The record-union., 1896-02-27

journey from a village or plantation
and I asked the distance, the answer
would be: "Oh, it is too far!'' If the
place was only two or three miles away,
the answer would be: "Oh, it is not too
far White men seem to have sue
cumbed to this custom of the natives.
I asked a Norwegian the distance to
Hookenia, and he answered:
-Four hours
''But how many miles?'' I asked.
81 don't know he answered. I'VE
never reckon distance by miles, but by
the hours it takes to reach a place. 1t
may be eight, may he twelve miles, may
be six, but all the same it will take you
four hours to make it,
At Hookenia I met several coffee
growers.
You want TO know somethin' about
coffee, do your" said man in linen
ulster and broad-brimmed Panama hat.
''Yes, 1 have come all the way to Kama
to see the celebrated Kama coffee, which
is said to be the best in the world
Let me tell yer somethin', young
man" the gentleman said, advancing to
me and laying his hand on my shoulder.
II have the only coffee plantation on
the island" He had the air of mill
ionaire of vast Importance, as he stood
with his hands in his pockets and look
Of superiority on his face.
''How large a plantation have your
I asked.
"Weu, I have four acres of bearing
trees" he answered, ''hut am going to
plant forty more"
Hookenia is on the coast, and back of
it is a great forest in which wild coffee
trees are growing. These wild coffee
trees are valuable, as they have been
known to yield three pounds of coffee
to the tree. Two miles and a half from
Hookenia, by the Mauka road. one
GENES upon the Morgan & McStocher
plantation, which, though it has only
forty. acres in coffee, yields $4,000
worth per annum.
Though it was late in December when
rode up to the managers house and
dismounted, the day was as hot as one
II August in the temperate zone. ]. M.
Davis, the owner of the plantation, was
reclining on the piazza in his shirt
sleeves, in a steamer chair.
80 you have come to look at my cof-
fee, have you?" he said, starting to his
feet on my approach. aWell come in
and have a cool drink This delightful
weather must be a little hard on you
Northerners until you get used to it. 1
am a New Yorker myself, but I think
this the healthiest country in the
world"
After a few moments rest we took a
stroll through the coffee trees. and then
went to the mill and looked into great
box in which several thousand pounds
of coffee had been put. by the next
steamer we ship $50 bags" said Mr.
Davis.
After leaving this plantation the road
for miles led through a forest of wild
coffee, ferns and ohia trees. Thou
sands of Japanese were busy gathering
coffee, and piles of bags of freshly
picked berries were lying at every mile
There was coffee everywhere, until it
seemed as if there was enough to sup
ply the world. The bushes grew 50
dense on each side of the road that we
could not see ten PAGES into them, but
the chattering of the japanese as they
picked the berries could be distinctly
heard
We passed the Claighall plantation,
owned by a Scotchman, father of the
Crown Princess, who, since the revolu-
tion that overthrew monarchy, has lived
in Scotland. This plantation contains
seventy acres, and produces some of the
finest coffee berries have ever seen.
Passing through the famous orange
orchard of Mrs. Greenwell, at Kalu
Kalu, where grow the finest oranges in
the world, we arrived at sunset at Kai-
lua. This town is in the heart of the
coffee country, and is the shipping
point for the Hawaiian Tea and Coffee
Company, the McDougal, MolIer, Judge
Clarke, DR.. Capron and Bartlett planta-
tions. Many of these plantations are
well established, and yield thousands
of pounds annually, while others are
just beginning to bear. In five or six
years tons will be shipped to the pounds
now taken from Kailua.
The young coffee trees are planted in
the stone. A crowbar or drill is used
instead of a hoe, a hole made, and the
young tree planted. If there is any par
ticle of soil, it will grow 1 have been
told that trees thrive best where there is
a surface of lava above and a rich soil
beneath. The greatest skill in growing
coffee is the selection of the land If the
land is suitable and the trees planted.
they will grow whether they are culti-
waited or not; but they yield best, of
course, under cultivation
JOHN r. MUSICK