The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1895-12-27
Timely Discussion of Neeaed
Improvements on Oahu.
VALUABLE LANDS LYING WASTE
Production of sugar and It, Possible
Increa~e-Hope OF the Country i in
small HoldinGs-Ewa Plantation aas
Factor Of Local Trade, Etc.

EDITOR ADvERTIsER:-In your re
marks in the ADVERTISER referring
TO the island OF Mauritius and tht
possibilities in store for the land own.
ers and business people OF the islanC
of Oahu, you touched upon \ subject
which has been for several years o.
special interest to me. II you viii
kindly allow me space in your valu
able paper, l will venture to make
some statements cleaned from the
Encyclopedia Britannica, followed by
some observations concerning the de-
velopment of the resources OF the
island Of Oahu.
Msuritius, formerly called the Isle
of France, lies in the southwestern
portion Of the Indisn Ocean, between
81 IS and Sc As east longitude and
197 5S' and aO' 81 south latitude. 1t
will thus be seen that Mauritius is
about as far south of the equator as
Oahu is north.
The island is somewhat triangular
in shape, is thirty six miles long and
about twenty-three miles broad. Ii is
$50 miles in circumference, and its
total area about us square miles. The
highest summit Is 27ll feet shove the
sea. The geological formation OF
Mauritius i undoubtedly volcanic
The climate during the cool season of
the year l. pleasant, but oppressively
hot in summer December TO April.
except in the interior plains, where
the thermometer ranges from 10S 10
'S0-, while in Port Louis and the coast
generally It ranges from 90 TO 967.
In 1854 visitstiou Of Asiatic chol
era swept off l., 900 people. In 1867 s
Stlli more destructive iGTosd of ms
larial fever-of an unusually fatal
type-slmost paralyzed the whole
community for many weeks, carrying
on SO,oto people and greatly affecting
the finances OF the colony.
From the month of January to the 1
middle Of April, Msuritius, in COM !
mon with the neighboring islands ami /
surrounding ocean from s. to So Of 1
south latitude, Is subject to severe snd 1
destructive cyclones, accompanied by /
torrents of rain, which often cause
great destruction 10 houses and plan
tations. The soil OF the island is OF
considerable fertility; it is ferrugin-
Gus red clay, but 20 LARGELY ming ed
with stones of all sizes that no plow
csl be used, and the hoe has to be en-
ployed to prepare the GROUND for cul-
tivstiOn. The woods, with which the
island was largely clothed when first
have been 10 great ex-
tent cut down, and the greater portion
of the plsiD is DOW vast sugar plau-
tation. The soil is suitable for the
of almost all kinds of
tropical produce, and it is to be ,,
regretted that the prosperity OF
the colony depends entirely on .
one article OF production, for the con-
sequences are serious when there hap
pens TO be failure, more or less, of
the sugar crop. Guzno is extensively
imported IS manure, and by its u>e
the Dsiural fertility Of the soil has !
been increased TO n wonderful extent.
The prosperity OF Mauritius, a al
ready mentioned, depends almOs: en-
tirely upon its sugar crop, and the
export trade OF the island greatly in
Creased during the twenty years end :
ed lSSe Ii 1854 the imports were
81, 2,9l4.0O0, with exports Sll, As. 600 :
In 1880 the imports were SO, SIS, 900, a.
exports SIS, rs 600.
"Mahe de LsbOurdonnais,n (l735 46l,
3 msn OF emIbeBt talents and virtue I
the culture of sugar caue !
and thus laid firm foundation for
the future prosperity of the island.
The construction OF the Msuritian
railway has given great impetus 10 {
the trade of the colony; the system
embraces two lines CT totsl length of
s. miles. In 1854 the sugar crop
amounted to l02, 600 tons. In 1877 il =,
reached lS9. l6i tons The total popu-
.stion in 1851 was lSS, sos; in 1851 it
was so. S47.
The stand of Oahu is not quite as '
large as Mauritius, having an area of
500 squSre miles, and population of
only s., 900. Prior 10 1880 there were
On this island five sugar plantations, I
with an annual output of 1900 to 5000
tons Of sugar, besides the rice industry
with annual crops of 4 900 10 s. 600 tons
Of paddy. Bananas exported, $1,000 to
$1,000 punches. To this list may be /
added few hundred bullock hides !
and as many goat skins, 10 complete .
the entire export product OF the island
Of Oahu. Since 1890 two more sugar
have been added, with al
incresse IN the production of sugar
for 1895 OF possible 1900 tous, or 8
total crop from this island of 10000 :
tons.
The starting OF Eva plantation may
vet prove The salvation of the trade
aud commerce OF this island II has
been demonstrated through the sue {
cess of Eva plantation beyond Ques '
ton o: doubt that the best, the safest .
and surest results from investments
in the sugar industry in this country
is to come from plantations which
eau b- established on good soil, locat-
ed where an abundance Of pure spring
or artesisn water can be obtained snd
put upon the land by the use of high
duty irrigation pumps. Over 80 coo
seres OF arabic land, the most of
which appears TO be equal TO the best
land controlled by Ews plantation, is
nov lying waste on this island, ex
cept for pasturiEg cattle, aud
there Is water running to waste
sufficient TO bring the entire
tract under cultivation. There can
never be produced on this island, in
any event, . sufficient amo1nt of