The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-11-10

whether it will prevent the setting of
the fruit, as some allege, time will
tell.
The Volcano House was one of our
stopping places, and it seemed great
pity that a few cotfee-trees are not
planted and cared for at this place as
high altitude, that being question of
interest TO all coffee growers at pre-
sent.
Next in order came Kau, and,
although very little has been done
thus far in coffee planting, we were
led to believe there are lots of land
suitable for producing this berry in
the neighborhood of Kapapala, Hilea
and Waiohinu. At the latter place
we saw some fine, healthy trees Dear
ing well, and the remains of many
native patches of coffee which were
dying out through neglect and Hilo
grass.
AT J. NJ. Monsarrat's place, we no
ticed disc-pulper which was doing
good work, and also an inexpensive
drying-house which is worthy of the
attention of those who are trying to
dry coffee in wet climate.
At the Morgan, McStocker Com
pany, in Kona, we found Mr.. J. NJ.
Davis in charge. He informed us he
expected 10000 lbs. of coffee this sea-
son from the wild groves situated on
his high land. He was planting wild
stumps ten feet apart, and wanted no
other.
We next called on Mr.. Charles
Hooper, who has the reputation of
getting the highest price for coffee.
We found that it was just by little
in fnr 10 of
Passing on we reached the Hawaiian
Coffee and Tea Company's plantation,
above Kilua, and found Mr.. Miller
wedding a field of coffee near his
house. This coffee looked well, and
was planted out in good shape few
months ago, no shade. We also visited
the upper lands of this company's
plantation and found the coffee planted
in all kinds of places, and looking
vigorous. At Mr.. Miller's house we
saw the first washed coffee since leav-
ing our homes; fine sample of
several hundred pounds, pulped with
a Gordon pulper, fermented and dried
in the sun. Mr.. Miller is now erect
ing a drying-house and mill. The
company has out $50 acres in coffee at
present; one and quarter acres are
three years old, and the rest ranges
from one month to two years. The
oldest trees, topped at four and half
feet and six feet apart, are quite full
of fruit, and considerable number in
the large fields have quite sprinkling
of berries on them, and they promise
well for the next crop. These are set
wider apart, and will be topped much
higher.
Messrs. Scott, Bartels and Others
CO.., of
success in this neighborhood.
We found wild coffee growing in the
forests and by the roadside; but it has
been planted without order or regu-
larity, yet producing considerable
coffee, and it was being harvested and
prepared in various and wonderful
ways. 1t speaks well for the Kona
bean, that it retains so much virtue
after all the abuse it gets in the modes
of preparation as generally practiced
in this district.
Leaving Kona we made for Hama
kua where there are quite number
of Portuguese and others planting, but
mostly in the shade and without
much regularity and proper care.
Reaching Kukaiau Plantation we
found sixty-five acres set at two
different elevations, one part being
400 feet and the rest 1000 feet, in both
of which the coffee looked very well
and compared favorably with any
seen on our,trip both in growth and
bearing, although little wind blown
on the lower tract on the exposed
ridges. This coffee is from two to
three years old, planted seven by
eight feet and is being topped at six
feet in height, and is Just coming into
bearing, and will possibly yield two
tons of coffee.
In North Hilo L. w. Barnard has
thirty acres of coffee in various stages
of growth, and expects to get a ton of
coffee this year. There are about a
dozen others planting in this neigh
borhood who have in about thirty
thousand plants, a small portion of
which is commencing to bear. n
number of other people are apply
ing for land, and nurseries are being
started, so that there will soon be
quite large area planted in this dis
trict.
We noticed on our trip that the
Gordon pulpers are coming gradually
into use, and wherever we found one
of these the work was greatly inn
proved. The Hawaiian Coffee and
Tea Company are the only ones at
present in Kona who are preparing
their coffee in a first class method,
their parchment coffee being pleas
ure 70 look at. The general opinion
of the old settlers seems to be that as
the coffee will be sold on the local
market, it is not worth while to go
out of the old fashioned methods TO
improve the quality or grade.
At the Hawaiian Coffee and Tea
place, we encountered our
first and only tea growing and manu-
We were surprised at the
of this industry. The
plants are two years old, and trimmed
down to about two feet and a half in
height. The company was actually
fair commercial article of
tea, which your committee bad the
pleasure of seeing, handling and tast-
ing. Our surprise was not so much i'm
the growth, number Of plants or quail
ity of the tea, as in the methods of
gathering and preparing it for mar
ket. We bad been informed that the