The Hawaiian gazette., 1885-11-24
Banana Culture.

| Now about the expenditure All observers agree
that the proper preparation OF the land, plowing,
| acre ready 10 plant; but consider that this tig
| ure can more easily be exceeded than diminished.
| The cost of suckers has varied between four and
ten cents apiece. The expense of planting and of
constant cleaning comes TO about $50, TO which
i must be added that of irrgating-this last being
of course dispensed with only in our damp gulches.
The cost of carting the punches varies from ten to
/ twelve and a half cents. One very intelligent
/ planter boasts of having cleared $500 profit per
/ acre twelve months after planting but this was at
/ a time when bananas commanded high prices.
Now this last summer, the prices of sale here have
varied between twenty-five and thirty cents a
i bunch: they have a tendency TO rise IN price at
| present, and they are supposed to gradually in
crease 10 seventy-five cents by next March, thus
/ huctuating between these extremes, according TO
| the season and to the nature of the bananas.
All this information, perfectly trustworthy, leads
me to make the following tabulation:
COST or BANANA r1ASTISG PER ACRE.
Go.t ~ io5 81 sudLeTs at i've cents 50 90
Planting and years wedding. 70 10
Rental Of water.....; ;...:.------.-..------,. ism
Cost OF caIting wharf 20 ~
.S3Ia 90
PRODUCE.
800 marketable punches at y 90 cents each
SIS TO SO
The deficit on these figures, which relate 10 the
first year of planting is somewhat made up by the
expense being diminished on the second year in
the proportion of $50 of first establishment.
The unmarketabe punches are not charged here
TO receipts as they generally of little avail
except for pigs, because the home market is always
glutted.
This table shows that, to be profitable, bananas
must be sold here at seventy-ive cents bunch at
least, and this explains why banana culture, in
spite of all its promises is not at present. consid-
cred remunerative here. 1t shows also that they
can only be grown by laborers who do their own
work: no man who has to hire laborers can at
tempt 10 grow them, and many persons who hap
pen to have banana trees growing their land,
do not think it worth while to send them TO the
steamer but prefer giving them to the pigs and
chickens who thrive on them, specially the latter.
Now, since higher prices can make the banana
culture worth consideration by land owners, it is
necessary to enquire about the causes of present
low rates. These are the low prices in San Fran
cisco and the eIorbitant charges for freight. The
Oceanic Co. has the monopoly of transportation
and exact seventy-five cents per bunch, with five
per cent Primage, in all seventy y-eight cents and
three fourths. Yet, last summer the marketable
value of bananas in California has often been LESS
than the freight cost, making the price paid here
to the producer, however small it was, dead loss
to the buyer. Furthermore, one thing that tends
to keep down the California price is the spelling of
the fruit.
One of our principal exporters tells me that "the
punches are handled in such rough manner, they
are so overloaded and crowded between decks,
where they certainly lack proper ventilation. that
large percentage is destroyed by being heated or
cooked; and when arrived at San Francisco, the
Stalk, minus the frult, ls delivered, which the
consignee has the pleasure OF paying seventy
and three fourth cents each, whether good over
heated, the steamer takes responsibility for
good delivery" Another we'll known banana agent
writes to me: Two years ago, when there was op-
position between the Australian p. M. steamers
and the Oceanic Co., the first charged forty cents
bunch and the latter fifty cents. These fair rates
Of freight stimulated large demand; much greater
areas of land were planted with bananas, and the
value of young plants was doubled SO that now
the quantity of marketable fruit is triple the guam
tity of two years ago. But now from high freights
and greater supply combined, the grower finds it
does no more pay TO grow bananas"
These are serious charges against the Oceanic |
Co., and think that in their own interest if they
want 10 keep for their ships freishtage of nearly
$4,000 year on the banana expectation, the Di-
rectOrs ought to attend 10 the matter, and order
that proper care be given to that cargo Further |
If, as don't doubt they have patriotism enough |
to wish TO encourage this culture, which ought to |
be an important item for these Islands, they will |
not hesitate to reduce their freight charges down
to the utmost, fifty cents per bunch.
III the Oceanic Co. does not do this, there remains
only two things for our banana planters to do:
either abandon this culture completely and pull |
up their trees, as many Cinnamon are already do |
ing or else study other ways of utilizing their fruit.
Several intelligent agriculturaliss among us are |
turning their attention to the feasibility of drying
bananas, and sufficient experiments have now been |
made to show that the thing is feasible and that it
would be the best, and perhaps only way to make |
the banana culture pay. The dried fruits quite |
they are not yet known enough, and this new in
dustrT needs market and a demand, which it |
may get in few years time.
There are probably other ways of utilizing the |
banana, but they do not amount 10 much, one
alone excepted and that is distiation
Bananas yield a most excellent alcohol, and also |
very good brandy. In such temperance stricken
country as this, would not venture to suggest the
making of liquor from bananas, but certainly / |
think that no sensible person, who knows how
much alcohol is used in different industries and in
will deny that alcohol is ana must re-
main an indispensable article, u source of great
Even here, every year quite large
amount of industrial or medicinal alcohol is i'm
ported in this country, for which We have to pay
hard gold coin, while out of the wasted bananas
alone, we could manufacture here not only enough
for the home supply, but enough to turn the tables
and take large share in supplying the wants of
America and Australia. This is one of the local
industries which could be Immediately started,
with very little outlay or cost and would run hand
in hand with that other industry by me suggested,
that of cultivation of flowers for perfumery, one
industry helping out the other 1t only wants
proper legislation, which hope will be in due
time suggested to the next legislature.