Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-08

Thousands of Acres Available.
'Of course this is only the beginning for
there are thousands of acres in the Puma
and Hamakua districts that will be put
into coffee, as they are of the same rich,
volcano soil and possess the same all
round favorable conditions as Olaa 1t is
bound to be great opening for moderate
individual investments by enterprsing men,
who, If willing to work industriousIy for a
few years, are pretty sure of a competence
the rest of their days But they must have
capital to start with. This is the danger
in men coming with just money enough to
insure not success. but failure. The favor
able conditions of climate and soil and
usually too low estimate of the cost of get
ting coffee plantation up to the profita Bile
point are likely to be misleading Now it
costs something to get coffee plantation
into paying shape. No NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
man can undertake it with any certainty
OF success. A man should have five tnou-
sand dollars anyhow, and ten thousand
would be better. We planters up here
know by experience that the government
estimate in the pamphlet sent out last year
is in some respects under the real cost In
the first place, lands are higher, and the
cost of clearing is more. Some lands may
be cleared for so an acre, while others cost
twice that, and some acres even more, ac-
cording to timber, vines, trees, ferns and
weed ferns, which in many places are
heavy, often a dense thcket of luXurant
tropical growth. The clearing is more tedi-
Gus than actually laborous, everything
comes out of this soft, loose soil easily and
no ploWlnS is necessary.
Surfing u Coffee Plantation
Il have a good deal on my place besides
coffee but have never had to use a pillow.
Of course, it costs mere to clear lands clean
at first than if PARTIAL cleared. But IN the
long run it is more economical as you
coffee plants, setting good many more to
The acre than on partially cleared ground.
Planting from the nursery gives a years
start over planting from seed, and naturally
the strong, healthy nursery plants from the
best seed make the best trees. But great
care is required in planting to place the tap
roots perfectly straight in the ground, 9TH
erWise the trees will not thrive. In the
meantime, besides the cost of clearing and
fencing lands, planting and getting the
plantation well started, there is the expense
of living. The planter must have house
for himself, especially with a family; a
house for his manager and quarters for
laborers, with water and wood for living
purposes, to say nothing of wages. Though
the trees come into first bearing the third
year, it is pretty much all paying out until
the fifth year, when the crop may be
garded making some returns. At the
end of the seventh year from clearing land
and planting, If the plantation has been
successfully managed, 1t has paid for itself
and left a handsome profit on the invest
ment. With this result at the end of seven
years there is no reason why from that on
it should not be a good paying business and
easy work, for the trees are getting better
all the time. Coffee trees will grow ten or
fifteen feet high, but we top them at about
five feet for convenience of picking the
berries, which is by hand, and from time
to time, as they are gradually ripened and
not ali ready at once. You may see now on
these trees here by the piazza ripe berries,
green berries and here and there blossoms.
Coffee trees also require careful pruning to
make strong, full-bearins trees, the coffee
only growing on wood of the second years
growth, and never on the same wood twice.
Success in Truck Farming.
''While the money for the first three or
four years all goes pretty much the one
way, planters can lessen expenses of living
very much by raising all their vegetables,
corn, small fruits and in time other fruits.
1 know of hardly anything that will not
grow well here, and with very little labor.
came from the best corn region in Ten
nessee, and know good corn at sight. We
out putting a pillow near it, and raise two
full crops q year. You will see my two
cornfields as you drive on. near the road.
One is ready to cut and the other Is green,
with plenty Of roasting ears. The fields
are side by side and prove what can be
done with corn in this country. OF course,
with corn there Is no trouble about keep
ing a COW or two. pigs and chickens, and
have your own milk, butter. pork, fowls
and eggs. Potatoes, both Irish and sweet,
and all other vegetables. grow splendidIy
here Pumpkins and squashes grow to an
enormous size. I now have squash vines
from seed planted eighteen months ago.
that are bearing yet. though the main
vines are dead. and the squashes are grow.
ing on new shoots entirely out of the
ground. I was writing home to the states
one day and mentioned the squash vines
MY wifes father wrote back that he
never expected to have a son-in-law who
could tell such he OF course. It does
true story, and the squash vines are up
there to prove II. When IT comes to small
fruit have as fine Strawberries, black
berries and rasQberries az grow In the