The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-02-27
THE HENDERSON LEAF-riil FEBRUARY

either side.
For hours at a time we wendell our
way up hill and down, the roadbed
often choked with great stones over
which the tired horses could hardly
step. Whenever there was smooth
bit of road, the guide uttered shout:
civic Ike, wicket" and put the horses
at a gallop. This was only for short
time, however, for :here is not strip
of good road fifty yards in length in
all Kama, after you have left the sugar
plantations.
People in Hawaii seem to have no
more idea Of miles than they have OF
the cardinal points ofthe compass, and
that is nil When we were half days
journey from a village or plantation
and | asked the distance, the answer
would be: ooh, it is too far" If the
place was only two or three miles away,
the answer would be: "Oh, it's not too
far" White men seem to have sue
cumbed to this custom Of the natives.
| asked a Norwegian the distance 10
Hookenia, and he answered.:
"Four hours
"But how many miles?" l asked.
81 don't know" he answered. awe
never reckon distance by miles, but by
the hours it takes to reach place. 1t
may be eight, may be twelve miles,
may be six, but all the same it will take
you four hours to make it,"
At Hookenia | met several coffee
growers.
"You want TO know sOmethln' about
coffee, do your" said man in linen
ulster and broad brimmed Panama
hat
eyes, 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 somelhjn,' young
man." the gentleman said, advancing
to me and laying his hand on my Shout
der. 81 have the only coffee plantation
on the island" He had the air of
millionaire of vast importance, as he
stood with his hands in his pockets
and look Of superiority on his face.
"How large plantation have you?'
| asked.
"Well, l have four acres of bearing
trees" he answered, "but | 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 comes upon the Morgan & McSto-
cher plantation, which, tho it has only
forty acres in coffee, yields twenty
thousand dollars worth per annum.
Tho it was late in December when
l rode up to the managers house and
dismounted, the day was as hot as one
in August in the temperate zone. Mr..
]. Nj. Davis, the owner of the planta-
ton, was reclining on the piazza in his
shirt sleeves, in steamer chair.
$50 you have come to look at my
coffee, have you?' he said, starting to
his feet on my approach. "Well, come
in and have cool drink. This delight
full weather must be a little hard on
you northerners until you get used to
it. am New Yorker myself, but !
think this is the healthiest country in
the world.'
After few moments rest we took a
stroll through the coffee trees, and then
went to the mill and looked into a
great box in which several thousand
pounds of coffee had been put. "By
the next steamer We ship one hundred
and fifty bags" said Mr. Davis.
After leaving this plantation the road
for miles led through forest of wild
coffee, ferns, and ohia trees. Thous-
ands 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 supply
the world. The bushes grew SO dense
on each side of the road that we could
not see ten PAGES into them, but the
chattering of 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-
ton that overthrow monarchy, has
lived in Scotland. This plantation con-
CO tains seventy acres, and produces
some Of the fiuest coffee berries 1 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 the heart of the coffee
country, and is the shipping point for
Hawaiian Tea and Coffee Company,
the McDougal, Moller, Judge Clarke,
DR.. Capron, and Bartlett plantations.
Many of these plantations are we'll es-
tablished, and yie.d 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 particle of soil it will grow. l
have been told that trees thrive bes il.
where there is a surface of lava above
and rich soil beneath. The greatest
skill in growing coffee is the selection
Of land. If the land is suitable and
the trees planted, they will grow