The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-02-22
SILHOUETTES OF HAWAII.
Something About the Islands and the
People.


could find no fairer domain than the
little group in the middle of the Pacific.
Think of climate the outside variations
of which cover not over thirty degrees
from sixty degrees to ninety degrees on
rare OCCASIONS. Here trees are always
green, taking on new life while still
throwing off the old. There is no sere
and yellow leaf-no dying year there.
Watch the guava trees, and while on one
side the fruit is mellowing into yellow
ripsness, on the other side will be green
fruit interspersed with white blossoms.
In all Honolulu there is but one brick
chimney, and that was built by newly
arrived New England missionaries before
they had learned to tear out of their
minds their bleak winter.
ON THE MOUNTAIN SIDES.
Bv going up the mountain sides one
can find regions where the character of
the products alter very distinctly from
the tropical to the temperate zone. Of
late years the advantage ofthe reciprocity
treaty with this country have turned all
available capital into the channels of
sugar production, and the uplands are
entirely abandoned But there was q
time when pretty much all of Oregon
was supplied with potatoes raised in the
uplands of the Hawaiian Islands, and
residents confidently assert that the
grains of the temperate zone weuld grow
to advantage there.
IN THE VALLEYS.
In the lowlands and the fertile valleys
there is an infinite variety of products
that would be profitsbly cultivated were
there market assured to them. Rice
was included with sugar in the list of
products accorded free entry to the Uni
ted States. As consequence the nearby
reed grown shores have been partitioned
off into trim rice beds, with intervening
banks, by thrifty Cinnamon, and their
tender vivid green is the brightest feature
in the lovely landscape scene from the
heights of the neighboripg mountain.
There is no finer rice 10 the world shan
the Hawaiian rice. The grains are large
translucent and look like veritable pearls.
These grains are as different from those
of Chinese and Indian rice as though it
were the yield of different plant alto
gether Here and there in secluded
valley will be found a clump of orange
trees shading the grassy banks of a
stream.
Originally a plantation, no care has
ever been wasted on these and they have
grown and thriven in their own way,
yielding as fine fruit as can be found on
the Indian river in Florida. These Or
anges are russets, thin of rind, almost
seedless, with the roomy cells filled to
overfowiDg with juicy pulp. The shade
of such clump of trees is rare resting
place for siesta during 8 tramp. One
is likely also to come across a fig tree
loaded with it's lucious fruit, heavy and
pendant. In bend of the stream will be
found a clump of banana trees with
green, fbrous trunk and broad frayed
leaves. These trees sometimes grow
twelve or fifteen feet in height. This is
the native banana, the fruit of which is
coarser and ranker than the Brazilian
variety, which is also grown in these
islands.
COFFEE CULTURE.
On the mountain sides brilliant scar.
let berry on small, dark green, small
leaved bush will attract an observant
eye. Break open the berry and embedded
in each half will be found white seed
with line running lengthwise through
the fat exposed surface. In this unfa-
miliar guise it will not take you long to
recognize coffee, which is indigenous to
this soil. Some exports have been msde
of this product, and it is found in the
Honolulu groceries under the title of
Kona coffee. Connoisseurs have pro-
nounced its flavor and aroma equal to
the Mocha. 1t could doubtless be cult
vsted to advantage. Successful expert
ments have also been made in the cult.
vation of the olive. Lines grow in great
profusion and to fine size. Efforts
have been made to raise lemons in the
islands.
FROM LEMONS TO LINES.
1t is curiously asserted that after few
crops of lemons the tree runs into lime
and yields only lines after that. As the
lime is the preferable fruit this cannot
be called an unfortunate tendency.
Pine apples abound and the tamarlnd
can be had by those who like it. Man
goes are especially plentiful and good.
Many other tropical fruits have been sue,
cessfully grown here, though not upon a
large scale There are plenty Of noble
groves of cocoanut trees along the sea.
shore, one of the finest being at Waikiki,
the beach near Honolulu. A quarter
will induce diminutive kamalii (boY)
to walk up the slender stem and twist OF
the nuts from beneath the tuft of grace
ful palm leaves at the top. Garden vege
tables of fine quality are to be had in
Honolulu ell the year round, thanks 20
the thrifty foresight and labor of the
Chinese gardeners. These can be seen
daily with broad pagods-like basket hats
or their heads, a tough, elastic stick like
long bow across their shoulders with 8
great bucket of water banging from each
end passing between the rows of vegeta-
bles and plentifully besprinkling them.