The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1890-12-02
HlL0 AS A FRUIT PRODUCING
DISTRICT.
(From the Hilo Record.)

These islands lying so near to the
north Pacific Coast of the great
continent will in time be
the place from whence tropical
fruits can be most easily and profit
ably exported for the consumption |
of those living in the western states
and the English possessions. The
cultivation of fruit for export has
been almost entirely neglected until
very lately; bananas have been
largely raised on the island of Oahu
for export. This has only been on
account of the facility of transporta-
ton given by the regular steamer
communication with the coast from
the port of Honolulu. But there has
been no opportunity given for get
ting fruits to market from any
other portion of our group. The time
is not far distant when such a de-
mand on the Coast for our fruits will
exist that some means for transpor
tation will be provided; and are we
doing anything to fill such de-
mand?
All tropical fruits will be in de-
mand; bananas, grapes, watermelons,
figs, oranges, lines, custard apples,
cocoanuts and a great number of
other tropical fruits will be wanted,
and Hawaii is able to furnish them
in any quantity.
The districts of Hilo and Puma are
some of the finest lands for growing
| bananas, cocoanuts, watermelons,
oranges and alligator pears. kona
could furnish all the oranges, pine
apples and custard apples; Hamakua
grows fine oranges and bananas; kau
and Kohala the same; but all these
fruits, except the water melon, are
fruits that require years from the
planting of the seed to their coming
into full bearing.
The Chinese bananas require elgh-
teen or to twentyfour months to
bear. Our Hawaiian from twelve tc
eighteen months The former hold
the Coast market now, and it will
take time to learn the banana con
sumner there, that our Hawaiian
bananas are far superior fruit. Ir
this district of Hilo, we have a wide
range of land, suitable to banana
culture and which is unavailable fol-
cane. Ten thousand punches could
be shipped from here monthly if the
business was gone into. Then we
have as fine alligator pears raised
here as are to be found in any par
of the world and it is fruit wei
adapted to our soil and climate. Th'
American people are just beginning
to find out their value. From LOO
to 1000 fruit have been picked off
single tree in Hilo.
Again we could raise right here il
this district any quantity of tn
water lemons of different varieties,
fruit which in one variety or tn
other lasts the year round and
most delicious fruit it is too, and on
that would have ready sale at tn
Coast if once introduced.
: It is easily grown and is grea
, bearer. The large yellow variet
commences ripening from Decembe
= and keeps on till June or July, whe
3 the purple variety sets in. A ne'
| variety just imported by Mrs. D. Z
Hitchcock seems to be a perpetui
bearer, but as none have yet ripene
i we cannot say as to their value.
/ Then our grape season commence
- from December and runs we'll int
the summer, a period when the Coa'
market is destitute of grapes. An
: how many thousand of acres in Pun
a and Kona there are lying idle O
which the finest grapes can /
. grown.
s The fine variety of the white sug'
If loaf pineapple does remarkably we
:, in Hilo, variety which would brin
i from SO to Sc dozen at the Coas
5, while Puma and Kona could furnis
n all the native pineapples that woul
, be wanted in the market. But
- takes two years for a pineapple far
: to come into bearing. The GUSTAV
u apple now grows wild in some par
n of Kona and is fruit which will
1t easily marketed, and one too
N which not enough could be raised
UuS dlbtI DSIl
~ introduced. This fruit takes fro
% three to five years to come into fl
,s bearing. And so we might go {
IN enumerating vast variety of 9th
y fruits growing on these islands. B
N it seems to us that we should
n taking hold of the matter in earne
re and begin the planting of frui
70 which take so long to mature. "
y, 10 should not let the matter pass out
90 mind and awake some day when
steamer calls at our door and wan
of the fruit and we have none to SCI
N away.
OF We would like to see fruit cor
u pany started in Hilo and work fort
r with commenced in raising the
~ ~ fruits. BY the time the compar
"a had any quantity to market, the
"a will be way to get them there. Hill
re be up and doing.
o.