Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-20
HAWAIIAN COFFEE CULTURE
A Comprehensive Report by Consul General
HAYWOOD.
Thrives Best at Attitudes varyinn
From 500 to 1000 Feet-Wind is
the Worst Enemy Of the Tree,

partment on the subject of coffee culture
In the Hawaiian Islands, which is publish
ed in full in number Ii Of the daily con-
sular reports. He says In part:
THE mail received at this consulate gen.
eral for the past four months shows that
considerable interest is taken by the peo-
pie of the United States in the raising of
coffee in these islands. According to a
table to be published in next years Ha-
waiian Annual there are 800 coffee planta-
lions on the islands, of which 1893 are on the
Island OF Hawaii. The prevailing labor is
Japanese. though natives. Cinnamon and
Portuguese are employed. On one place 1
found two Germans employed at SO per
month.
The universal price paid for Japanese
labor is SIS per month, without board
In the Olaa district number of Chinese
are employed at wages ranging from $l6
to SIT per month. 1 found the planters
preferred the Chinese to the Japanese be-
cause they were more tractable and work
better without overseeing. The native Ha-
waiians. I was sorry to see. did not take
kindly to working in the fields, although
in the Puma district I noticed a number.
The natives seem to work best on the cat
tie ranches and at odd jobs which do
not require continuous labor. The Japan
csc seem to be, so far, all that Is required
for successful coffee raising, though 1t
seems to me that the more important work
OF planting should be intrusted to the
most faithful and intelligent labor that
present wages be paid. For this work, the
patient, painstaking. faithful German
seems to me to be the best fitted. The
Germans are natural gardeners and can
work we'll. The wages paid may seem to
some far in excess of that paid to labor
in other coffee producing countries. but
l am told by those who are familiar with
fhac r1ti npf hot fha l-tO hos fcIa do
is worth more than Central and South
American labor, for instance.
Coffee, like other trees, is subject to
blight and insects. So far. the planters
have had no serious trouble. I noticed
three kinds-red spider, smut and the cut
worm. The first two give way to a good,
heavy rain. For the cutworm, a piece Of
brown paper is tied around the trunk of
the tree about two inches from the ground
and covered with printers ink. Another
method is to cut bamboo in four-inch
lengths and put around the tree when
planted.
The Coffee Belt.
'The coffee belt on this island begins
where the cane fields terminate. at an ele-
walton of about 500 feet. and extends up
the mountains to about 1000 feet. Be
yond this very little has been planted.
The total area of government lands is
fixed at 1,7S2 800 acres. of which 1920
acres are devoted to coffee The area
of coffee lands on the island of Maui will
probably be increased by further inves-
legations on the windward side of the is
land. Land can be obtained from the
government by two methods. viz. the cash
freehold system and the right-of-purchase
leases Under the first system, the lan1 is
sold at auction. The right-of-purchaSe
leases are drawn for twenty-one years, at
a rental of per cent on the appraised
value of the land. The limit of frst-class
agricultural land obtainable is 100 acres
This amount is increased on lands OF IN
ferior quality.
THE soil of Hawaii is extremely rich
and fertile. Being of volcanic origin, the
fertility varies according to the state OF
disintegration of the lava and the amount
Of dacomposed vegetable matter. The lava
flow is of two kinds, called IA ana
Pahoiho' Where the ground is covered
with broken IA the soil is very rich.
THUS far coffee has been found to thrive
best at attitudes varying from 900 to 2Ooo
feet though fine trees may be seen at near
ly sea level, and a few feet beyond 2OOo
1t is generally conceded that trees grown
near sea level are more susceptible to blight
than when grown at higher attitudes. 1t
is said that AZ degrees is the lowest tenn
perature coffee will stand. An elevation
where the temperature ranges from AZ de-
grees to so degrees is thought to be
best for successful growing. The worst
enemy of the coffee tree is wind. In every
case where the tree is exposed to a strong
wind the evil effects become apparent in
stunted growth or lack of foliage. There
Is great diversity Of opinion regarding
shade. At first it seems that all the plant
ers paid great attention to this subject.
leaving large trees standing in the clear
Ing and where no trees could be left they
planted rapid-growing ones for this pur-
pose. Now number of the most sue
cessful planters in each of the districts
1 have visited are advocates Of plenty Of
sun and seem to be meeting with good
success.
Imported Seed Used.
Until recently only native seed has been
planted, but now 1t is thought best to i'm
port the seed. That obtained from Guate-
mala is thought much of. 1t is claimed
that tree raised from Guatemalan seed
will be as far advanced at four years as
one at six from native seed. Trees raised
from imported Java seed have done well.
This item of expense depends largely
upon the personal wants of the individual.
For forty planters whom 1 questioned, the
cost ran from nothing, where the place
was managed by a neighboring planter, to
$500; the average being a little over
ST. 100. I append three estimates of cost
of establishing and maintaining coffee
plantations The first is one published in a
pamphlet issued by the Hawaiian foreign
office, for plantation of 100 acres IS
acres planted in coffee, from the first to
the seventh year. when it is estimated that
the crops will pay back the original out
lay and leave a balance. This estimate
calls Tor $lS,OOO capital. AT the end OF
seven years, it Is estimated that the re-
turns from sales of coffee will pay back
the amount invested and leave a balance
to the credit of the plantation of 81, 275.
According to this estimate 1t will cost
$235 per acre to bring 80 acres to bearing
at four years and 25 acres bearing at three
years.
THE next estimate is one furnished by
Mr.. Joseph Marsden, commissioner of ag-
riculture. The land in this case is sup
posed to be government land, taken UP
under the purchase-lease system. This es-
innate is for so acres Of land, 20 of which
are to be put in coffee. and will require a
capital OF $500, all of which will be re-
turned at the end Of seven years and leave
balance to the credit of the plantation
of 2,23O. According to Mr.. Marsden's fig
ures 1t costs $500 per acre to bring to three
years bearing.
The last is one made by Mr.. w. H
Smith, a planter in Olaa- This is for 100
acres Of land, with so acres in coffee. The
capital required is from $4,000 to s15OOO
and an income after the fifth year of So;
100. The three estimates, while differing
IN some minor particulars estimate the
capital per acre nearly the same: the .nv-
eminent. $40; Mr.. Marsden, $3.50 and Mr.
Smith, $27O >'A 1-AA
Advice to Prospective PIanters