The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-05-02

asparagus. The dish made OF the
young soft tops and blossoms is
called ohGldu.
The stalks (hdhdl of some kind OF
kalo are edible, more especially the
kind called kali, grown at Eva and
Waialua, the purplish stalks of which
have sweetish taste. 1t may be
called Hawaiian rhubarb.
Poi being of an adhesive nature, it
is therefore sometimes used as bat
ter for wall papering or for FASTING
pictures, etc, into scrap books.
As a change, the kalo was grated
fine and then cooked in Xxi leaves. In
this form it is styled piele or pie
pieie.
In addition TO being used as food
for mankind, poi was also given by
the natives to the species of dogs
which were fattened up in olden times
and served n delicacy at banquets.
Different breeds of these poi dogs
were recognized, such rs the ii, a
brown animal, and the olomed, with
hair or bristles like a pig, etc.
At the present day, the area of land
laid down in kalo is much smaller
than at the time of the discovery Of
the islands by Capt. Cook. This is
accounted for chiefly by the great de
crease in theHawaiian race. Much land
| formerly devoted to kalo is now rent
ed out to Chinese for rice plantations.
An example of this may be seen at
Waikiki where q considerable area Of
| land, which at the date of Nancou-
| ver's visit to the islands in 1923 was
| set apart for kalo, is now almost en-
tirely planted with rice.
Outside of Honolulu, the planting
of kalo is still in native hands, but in
| that city, the Chinese have entirely
| hustled the native to one side. Apart
from a couple of establishments be-
longing TO white firms they are the
only retailers of poi. y law was
| passed several years ago by the Ha-
| waiian Legislature forbidding the
manufature of poi within the city
! limits of Honolulu. This was done in
order to do away with the evils arts
| ing from the unsanitary state of the
/ filthy Chinese dens where the poi is
at present manufactured, and also on
account of the evil smells arising
from the kalo refuse which in some
/ cases is allowed to accumulate
around these poi shops. The law,
however, was only to come in force
whenever the government should
provide a central market or depot for
| the manufacture of poi, situated
somewhere in the outskirts of Homo
/ lulu. This has never been done and
so the Chinaman is still at liberty to
| continue in his old evil ways.
In different years and in various
parts of the islands, the kalo plant
| has been liable to the ravages of a
disease which attacks the tuber. The
blight is said to be caused by kind
| of worm. The kalo growing on
Kauai seems to be very badly affected
/ at the present time, as large quanti-
| ties of poi is sent every week by
steamer to that island to supply the
wants of the inhabitants. Would not
the study of this kalo blight be a good
subject Of inquiry on the part of the
newly appointed Board of Forestry
and Agriculture.
Some years ago company at Wal
luku, Maui, called the Alden Fruit
and Taro %, took up the manufac-
ture of poi by machinery. 1t strug-
gled on for few years until it had to
suecumb. The company has recently
been resuscitated under the name OF
the Hawaiian Fruit and Taro Compa-
ny. This company, in addition to
manufacturing or pounding poi by
machine, instead of by the old fash
toned hand pounding process, manu-
| features a preparation called taro
flour. 1t is put up unsuitable bags,
keeps well, AMI judging from the tes-
| timOnials received from members OF
the med cal faculty and from private
indivi uals, it should prove a valuable
article of diet in the sick room and
for the use of dyspeptics. The same
company sells an article styled ''T'dro
| mdLOO," or Hawaiian maccaroni,
viii Ii may be cooked in a number of
ways. In the vicinity OF Honolulu,
I Mr.. l.. Wilcox has a factory where
the kalo is prepared into poi by ma
/ chinery.
An attempt to manufacture the kalo
/ into 4 species of -four was made by
| the Engli h missiOnariei in Tahiti so
far back as 1903. Ellis in his Polyne-
sian Researches, says ''when destitute
of foreign supplies, we have attempted
to make flour with both the breadfruit
and the tarO, by employing the ma
tives to scrape the root and fruit into
a kind of pulpy paste, then drying it
in the sun, and grinding it in hand
mill. The taro in this state was some
times rather improved"
One writer in explaining the ease
with which the natives are able to
sustain themselves, states that the
kalo grown on square mile of land
is sufficient to feed Is, Isl persons dur
ing a whole year. Another writer Of
more recent date places the figure
rather lower. He estimates that q
square mile of kalO will afford enough
food to sustain 2,274 persons for a
year. Taking the latter figure as
nearest the mark it shows how easily
the native may sustain himself and
family if h will only take the trouble
to cultivate a small patch of kalo for
his own use.
PAKAHA.
HAPPY PITCAIRNERS.