Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-01-04
VISIT OF COFFEE EXPERT
Mr.. Seuza Talks from Twenty Years
Experience in Guatemala,
He Finds Highly Favorable Conditions in Olaa
Speaks Of Cultivation, Prepar-
Ing, Labor and Shipping


industry than f. Souza, who has
arrived in town from u tour OF in
spection in the Olaa district. Mr..
Souza has lived in Guatemala for
twenty years, where he dealt in
coffee from the outset and cult
vated the article fifteen years.
Besides all this he has visited
several other coffee countries.
The BULLETIN regards it as
good fortune for itself, and most
valuable contribution 10 the
country's store of agricultural
knowledge, to have obtained aD
interview with the visitor. Mr.
Souza talked straight to the
point, and needed but little ques-
tioning to speak of those
phases of the matter which
are of the greatest importance.
81 examined the coffee planta-
tons from the 14th to above the
23d mile post-as the locations
along the Volcano road are des-
cribed," began Mr.. Souza. II be.
lieve that almost any place be-
tween those points are perfectly
good for coffee. The vegetation
there is just what l would like to
have Probably the best portion
is between the 10th and the 22d
mile posts. There is the right
kind of temperature there--about
60 degrees in the morning, rising
to 80 degrees the middle of the
day.
Il have seen the plantations
and found some of them very
good-no better anywhere. L have
found that some people, especi-
ally those who had the most
money to work with, made mis-
takes in cultivation, which was
nothing but would have been ex-
pected from new planters. Many
IF these are finding out those
errors and will be able to avoid
them in the future.
81 he mistakes were partly in
clearing the land of all the timbsr
and then burning it on the
ground. Some of them are even
planting shade now to rectify that
mistake. You might improve
soil in some cases by putting
ashes upon it, but to burn the
timber on the ground is liable to
injure it. 1t may destroy some of
the essential properties of the soil.
Again, where the planting aud
cultivation may be all right, the
crop is in some cases spoiled by
improper curing and drying"
Asked for bis opinion about au
official brand for Hawaiian coffee
AS often advocated lately, Mr.
Souza doubted if it would be of
much if any benefit. "You zee the
planters do not sell to the coll
sumers, but to the jobbers at Sau
Francisco or elsewhere. These
know good cofft when they see it,
and will fix the prices Of Hawaii
an coffee accordingly.
"Some people have said the
rainfall at Olaa is too heavy, but
this is not so. We have in Guat-
emala some places in which the
rainfall is much heavier than in
Olaa, and we have not the advant
age which Olaa has in drainage.
Olaa has the most perfect drain
age that could be wished.
Il have also noticed in Olaa
that the coffee planted from Qua.
temala seed has a much better ap-
pearance than that from the native
seed. This l consider the result
of change Of climate for the
coffee. | believe if we took Ha
waiian seed to Guatemala it would
show similar good results. L
should highly recommend new
planters here to plant Guatemala
seed.
Eight feet apart and six feet
high | should regard as right for
planting and trimming in Olaa
A great many of the Olaa plan
ters, having never engaged in the
cultivation before, have had to
learn these things from experiences,
"As far as the producing Of
coffee is concerned, L also looked
into the labor question. If coffee
is going to cost more than it
brings, there is no use in going
into its cultivation. Here you
paw 55 to GO. cents a day for labor.