The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-05-15
TOBACCO RAISING.
What Might Be q Profitable Bust
ness for Hawaii.


one which has received very little at
tention. It grows rank in ali parts OF
the islands, but it does not appear
that any considerable amount of cap
ital has ever been put into the culti-
walton or cure OF it. During the war
IN 1862 Capt. Dudoit and his son
bought up considerable of the native
raised tobacco and in their crude way
endeavored to put it into a market
able shape and sold their product at
from $3.50 tc IS per pound, but
neither of them had had any prac-
ticaI experience in that line and at
tempted to follow descriptions of the
manufacture as found in books. Chas.
Dudoit informed the writer that they
were puzzled to get rid of the appar-
ent excess of saltpetre which the to-
bacco contained. but otherwise made
a very handsome bright article of
plug tobacco. All with whom have
consulted speak Of the rank growth of
tobacco, and some tell of the appre-
citation in which it has been held by
men from the South who were judges
Of the article.
Tobacco is of American origin and
rs known since 1920 when it was intro
duced into Portugal. Its botanical
name, nicatiana tabacum,is from Jean
NicOt who was French Ambassador
to Portugal and sent seeds from
thence to France. The word tabacum
was from tObago or tobacco the name
of the pipe used in Santo Domingo for
smoking the dried herb. Although a |
tropical plant it has been found to |
grow we'll in Canada and Germany.
1t was first used as medicinal plant,
but its use as a luxury has spread |
over the whole world to the extent |
that probably nine-tenths of the in |
habitants use it in one form or an
other. Thus the market is without |
limit and governments have discov- |
cred the taxing of it to be fertile
source of revenue.
It's cultivation has received atten-
ton commensurate with it's great |
value as commercial commodity. 1t
is great Impoverished of the soil
which has to be continually MANFRED
and fertiliZed to keep up the standard
and output. The soil of the islands
seems to be peculiarly adapted to it and
its cultivation should be encouraged |
as from it's portability it can be raised
in the elevated districts of the islands
where land is cheap and which are at
distance from landings. The asser-
ton that island tobacco is surcharged
with saltpetre in excess of the per-
centage necessary speaks highly in it's
favor as the curing of it in some in
stances requires the addition Of this
adjunct and by the latest processes
the abstraction OF any excess in that
particular is easy. Two or three sue
cessive crops will soon equalize the
soil; in fact nitrogen is the principal
element of which its cultivation de-
prives the land. Some crude attempts
have been made to manufacture cigars
from the native tobacco but as the
they ended in failure. The tobacco
raised by natives is cut after the dew
is off, the leaves are then hung in the
shade of tree or shed, built for the
purpose, care being taken that they |
do not become crisp. They are then
moistered to facilitate stemming and
are carefully laid out and rolled up in
bundles. For use they are dried over
a fire one by one and crushed fine for
put. The seed of tobacco is very fine,
a thimble full being sufficient to raise
plants sufficient to fill an acre of
ground. It is sown in beds of richly
manured soil, and, when four or five
inches high, transplanted at from 1000
to 1000 plants per acre. It requires
great deal OF attention, as, acrid and
pungent though the leaf is, certain
worms and caterpillars fatten on it to
When q certain height it requires to
be topped and thereafter the sprouts q
which springs from the trunk above
he leaves must be removed. The 4
caves are separated into sizes and | y
led in bundles called "hands' and o
lung up to dry in the shade, buildings :.
constructed for the purpose &
being used. 1t is then put through
'weating process and redried. Again
ming when it is carefully packed in o
logsheads for shipping. The large, | q
smooth tough leaf of the Hawaiian :,
obacco is peculiarly adapted for q
wrappers for cigars and which brings
he highest price. 1t may be that if .
'nyone having the necessary capital .
md experience should embark in the p
of tobacco on the Islauds c
hat it would be found that Ha-
vail is not second to Cuba in the
,alue of the product. There are d
of acres on the leeward O
ides of the islands which are shell
cred from the trade winds which are
re emineutly adapted to the cultiva- s.
ion of tobacco, and which, from the .
OF the land, being rocky,
ould be had at a low price or rental. o
The use of tobacco, though con- %
|emned by many, is not found to be :
Injurious. Dentists as
ert that, although an uncleanly e
Iabit, it is not injurious to the teeth. "
t is commended that it's use by the
Dung should be prohibited, as it mil II
tates against the growth of the brain, a
nd in the mature brain it's abuse .
ends to insanity, or to a desire for
ote. I speak of it as an article of r.
commerce and one of the Industries
vhich it is to be hoped some capitalist
7ill be induced to give fair trial to. C
JAMES w. GIRvIN. h