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

Kona coffee has a reputation in
two countries already and its fame
is spreading. In San Francisco
the dealers are pushing it. They
recognize it's merit and list it as a
standard article. One frm during
last winter advertised Kona coffee
by an electrical display at the cor
ner of Market and Kearny streets.
This effort earned thousands of
customers.
A letter in which Kona coffee
was mentioned prominently and in
most fattering terms was lately
received here from Germany. Cef-
fee from the prepared Kona berry
was served in a genteel company.
One of the gentlemen present de-
clared that such coffee was worth
one dollar a pound.
1t was remarked at the planters
meeting that the coffee industry in
Hawaii was struggling youngster.
This is scarcely correct. That it
can be grown successfully and that
the market is waiting for it have
been completely demonstrated.
fMessrs. John M. Horner and E. w.
Barnard made tour of the island
of Hawaii to gather material for
coffee report to the planters. Their
Joint letter makes an up-to-date ar
ticle on the subject and most of it
here follows:
We left Laupahoehoe on the elev-
enth of September on our way to Hilo,
visiting Mr.. Kinney's coffee at Ho-
nomu en- route. This place seemed
decidedly too wet, at the time of our
visit, for coffee. The subsoil was of a
clayey nature and apparently retained
too much moisture about the roots,
and the trees seemed too much shaded
to produce profitable crop. Twenty
acres were said to be three years old,
and twenty acres only planted few
months. Mr.. Kinney was away, but
we were informed he intended plant
ing a hundred acres more in more
favorable locality.
w
ticed that several of the gardens con-
tanned few coffee trees, the majority
of which were doing well, although
only few feet above tide water. In
some cases the trees were large enough
to show q good deal of blossom and
fruit. The old Sumter place, seven
miles out on the volcano road, shows
it has been neglected too long and is
too much shaded for profit.
Mr.. Rycrofts was the next place
reached, and we were repaid for the
laborious ride, in seeing his fine field
of coffee which is coming into bearing,
and the prospect is that he will get
about two tons of coffee this season.
Mr.. Rycroft has thirty-five acres three
years old, and fifteen acres newly
planted in the most approved style,
that is, in straight rows and no shade
whatever.
We only saw small portion of Mr..
r. A. Lyman's place, owing to lack of
guide. The portion we saw looked
well and was being kept clean with
cultivatOr and horse; the trees looked
well and appeared about two years
old.
The mission lands were next Wis
tied. Here we found the Goudie
Bros. had clearing of about twenty
eight acres which was being planted
in the open, 40 shade at all, in rows
six feet apart, their superintendent
being practical coffee planter from
Ceylon. There is also some coffee
planted here which belongs to the
Mission, which il not doing very well,
owing to neglect, too much grass and
too dense a shade. The trees are four
years old, look healthy, are topped at
about from five to seven feet, but very
few berries on the trees.
We next reached Olaa, where we
found great activity IN clearing and
planting. Fully 100000 plants are
already out, and more are being put
out. over ~ thousand pounds OF seed
is being planted, Eeside- the large
nurseries which are ready 90 plant out
at the present time, aud the future of
this district seems very b light with
its rich lands and abundant rainfall.
The land appears to be an older for
nation than any we passed over after
leaving Hilo. The coli g trees and
young plants showed vigorous and
healthy growth no trees over two
years old at present, aud very few
have yet attained that age. The land
formation is such that the rain imme-
diateIy disappears, however fast 1T
may come down; no streams form, or
puddles to sour the land. We believe
the heavy rainfall will not interfere
A L. In