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

cellent variety and, as its name indi-
Gates, belonged TO the priesthood.
LaulOa is used by the kahunas as hav-
ing medical properties, both in root
and leaf. Its name, meaning long
leaf, has been transferred by them to
mean long life. The Lehua and Piia-
Iii were said to be the favorite red
tarOS Of the chiefs, from which, in the
manufacture Of their poi, the centre
portions only of each taro was used"
Besides the kalo proper, the natives
during times of scarcity were wont
formerly TO eat the stem of the ape
alocasia macrorrhiZal. The ape be-
longs 10 the same order as the kalO,
viz, the araceal, and is often met with
in gardens, where its large, handsome
glossy green leaves help to make q
striking addition TO the landscape.
NODE OF CULTIVATION.
Kalo is chiefly cultivated on the
flats near the sea shore, and more es-
pecially At the mouths of valleys,
where water is available for irriga
ton. Certain varieties are also grown
in the uplands, and in the woods kalo
NAV be found wild, having evidently
escaped from old civilizations. In
Olden times the mdEdGiHCRd, or com
mon people, together with the kdUU0,
or slaves taken in battle, were the
principal tillers Of the soil. The chiefs
i'm most instances were content to
claim their share Just about the time
when the crop was getting ripe, and
various authorities estimate that the
poor IabOrer was lucky If he managed
to secure Oue-t third OF the kalO crop
for his own use, the remainder going
TO the chiefs great and small, who
proved upon him as his feudal superb
ors. Kamehameha l., however, was
not above showing his people good
example, for Archibald Campbell, the
Scottish sailor, writes in 1910: II have
often seen the king working hard in a
| tarO patch. I know not whether this
was done with a view of setting an
example Of industry 70 his subjects.
Such eXertiOn could scarcely be
thought necessary among these isl
auders, who are certainly the most in
dustriOus people I ever saw
The crop is generally raised in small
matches. situated on the EWtCdHd or
moo Of the cultivatOr, and may mea-
| sure in extent from say % feet square
to one or two acres. In the case of the
! lowIand taro. the land requires to be
| irrigated, and for this purpose the
| soil or green sward is dug over (Gtdd).
An embankment of about two to three
| feet high and 4 foot or two in width
| is then made, so as TO enclose the
patch on all sides. Should the soil be
| Of = very porous nature, the ground is
then beaten, particularly along the
sides Of the patch, with coeOanut
| stems or branches, in order to
make the ground hold water.
Previous to and for some years
after the arrival Of white men on
these shores, the cultivation of the
soil was done entirely by the aid Of
the 90. The 90 was simply short
pointed stick made out of hard wood
and sharpened to point or fashioned
into a kind of spad5 or paddle. The
native way of handling this agricul-
tural implement was for the workman
to SQUAT on his hams ami heels (Sc0t-
| tice thunkers') and grasp it by the
handle lkdHO or EUdu) with both
| hands. The COS were usually made
out of the following kinds of hard
wood, viz: Uulei, or ulei lOsteOHleteS
standardization kauila tdLphitOnia
DOHderOsd); puhala (pdHddHuS OdOr-
atissiHlus}; uhiuhi lmamani), sop
bora cHrysOPhyIdj; valance (ptec-
frOuf1 Odordtd1. 4 kind OF "spUdn
or weeier, having a wooden handle
and an iron socket chisel head is now
sold in Honolulu under the name of
90. Professor Alexander in his Brief
History, mentions that lit was the
custom in making the COS TO address
prayers TO KU-pulupulu, OF hu-moku-
| half in order to insure good luck.
They were also careful to plant only
on certain days Of the NOON .Ihe
days of Ku. Hua, Akua, Kane and
LOnO have been stated to the compiler
OF these notes Is prOpitiOus days for
planting "Theu there were prayers to
be repeated when planting and at differ
eut stages Of the growth Of the crop,
addressed 10 Kane-puaa the god Of
agriculture or mahiai) and prayers for
rain addressed TO LonO or Ku.n
The ground being prepared, 1t Is
flooded with water let in from another
kalo patch situated on q higher level
or from an aqueduct, the water in
many cases being brought from con-
siderable distance away aud at a great
outlay Of labor. The &c ebrated water
course at IOle in North KOhala, Ha-
waii, is a good example Of what the
ancient Hawaiians could do in this
line aided only by wooden COS and
stone EOis or AIDES The unwritten
laws regarding irrigation and the use
of water from the aqueducts are be-
lieved 10 have been the only regula-
tiOns observed in common by the an
cient Hawaiians and hence the word
'Ka-na- wain or water rights has
come to be used in the Hawaiian lam
guage for anything IN the way of a
law or legislative enactment.
The plants are propagated by plant
ing, cuttings from the top Of the tuber
with the stems Of the leaves adhering
thereto. This part used in planting
IS called the "hu III The hulis are
usually planted in rows in groups or
CLOCKS Of FIVE one hull being plant
ed at each corner Of the hill or group
and the fifth one in the centre. Each
of these groups is called pUepUc.
The number Of plants in puepue is
not restricted to five hulis, n greater
or less number may be planted to-
arH g,r,,atfr,uu the faI1 ic