The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-08-27
CULTIVATION OF COFFEE
SOME POINTERS on CLEARING
THE LAND.
Relative Expense Comparcd-Diiferent
Styles of Preparation Reviewcd-A
Practical Mans Ideas.


with the work of putting in coffee
plantation over which there is such a
diversity of opinion as that which re-
lates to the first work of clearing the
land. Different locations enjoying
varying conditions are found employ
ing different methods and most wide
ly contrasting expenses. Some lati-
tude must be allowed for some men
who endeavor to demonstrate that
their system is correct because they
! adopted it, but there should not be
as much difference as is plainly OBJ
servable-for instance between SIS and
500 expense entailed in preparing for
est lands for coffee planting.
The writer with nothing to guide
him but the experience of others, and
fair acquaintance with the majority
| of the plantations on this side of the
| island. feels inclined to believe that
| the planter who has cut down his tim
Der and disposed of it in windows
where it is quite thick or merely plac-
| ed it out of the way of the straight
| lining of the trees has the best of it.
To start in with he has become al
most Immediately possessed of his
land for planting purposes and time
| is an essence and an expense that is
more important than ordinarily con.
sidered.
Again the expense of this method
seems confined between Sc and $50 an
acre. whereas complete clearing, root
and branch, starts very close to $50
and ends near 500.
The planter who has prepared his
land by simply telling the timber
claims that the soil was robbed of the
L.
ton of the timber and it should be
allowed to return by the process of
rotting and washing back into soils
by the rains. He claims the trash up
on the ground prevents the growth of
weeds. Also, that the shaded ground
husbands the moisture in the soil and
the nature of our island soil being
free, friable and rapid to drain that
souring is impossible. The trees
| growing on these Uttered fields GER
tainly have not shown the shrinkage
noticeable during recent dry spell
that is now past apd gone. There is
less red spider where the trees are the
most vigorous and the trees as an adj
vanced product are if anything in ia
vor of the Uttered field.
There is not in Olaa Suffici-
ent data to rely upon as to how long
the trash upon the ground can be re-
lied upon to keep down the weeds.
Some think it will last four years,
others ten. The presence of IA few
ferns is not noticed and the fern is
the first to put in an appearance.
AS a summary it is safe to say there
is between $25 and $35 difference in
the celearing of an acre of land be-
| tween complete clearing and simply
downing the timber. In the matter of
wedding cleared fields it is costing
| from $3.50 to So an acre per month.
In the Uttered field for the first two
years it is next to nothing and after
that as far as the majority have gone
50 cents an acre month does the
work This is a serious matter and
deserves investigation on the part of
the new planter. Wedding is suppos.
ed to be largely reduced after five
or six years is passed, owing to the
growth of the trees and the meeting
of their foliage. This remains to be
seen. But let us summarize as far as
we have gone. There is at least a
saving of of $50 an acre in clearing
and approximately in wedding of $12
an acre a year. In four years time this
amounts to $50 an acre in favor of
the lllltItu lltlu anu OlutE
advantages to the tree and soil. The
humus produced and returned is a fac
tor that must be enormous when ia
king into account the bulk of veget-
able matter that has decayed and en-
tered into the chemical whole. The
coffee tree is thrifty grower and is
consequently greedy feeder.
The purpose of this article is simp-
ly to attract attention in a cursory
way to the difference in expense of
the two systems. We expect the adj
vocates of other opinions will disagree
from us in some detail, but in the
main complete clearing is being aban-
doned. 1t is useless expense and
nothing gained. The rules that hold
good for cultivation of the soil in the
states do not obtain here.
1t is desired that those planters who
hold different views than those en-
pressed above will make themselves
heard.-IIilo Tribune.
REMARKABLE CURE OF CHRONIC