The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1882-04-19

ANYTHING which will enable Hawaii to
produce its own fodder for horses will be
hailed with delight by those who find the
expense of keeping these animals upon
California hay, grain, &c. rather a pull
on their purses. We have been able to
raise certain amount of hay of our own,
but the supply is very inadequate it is
but a drop in the bucket and both plant
tations and private individuals have to
seek abroad for forage
Glancing over our files of exchanges,
We have come across the account of a
plant, which seems to promise results that
would be most excellent This new for
age plant is the Priclly Comfrey Csy~phy-
TIM 0sPa-om,D) 1t has been recently in
troduced from the Caucasus. In England.
Ireland. and New South Wales it has
already been tried with marked success.
1t is very hardy and can be cut sooner
than any other forage plant twill grow
upon dry, poor and mslreltered soil.
Stock of all kinds. as horses. cattle, sheep.
pigs. poultry and even goats, all like it.
Horses work well on IT and are not soft as
on other green food. 1t may be planted
at any time in the year; in temperate
climates spring Is considered the best time
for planting, but all months have been
tried with success.
The following account of the method of
planting we quote from the FIJI Times.
" The plant is propagated from crown
roots or root cuttings II the former di-
vide them into as many small crowns or
roots as possible; large crown may be
divided into ten or twelve parts. Mark
off the ground and dig good sized holes
over the entire piece, each two feet apart
each way; plant the root cuttings in these
holes, drawing the earth over it and leav-
ing the crown about two inches under
ground: keep the ground clear and free
from weeds, and in a week or less a large
quantity of leaves will rise from each
plant: these should be cut when they
grow to height of two or three feet and
before the blossoms open. In about SIX
weeks a second cutting may be obtained.
and so on throughout the summer. each
affording from ten to fifteen tons of fod-
der to the acre, and every year after, eighty
to one hundred tons Some cuttings rise
TO a height of from ten to twelve feet. and
each plant averages from ten to twelve
pounds to the cut"
The Committee of Stock, appointed by
the Planters Labor and Supply Com
pany. might find il quite in their line of
duty to look into this matter 1t would
be quite worth while to have a few plants
imported and an experiment made Plants
could be obtained from New South Wales.
and be brought up in Wardian cases by
the steamer. If only half what is said in
favor of the Prickly Comfrey is true, it
would prove a real boon to the islands
Ok the evening of August 9th, 1880,
Gen S. c. Armstrong gave an address at
the Lycem before a very crowded audi
ence At the Tins there was great deal
of political excitement, and the Generals
remarks on THE Hawaiian Problem +"
struck home They were not ephemeral
remarks. however; looking them over.
after a lapse of more than Is months, they
bear as pertinently on the Hawaiian
Problem to-day, as they did the day they
were written. The subject had been
grasped thoroughly. and had been well
thought out by mind trained to think
The Chinese question was then begin
ming TO loom up as question. There
were only 5000 of these people in our
Islands at that time. but the prospect of
fresh arrivals was staring lis in the face
A warning was given. clear and distinct,
upon this point. There was rush for
wealth, and the importation of Chinese to
labor on our plantations would make us
rich. But, " said the speaker, they are
the natives with rum, opium
and sensuality" And is not this. now
that we have 15,0O0 instead of 5000. Just
what is undermining and destroying the |
natives Take the account of what Nessrs. |
and Cleghorn found at Eoloa: |
word for word. it is fulfillment of Gen. |
ATmstrong's warning. The causes for the |
dying out of the old feeling of confidence |
has gone on growing. 1t has been formed |
by others, but the true causes lie where |
the General located them
Wherever one casts ones eve along
the address one comes upon passages
whose presages have been fulfilled or are
evidently on the point of being fulfilled.
The address then is well worthy of study.
by every one who is Interested in the
Hawaiian Problem" More especially is
IT pregnant with meaning TO the members
of the Legislature of 1882. who Will be
called upon to face and act upon many of
the questions which the address deals
with. In wisdom and weakness lies her
strength should be a watch word for
Hawaii; or taking inspiration from the
highest source, those who have the guild
ing of the little ship of State should be as
wise as serpents and as harmless as doves.-
Mistakes in the guidance of our affairs are
not to be regarded as yenial errors, which
can be easily remedied or expiated The
United States, Great Britain, France or
Germany may make errors, do make errors
yearly, but there is enough vital energy
behind them 10 rectify what IS wrong,