The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1896-09-18

inches in length and two inches in
diameter but the kernels do not fill
out as well as a farmer would wish.
If the coffee men in Olaa would make
clearings of dozen acres and grow
corn and pumpkins to feed to hogs
which they could raise economically,
they would run better chances of be-
coming wealthy than by putting all
their eggs in one basket
Go down below fourteen miles and
the enthusiastic coffee grower has the
same chance as his Olaa neighbor in
side speculations and better one in
raising coffee for the simple reason
that the average precipitation and
rainfall is less than at higher eleva-
ton. The plantation of Eldart, ST.
neglected though it may appear is
filled with stocky trees well loaded with
berries. A little higher up VIM. Ship
man has a place entirely in the open
that looks like garden, inviting in
appearance and with good indications
for the future The cost of clearing
the land here must certainly be less
than further up the road and if proper
ly started, the expense of keeping
clean will not be more than half what
it is in Olaa.
At eleven miles, and adjoining the
plantation of Mr.. Shipman, is the small
plot of Peter Lee of Volcano House
fame.
This gentleman has 81 acres planted
in the open and in measure exposed
to the wind, and objection which may
be overcome at any time by making
a windbreak of strawberry guava or
banana trees. The owner paid, by con-
tract, s21.30 per acre for clearing, hol-
ing, filling and planting and the holes
were Is inches wide and the same
number deep. He has today three men
taking care of the q acres and this
includes wedding, and whatever else
may be necessary, at a cost of 81 pei
! acre per month.
Mr.. Lee has adopted different me-
thods from most coffee men in that he
uses a Planet Jr. cultivator, treating
his field in exactly the same manner
as the Eastern farmer does his field OF
corn The character of his soil is
adapted to it and without the cultiva.
tor the expense would have been much
greater and with less satisfactory re.
suits. The average days work in hant
wedding is one hundred trees, with {
cultiyator Mr.. Lee has cleaned five
rows on land never before cultivated
This shows that he may do in fiv'
hours with his cultivator what would
require Is men one entire day to ac
complish.
There seems to be no doubt that tn,
constant stirring of the soil, exposing
| IL " SuulISul nuSI DC SOhuuS4NS X
good results. 1t keeps it free iron
weeds and adds strength and life Il
the trees. As protection TO the later
al roots, Mr.. Lee has placed arounC
each tree three or four pieces of ferI
trunks, the action of the weather dur
ing the first three years will caus'
| these to rot and become capital ferti
lizer, and at the end of that time thu
weeds win be killed of.
If by any chance, however, occasion
al weeds should spring up after tn
trees have assumed growth that viii
interfere with the working of the cul
| tiyator they may be easily removed
by hand at comparatively slight cost
| Mr.. Lees coffee trees average i
months since planting and range il
| height from feet to feet inche!
the lowest and poorest being in patel
of an acre where he adopted the Koni
method of forming between the trees
a plan which is satisfactory in Kont
where bright sunshine is the rule rath
! er than the exception and where arti
! fetal means are necessary to retaiI
the moisture around the trees.
At the present rate Mr. Lee estimates
the cost of his trees at the expiration
of five years to be $3.50 per acre. Fol
the same period in certain parts o.
Olaa the cost may run fifty per cent
above this for reason that the soil il
not adapted to the use of the cultivation
and wedding must be done entirely by
hand