The Hawaiian gazette., 1897-11-09
Are 5000 Acres That Will Yield
Handsomely.
VERY LITTLE is CULTIVATED
Asparagus and Grapes-What Might
Be Done-Coffee Plantation.
Mr.. Herbert's Advice.

Allan Herbert's Agricultural bulletin
for this week contains the following
points:
Makaha- Makaha, one of the most
fertile valleys on the Island of Oahu,
is about six miles long and contains an
area of 5000 acres, more or less, from
ridge to ridge. At the head, nature
has carved out several waterfalls, little
valleys and springs, surrounded by
luxuriant growth of native trees, ferns
and flowers of unsurpassed beauty.
The soil being rich, the climate moist
and warm, and walled in on three
sides as it is win high mountains,
makes it an ideal spot for coffee, cocoa,
bananas, plantains, mangoes, bread
fruit, alligator pears, oranges, lemons,
lines; in fact, citrus fruits of all kinds
and the grape fruit is particular
Among the citrus fruits there is none
which appears to be in greater demand
and which obtains such a high price
as the grape fruit. You can bud it on
sour orange on lemon stock The fruit,
under proper conditions, will keep for
months and can be shipped to any
part of the world. The fruit brings
now from ten to twelve dollars per
box in the New York, London and
Paris markets, this on account of the
killing of the grape fruit tree in Flori-
da. Plant five acres of this fruit in
any of our valleys with, say 1000 to
1,200 trees, and you will have a fortune.
Ask your doctor about the medicinal
qualities and you will procure, and
plant a few trees at once. No matter
how small piece of land you have, it
will increase the value of your prop
erty.
AT the lower or west end of Makaha
valley are four or five hundred acres
of almost fiat land, we'll adapted to
cane, cotton, tobacco, fiber plants, and
a great variety of tropical and semi
tropical fruits and vegetables.
Between the new railroad track and
the sea is narrow strip of land, about
sixty acres in extent of black, loose,
alluvial soil, Just such land as that
used to raise the asparagus on Sher-
man Island, Alameda County, Califor-
mia. Plant these sixty acres in aspara-
gus and, under new methods of irriga-
ton, you can cut one ton per day for
six months or more of the year. In
these matters the writer speaks from
experience.
You will say there is no water on
these dry and dusty lands, but we
know there is Not one-fifth of the
water that comes from the high noun
tains. reaches this land in the bed Of
the streams, but dig a hole 25 feet
deep on almost any part of these 500
acres and you will have from ten t
fifteen feet of water in it. AT the head
of the valley the water sinks gradual
" on its way to the sea just as it does
in Manoa and Palolo valleys. A goot
windmill at a cost of $25 will irrigatt
40 to so acres of this fertile land.
small new coal oil engine with pump
at cost of $500, delivered on the land
will irrigate 100 acres, and more by
sub-irrigation, the natural way of ap
plying water to land.
In one of the delightful little valleys
at the head of Makaha, James Low anC
his enterprising associates, have 30l
acres of choice fruit land of which 81
are under cultivation with coffee nov
Is months old.
Coffee culture, on recognized prin
ciples, has been adopted with promis
ing success by the Makaha Coffee Com
pany. Trees IS to p months old arr
now in bloom.
The Waianae Sugar Company have
100 acres, more or less, in coffee. The
three and four years old trees arr
marvellous. The Agent, Mr.. Dowsett
tells that he sold five tons of choice
nf
wear old trees, last year. If we car
find coffee TO equal this on our con
templated visit to Olaa and Kona, Ha
vail, we shall be more than satisfied
not to say. agreeably surprised.
Carl Widemann has a little thrift!
coffee plantation in the Waianae noun
tains. of which he is manager. From
the report of his place, we wish WI
had more young men in the coffee in
dustry in order to create more taxable
property. but as agriculture becomes
a more scientifically intelligent, and ;
more successful calling the intelligence
and the ability of the young men o
these Islands will turn more and NOR,
to it. They will become fitted to fill
the most useful and best paid posts, al
education they cannot obtain by stand
ing behind a counter or hanging owe
a desk; even if it is at a bank
However, it seems to us, the question
of paramount Importance to ever.
amateur coffee planter here is-frst
how to prepare and cultivate the soil
He must have a knowledge of the con
ditions and characteristics of the same
And. in order to be successful, shoult
have the soil analysed by traine'
chemist. The selection of coffee see'
is of great importance Coffee see'
should only be collected from thos
trees which have reached the age o
from five to seven years. Even whel
we have a thorough, good tree, W
must know how to gather the seed a
the proper time and in proper man
ner In addition to this, all of tn
seed. even from the best of trees,
not equally good The seed, for in
stance. which has been gathered fro1
a tree which has Powered side by sid
with a bad or medium kind and at tn
same time, is worth nothing becaus
it has been fortified badly. Agar