched. The "greed
of gold !" and the hope of speedily acquiring
the shining treasure blinded mems eyes to
every other interest and diverted their minds
from every other pursuit. 1t was only after
the lapse Of years, when ardent hopes had
expired in bitter disappointment and thou
sands had sorrowfully discovered that the
once enchanting prospect was fatd n'orgdna
which vanished approached, that men turned
their thoughts into other channels and de-
voted their energies to other and less exciting
occupations. Thence began season of genu-
inc prosperity that bas known but little inter-
ruption to the present time. And now it is
universally conceded that the wheat fields,
vineyards, and fruit gardens of that rich
country contain greater stores of lasting
wealth than all her mines of gold. Here in
! these islands we have no gold mines to excite
| then dissipate the hopes, to dazzle and demor-
| alize the minds of people; but the country
contains many and varied agricultural re-
sources and the soil is blessed with wonder
| full productive capabilities Its adaptability
to the culture of sugar and rice has long since
passed from experiment to assured fact {:
Cinnamon have fattened on its rice and eau
casians have become opuleut from its sugar
And because the cultivation of cane and the
manufacture of sugar have already enriched
some and are enriching others, many hitherto
otherwise engaged are being unduly excited
thereby: the sparkle of sugar in meas
ure takes the place in this country of the
"glitter" of gold in the by-gone days of
California. In several instances which have
recently come to our knowledge, young men
with limited capital, full Of hope and enthusi-
asm, but devoid of either experience or due
appreciation of the difficulties to be surmounted
and the energy and economy essential to sue
cess, rush wildly into the venture, with the
impression that they cannot go wrong. We ex-
press the conviction that all such will ultimate
ly wake up to the fact that even sugar raising if
injudiciousy conducted is neither short nor
sure road to affluence Not that We would
discourage legitimate enterprise, or say one
word in dsparagement of the country's capa-
bilities of sugar production sugar is, and
probably ever will be, our main staple. And
even this industry is only in infancy, and
much time and money and labor will yet have
to be given to it ere it has attained complete
developement. But public attention is being
SO exclusively absorbed by the sugar interest
as though it were the only profitable invest
ment the country affords; whereas the soil
and climate of these islands are -eminently
favorable to a variety of agricultural and
horticultural pursuits, some Of which have
been partially tried and others altogether
overlooked. We instance few. Coffee hat
had comparatively little attention and thai
little confined to about half dozen localities
Most of our valleys supply the conditions
requisite for the healthy growth of the tree
and the maturing of its fruit. Here is al
open field, and we are disposed to believe tina
experienced enterprise turned into it would
produce profitable results. The castor OF
plant grows spontaneously and perennially al
over the low lands, producing the oil nut il
abundance: this might be made source o.
revenue to the people. We have no doubt the
> olive tree would flourish here, and the manu-.
factLre of olive oil, for which there is never.
failing market, might be developed into ont
t of our staple industries. Successful expert
;.l Ill, ho,o oh tbo
3 skilled silk culture would yield profitable
return. There is hardly room to doubt tina
E the cultivation of grapes, as advocated by tn
I AdUertiser, would be attended with success
To the foregoing may be added dried bananas
and mango and guava preserves Driet
J bananas are delicious; the operation of drying
e is short and easy when dried and CAREFUL,
= packed they are not liable to damage in trans
: portation; the demand is active. Picklet
mangoes are considered great luxury il
e Europe, and realize high price. The frui
: when nearly ripe makes excellent jam, con
8 sidered by some connoisseurs equal to appl
q jam. The demand abroad for guava jell
e invariably exceeds the supply, thus rendering
y it one of the most costly of preserves. Gu
h readers need not be told that, in and aroun,
e Honolulu, vast quantities of these differen
!. !. fruits annually fall to the ground and decay
Is unutilized. What shameful waste W
u have but briefly indicated what we conside
a some of our undeveloped resources, reservin
u u the intention to discuss the various items i
detail as occasion may offer and inclinatio
d prompt.