Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1895-07-30
OARUO COFFEE FIELDS.
VtsIt op HEpHEsIsrNItNE nv.
CHoEr 70 wAiANAE.
Comparison win puna Concc..bargs
Areas Available Tor Planting
An Irrigation Project,

] y
thriving suburb Of .Wnianao and
was very agreeObly surprised with
all | saw. Taking the I 40 p. m.
train ] arrived at this warm cor
ner of Oahu aud there met my
esteemed friend, Mr.. Ahrons,
manager of Waianae plantation,
who, upon finding me to be the
genuine article from Puma, receiv-
ed me most cordially.
Entering the place, after pass
ing the Chinese guard, was con-
Quoted to Mr.. Ahrens' residence,
where an extremely pleasant even
ing was spent. Mr.. Ahrens was
noticeably under the weather,
which condition he attributed to
an attack of "Termini sans hotel"
After a good nights rest, find
ing our host much improved, we
proceeded to view the plantation
with its lovely cane fields, water
ed from six artesian wells, assist
ed by an immense pumping plant.
Thence we wended our way up
Waianae valley to an elevation of
about 1900 feet to the coffee belt,
where | was astonished at the
rapid and healthy growth of the
fifty acres of coffee now growing
there. Those planted In the
sheltered places look extremely
well, trees 25 months old from
stumps present a fine sight, many
of them having from one
and a half to two pounds of coffee
now on the tree.
Trees of this age are six to
seven feet in height - these will
be cut back to five and q half
feet. Those planted in exposed
spots, where the wind affects
them, do not look near so well I;
these trees will probably be aban-
doned and larger area of coffee
planted in the protected ground.
To a person understanding the
cultivation of coffee, the state
ment that trees but a triae over
two years of age are already bear
ing two pounds of coffee per tree,
pounds extravagant. Estimating
one thousand cherries to the
sound of dry coffee, however, this
is true by actual count made at
Waianae.
My coffee in Puma averages
about $50 cherries to the pound.
That is to say the dried product
of $50 cherries makes a pound of
coffee. Bnt the grains of the Pu-
ma coffee are a trifle larger than
those of Waianae. Primary after
primary was counted, showing
from 10 to 115 cherries each.
Such a yield is marvellous and
is proof of the fact that, given the
requisite will and knowledge of
the business, coffee will yield a
larger revenue to the Island of
Oahu, Is or 20 years from now,
than cane does today.
On the Kona side, every gulch
above 1900 feet is splendid coffee
land. On the Koolau side, Of
course where there is an abun-
dant rain always assured, q much
lower altitude and consequent
wider range is available. A furth-
er extension of the railway will
bring large areas of coffee land
within reach of settlers.
Good sized tracts of cane land
in the vicinity of Waianae could
be brought under cultivation
were it not for the inefficlency
of water in the mountain streams.
/ understand that Hon. Hermann
A. Widemann, one of the most
enterprising of the directors OF
Waianae, contemplates running a
huge drift into the side of the
range, expecting to tap an abund-
ant water supply. Doubtless this
will be a good move, as every in
dication shows that there is a
large reservoir Of water within the
interior of the mountain. DR.,
Russell, resident physician al
| Wa;anoo onI 900 - Al H..