The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-01-06
RAILROADS AND PRODUCE.

w v b"'O AiSduOhsiy e"hSh oNNN
sion to point out the great posi- |
bilities, as yet hardly attempted,
of what might be the fruits made |
of this Kingdom. On Monday we
quoted a paragraph from the
United States Government crop
bulletin of November last referring
to the scanty fruit crop of 1890 IN
the Eastern and middle states, and
the immense revenue realized in
consequence by the fruit growers
of California. We should be glad
to enlist the attention of possible
fruit growers in this country by
showing what has been done and
what is already anticipated by
those of Jamaica.
In an article in the Nineteenth
Century for October last, written
by no less an authority than His
Elk. Sir Henry A Blake, Governor
of Jamaica, entitled the awaken
ing of jamaica" we find the follow,
ing remarks on the subject of the
cultivation of fruit for export, every
word of which is applicable to these
islands.
Of the banana Sir Henry says
that this fruit is the principal ex-
port at present, the value of the
fruit exported having risen "from
100000 to 9337, 600 within ten
years, and the demand is likely to
continue" "The value of the ba-
mana as food for working men has
been recognized in the United
States, and 1t is found peculiarly
sustaining for those engaged in
heavy labor in warm situations,
such as blacksmiths and iron
founders. The operators in cotton
factories also use it largely"
Jamaica bananas are now being
exported to Hamburg via New
York, but the trade is only in its
infancy"
"To day" he says, "mangoes
are not considered exportable." In
the season tons on tons of mangoes
rot by the roadside, every man
{. woman and child in the country
roads is eating them, ETC., and YET
: in its unripe state it makes excel
. lent jelly, and "some day a mango
4 trade will become an accomplished
, fact"
e Sir Henry adds, /" the extentiol
of the railroad through the center
q of the island x will enhance
0 the value of lands hitherto neg
y lected, and an annual expendi
0 ture for the Improvement of paro
Q chial roads will still further assis
in the rapid extension of the banan'
trade"
'. Here, do we not already see tn
Oahu railway making neglected
lands more valuable. bringing pre-
duce from the fields direct to tn
waterside, where sea gong ship
:. may load, and if for Oahu, why nc
for Hawaii? Surely we have ha
!: lessons enough even within the Las
month. Island steamers tire
weeks making one weeks tri
!; because of long series of landing
:; accessible only in fine weather, an
- yet which might, and must b
. connected by rail. Hilo full {
coasters unable to move, mil
awaiting machinery and shiI
awaiting cargo, a whole family ell
- quilted by the capsize of a boat
/: one of these dangerous landing
- and only a widow and orphane
I. boy left of family of seven. Som
:, years hence, the fewer the bette
20 people will listen with incredulit
to the stories of machinery, prt
duce and passengers, landing an
leaving by cages lifted by crane
n and this for years.
Is Then they will see trains loade
Sc with sugar, tea, coffee, banana
n rasins and a dozen other producl
es rushing to Hilo, there to be shippe
~ to Honolulu, San Francisco, Aus
g, tralasia, Vancouver, Puget Scum,
ne or starting straight away for Sa
if Diego, San Bias or may be th
o. Pacific terminus of the great Mic;
,o ragua Canal.