Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-03

large capital. The last three plantations
which have been established have cost, re-
spectively, S1J0,U00 81 100000 and S2.O00.0O0.
There is no room in sugar for the small
now managed by stock companies. 1t
takes sixteen months to grow the crop, and
only three scropS can be made in four
years. Fertilizers to the amount of 500. GOO
were used on the cane there last year, and
more than half of this fertilizing matter
vas imported.
The Gunno Fields of Hawaii.
Much of the remainder Of the fertilizer
came from tpe guano fields Of the Sandwich
Islands. If the country is annexed Uncle
Sam will add to his population an enormous
colony Of BIRDS. On Layson Island, which
Is far to the westward, there are thousands
and thousands of sea gulls. They cover the
island, walking. as 1t were, over the beds Of
guano made by themselves and their an
cestors These birds are so thick that you
have to kick them aside as you walk about
the island. They are exceedingly tame, and
by law no shooting Is allowed there. There
are several overseers, and they have to
build little paling fences around their cot
tages to keep the birds from crawling upon
the porches and going into the houses.
The young gulls are said to be good for
eating, and 1 am told that when the over
seeers or laborers want birds on toast for
breakfast they go out with club and
knock over couple and bring them in to
the cook.
Fortunes in Coffee Raising.
The Hawaiians here at Washington say
that the best chance for the large or small
Investor in Hawaii just now Is in coffee
lands. There is large amount Of such
lands In the islands. They lie just above
the sugar belt, at an altitude of from /, 800
to 5000 feet above the sea, giving the
planter the finest climate in the world.
Good lands can be bought on the market
for SO an acre. but the government. which
Is very anxious to have small investors, Is
selling its government lands to homestead
ers for from $40 to SIS an acre. Fifty acres
mako good-sized plantation for one man
to attend to. The work is more like
orcharding than farming. The trees nave
to be carefully trimmed and taken care Of
They begin 10 bear about the third year
and the fourth year produce a good crop.
Then the plantation forms an Independent
living for the remainder of a mans life
and good Inheritance for his children.
1t takes some labor, however, to make such
a plantation, and man should have at
least 5000 ahead at the start. have be-
fore me an estimate of the cost of MAIN
tanning a plantation Of seventy-five acres
for seven years, including the purchase OF
the land and the construction of all the
buildings. This shows an expenditure OF
$1,000 at the close of the third year. The
fourth year such plantation should pro-
duCe 10000 pounds of coffee and bring in
an income of s1O,sOO. The fifth year it
should pay $4,000, and the sixth year, ac-
cording to these figures. s1S.G90 and at
that time leave the planter s10,G00 ahead.
By the close Of the next year he will be
10000 ahead. and will have practically
made fortune. In this estimate the clear
ing of the land, fencing, the purchasing of
tn plants and tools, the salary of man
ager. who gets $1,000 year, the paying of
nine Japanese as laborers and the prepara-
ton Of the coffee for the market are in
cluded. How close the figures are l do not
know, but they were prepared by the de-
partment of foreign affairs of the Hawaiian
government. fifty-acre plantation would
cost comparatively less, as the owner in
this case might manage 1t himself.
Honolulu Property.
I asked some questions as to the condi-
ton of real estate in Honolulu. l am told
that it has steadily increased during the
past four Years. and that suburban prop
erty has doubled in value during that time.
The annexation will give it another up
ward shoot, and this, it is believed will be
the case with all kinds of property in the
Islands. One of the best chances for