Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-09

of the rural people. Altogether, with COM
mercial interests, sugar and coffee. as
means OF support aside from many minor
resources, we easily figure out employment
for over 100000 Of American population to
settle here within twenty years after an
nexation This estimate seems very con-
sentative one, and could easily he stretched
to 30 or even 100 per cent more. Alto
gether, 1t Is not unreasonable to anticipate
that by 1920 there would be prosperous
what remained Of the present 1900 natives
and $4,000 Asatics.
Fruit Raising.
Much will be done in producing fruit here |
for expectation. We are now exporting |
bananas and pineapples. The latter fruit |
has been taken up only within five years. |
A considerable quantity of pines have been |
shipped green to California at small profit. |
on account Of duties. This year a cannery |
makes an output Of 5000 cases of slic ed as |
well as Of grated. pineapples for exporta- |
ton. This fruit thrives here wonderfully. |
1t needs a very moderate amount of moist |
IRE, and fourishes on drier lands where |
other staples will not. Five thousand pines
will be raised on one acre, year after year,
with comparatively little labor and not
much fertilization. They vary from three
TO ten pounds in weight; 1000 pounds of
fruit per acre Is conservative estimate
They are easily worth one cent a pound in
the field. and much more. The market
promises to be good on the Pacific coast.
a regular export to California, mostly since
the monthly steamers began to run, twenty
years ago. The average passage of eigh-
teen days by sailing vessels Is too long. and
the fruit perishes Present shipments are
about 10000 punches a month. Prices have
declined from dollar bunch to now an
average Of fifty cents. delivered at the ves-
sci. New Orleans importations of bananas
heavily compete with ours in San Fran
cisco. We shall have more advantage
whenever special steamers are put on for
fruit. properly equipped with refrigerated
holds. This will enable the transport of
Differentiated lunches. and therefore
choicer fruit. Bananas are now picked
when only three-quarters grown. They
reach the coast in such poor condition that
IN Honolulu they would be unstable.
An acre Of average good banana land may
be relied on for an average yield of 400
hfty-cent punches per annum, allowing for
season of rest and replanting. 1t must be
superior soil with excess of moisture, and
will need much fertiliZing. The banana is
both Il hungry and thirsty plant and will
40 nothing in soil that is either poor dry.
The labor of cultivation is moderate
Banana culture is a fairly remuneratiye
business. within moderate distance of the
point Of shipment There are now perhaps
1000 acres of available banana land near
Honolulu. A proposed extension of the
oahu railway will bring nearly as much
more, altogether enough to make profitable
farming Tor several hundred families. In
the vicinity of Hilo seaport 6, 900 acres more
could be found, favored by copious rains
The whole would supply 1900 900 punches
| year. 1t would be long time before the
Z aciiic coast could absorb that quantity.
| Oranges and Lines.
presumably much can lie done in the flu
| lure IN producing oranges and lines for ex-
| port Ihey have not hitherto been COM
herclaly successful While at the presen:
tiine very good oranges sell in bulk on the
wharf at 81 hundred, in the fall season
| uh ahIlnl
| California oranges take their places at
! $50 hundred. Instead of this we ought
| to undersell the California oranges. at least
IN oregon and Puget sound. Had we the
| moist tropc heats of Jamaica, Tahiti or
Samoa, oranges would grow spontaneously
| ana fruit in profusion. We have TOO much
| dry windiness for this.
AS with coffee, insect blights have been
| ceadly foes TO orange culture. Professor
| kcebeler lady birds are equally the saliva
| t,on or the orange. and hereafter the orange
| farmer may be complete victor over blight
hltherto 1t has been quite impossible 10 Sc
| cure hea!thy bearing trees except in sites
| we'll protected from wind, and favored by
much rain. Now such trees are often seen
| In Good bearing in dry and exposed situa-
| tons. Next to no horticultural skill has
| heen applied to oranges. The trees are all
| seedlings. l have known a few such with
| superb fruit, such as California can never
SHOW 1t only needs proper grating and
skill TO make most of our oranges of equal
| quality.
| The foregoing statistics as to our posi-
I bilities of affording profitable occupa ton
/ for white American immigrants have been
L intended to be given in very conserva-
| tive spirit, with estimates much below the
| truth. There seems to be a most reason
able prospect that within quarter century
annexation would be followed by a steady
| growth Of white population, prosperously
| established in comfortable homes, I'D to
100000 or more, in addition to the present
100000 occupants of the islands. A half
century may see ooo,OOO or even 80 900 peo-
pie living in Hawaii.
| There is every reason for hoping that
this coming population in this important
central station of the Pacific will be an
American one. For making it such the
foundation has been thoroughly laid by
Il cans OF the triumphant and completed
domination of American institutions here
| Honolulu is thoroughly American city
where American visitors naturally forget
| that they are abroad, out of their own
| country. 1t only needs that the Union eX-
| tend the folds of her flag over u.s. her
prosperous colony, and her people will fioch
| to these lovely isles.
| 1t may help to illustrate the strength Of
| the American element in Hawaii to state
| that a society of Sons of the American
! Revolution of over fifty members has been
i orgS riZeG here and that another society
| CT the Daughters is now organizing, with
| doubtless equal numbers.
| kAMFH NEHA