The Hawaiian gazette., 1883-03-21

We alluded last week to the small guam
tity of land which is capable of cane cul-
tivation and since writing we have made
some attempt at estimating how much of
our soil can really be utilized for this pur
pose. The area of the group is about
$685. 600 acres, of this nine-tenths will not
afford subsistence to even goats heavy
mountain masses with bare sides, or else
covered with struggling ferns and vege
tation which is useless alike to man or
beast. Out of 396.SOO acres left, the peo-
pie of this country have to find their cane
| land. their pasture land, their rice land,
their taro land From an estimate which
we have obtained from most reliable
source. the Hawaiian Islands have only
| about 100000 acres which can be termed
sugar lands: but even of such lands we
cannot make full use. either on account of
our scanty water supply or on account of
| location On the island of Hawaii for in
stance, though as far as soil is concerned
| there are some tracts of land, which to the
uninitiated seem admirably fitted for cane,
they are practically useless: if over 1000
feet above the sea level they will yield
crop in 30 months, and few men are bold
enough to face such lengthy period be-
fore they get any return for their money
and work LET alone the ordinary risks
which planter is exposed to. On the
same island, as a rule. to plant cane below
400 feet from the sea level is dangerous
on account of the drought Thus ON our
largest island, the one offering the broadest
tracts of land for cane cultivation, the
area where this industry can be success
fully carried on Is considerably narrowed
by mere position.
At the present time we have 10000 acres
under cultivation for cane; and of this
about 26,OO0 acres are cropped each year.
Could we, which is, as far as we under
stand. practically impossible, but for the
sake Of argument we may say. could we
cultivate the whole 100000 acres, we could
not crop much more than $1,000 acres
each year. Now from last years crop Of
10000, there We're produced $4,000 tons of
sugar or about two and one-sixth tons to
the acre, taking things by and large
throughout the group. A great deal Of
nonsense is written about the productive
ness of our soil: true that in some eXcep-
tionally favored spots. rich valley bottoms,
and even then only for the first crop
planted. as much as five or six tons to the
acre have been obtained, but such places
are exceptional and the statistics of the
yield of 1882 conclusively prove that the
average yield of cane land in these islands
is very little better than it is anywhere
else The very utmost. then, that we
could get from our sugar lands would be
about 100000 tons 4 year. Practically we
can never obtain any such crop, for though
the land may be there, the elevation and
the lack Of water are an insuperable
barrier to our making use of them.
The Louisiana sugar planters need have
no fear that the Hawaiian planter will
ever food the sugar market of the United
States: as a fact Hawaii has very nearly
reached her limit of production, and what
she produces is but drop in the bucket
when compared with what the United
States consume. 1t is a pity srch exag-
gerated accounts of our sugar growing
capacity should have arisen abroad. for
such things are hard to combat. and once
the idea has taken hold of any set of mems
minds they look with suspicion upon any
showing contrary to their preconoeived
views. We hope before many months
pass over that some of the Louisiana
Planters viii pay our group visit: look
over our cane lands by couple of practi-
cal men will be of more value in setting
right misconceived opinions, than reams
of paper. covered with endless figures.
from our own side.