The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-10-06
90 CORRESPONDENCE
More About Coffee.
Ed. The INDEPENDENT

Mr. Jno. M. Davis adds, through
your valued columns, one more at
tempt to nail up a coffin enclosing
the coffee industry; but unfortun-
ately overlooks tho fact that the cof-
fin is rot yet made, whilst the indus
try is distinctly out Of reach Of the
undertaken.
He commences by stating that
Luning's letter has caused. consider
able comment on the part Of persons
engaged in coffee raising, whereas
Luning's letter is 80 utterly absurd
that it has called out nothing but
ridicule. Mr.. Luning states that
after the first planting of eighty
acres, which he says would cost
$4,000, the labor necessary would be
3 men to each acre, at SIS per man
per month, or $45 per month per
acre, for the next 3 years. This
means, according to Mr., Luning,
that the care of 80 acres per anaum
would require 240 men at S15 per
month, or $3.50 per year; that is,
$4,000 for year, or, for years,
$129,600 which, added to the cost Of
clearing and planting would mean
an outlay of about $4,000 for labor
alone on his plantation Of so acres
which would then only be 3 years
OF age. Such talk is inane trash.
He then goes on to quote an in
stance of a company having for five
years been in the experimental stage
which the owners have decided to
sell. Now such an instance does
exist to-day, but does not demon
strato any other than the careless
ness or ignorance that was used in
the choice of it's location, though
the ravsges of the "prune-bug" may
have assisted its hasty end. This
instance is we'll known, and simply
illustrates tho fact that rocks will
not produce coffee. Or, in other
words, where it is found necessary
to use crow bar to make the hole
to plant the tree cannot be expect
ed to thrive, far less bear berries.
Mr.. j. NJ. Davis says that, "men
situated, as Mr.. j, M. Horner is, will
make it pay He can control the
labor and get a maximum of labor
at a minimum of cost"
Last crop, picked from 60 acres,
yielded Mr. .Horner about 81 tons,
and, though his plantation has only
existed 6 years, that last crop repaid
his whole outlay, land not included.
His next crop will be over 40 tons,
as he has 20 acres additional bear
ing, with 40 acres in young trees, in
all 100 acres. Now, if Mr.. Horner
has produced his coffee under pecu-
liarly advantageous circumstances,
let say $4,000 be added to his ex-
pense list and that will leave him
after the sale Of his next crop with
a seven-year old plantation Of 80
acres bearing, and some so more
coming on, paid for. His labor is
free coming and going at will, with
not even luna over them. Except
when he visits the plantation
himself, no one interferes with them
and they evidently give him salts
faction. He has about one man to
four acres, not three mon to an acre,
as Luning suggests. He used ordin-
airy horse sense in the choice of a
location and has planted his trees in
soil with some depth and fertility,
and not on rock.
Said j. M. Davis raises "bug bear"
as though in country where the
main industry depends entirely on
it's labor there are not enough men
of brains to solve the problem if it
becomes troublesome.
Let Mr.. John M. Davis take trip
through Hamakua and other coffee
districts and then tell the public
what he has seen and he will do