The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-04-08
WATER PROSPECTS OF THE COl0Nl-
ZATION LANDS.

A"ssSss ssNNSSs
A few weeks ago the writer was
one of party of explorers, to ex-
anime the prospects of irrigation on
the lands proposed to be developed
by the Oahu Colonization Company.
The particular occasion was re-
quest from Messrs. John Fowler &
Co., large manufacturing firm of
London and Leeds, to Mr.. A. M.
Sproull, b. E., their practical en-
gineer and correspondent in these
Islands, to report on the water pros
poets of those lands. Since Mr..
Sprouts arrival in this kingdom
about five years ago, that firm has
supplied q good deal of sugar.
making machinery to plantations
here, and has also acquired tinan-
cal interest in some of them. 1t is
gratifying to have such an inluen-
tial and wealthy firm, so far away as
England, manifesting a practical in
terest in the colonization scheme,
the success of which implies a vast
increase in the productive resources
of this country. What Mr.. SPROUTS
report will be time may show; but,
so far as the unprofessional eye of
the BULLETIN could judge, the FEAST
bility of ample irrigation of the
lands, at cost not disproportionate
to the certain returns, is assured.
This conclusion is reached from
evidence that may be summarized
briefly: 1, Water has been obtained
wherever a hole has been bored in
the dryest of the different proper
ties; 2, The best and widest stretches
of soil are below elevations where
steady streams have been obtained /;
3, Water in great abundance has
been procured on other properties,
where the conditions do not appear
to have been any more favorable
than on the colonization lands; A,
In one case, at least, it is demon
strated that the storage of water in
mountain gulches is an available re-
sort to certain extent.
incidentally the expedition gave
an opportunity of inspecting, at
close range, other features of the
colonization scheme than the one
under particular investigation. One
fact made prominent was that, as an
investment, the scheme offers i'm
mediate returns from the stock rails
ing branch of the enterprise. In
deed, there seems no necessity for
diminishing the scale on which this is
conducted, while thousands of acres
are being reclaimed for sugar, rice,
and other cultivation. Also, it seems
feasible, by turning water on some
now desert stretches that will not be
fit for agriculture for long time to
come, to create fresh pastures for
herds, thus releasing lands now
necessary for their sustenance, on
the grassy foothill slopes, for a
variety of agricultural operations by
prospective settlers. Enough was
seen to convince anybody that fruit
growing could be successfully prose
cuted over very large aggregate OF
ground, in rough and diversified
sections, where ordinary agriculture
would be attended with more or less
difficulty.
A brief report of the expedition
referred to, which is given below
will, we think, bear out the general
izations contained in the foregoing.
AS the lands have been previously
described in detail by another mem
Der of our staff, in connection with
a larger expedition, this narrative
only requires to be a brief sketch,
as much the record of very agree
able few days outing as anything
else.
About o'clock in the afternoon OF
March 9th, an equipage provided and
driven by Mr.. b. f. Dillingham;, chief