The Hawaiian gazette., 1898-11-15
A SMALL INDUSTRY.

The cultivation of the vanilla plant I
in Tahiti IL one Of the leading Indus
tries and Is very profitable on The /
islands of Tahiti Moorea, Raiatsa ana F.
Huahine.
The profit OF this industry has
greatly Increased during the past year
the price per kilo g Is lbs1 FOR the
vanilla bean being Sl5, and the natives
are building themselves houses out ot
the returns gained from this industry.
'kekela aud ! took a charming
drive Of 80 miles on the southern side
of the island tTahitD. The road TOOK
us through vanilla plantations ana
here and there through outrageous
trees, nice houses we're peeping out |
There IL plenty OF work here for the |
natives. should they choose to exert |
themselves
These words are extracts from a let
ter published in the Friend and written
by the native Hawaiian Missionary
Rev. ). Kauwealoha, now resident IN
the Marquesas. He has recently visit
ed Tahiti
We have repeatedly called the at
tention OF our readers to the value of
the cultivation OF the vanilla bean, az
one Of the smaller industries. The
best and most marketable bean Is
produced In the Isle de Bourbon, while
that furnished by Jalapa, Mexico Is
only little inferior. The Tahitlan
bean Is of less value, because care has
not been taken In the selection OF the
best variety. The bean, which Is an
orchid, is as easily cultivated and pre-
pared as a raisin, II the process Is once
understood. The capital required is no
larger than that needed in cultivating
grape vine Shade and much moist
ure are needed. This industry Is ad-
mirably adapted TO the Portuguese and
native people, because the vines which
produce the beans can be grown close
10 their houses. Another important
point IL that the beans, when properly
prepared, have the worlds CONNER
cial centers for a market.
A young person. without knowledge
of the force OF habit in the shaping of
human events, asks. why have not
this simple and admirable industry,
and otner small industries, been in
trOduced here" A clear and satisiac-
tory explanation cannot be briefly
made. II involves the study Of
psychology, and illustrates the maxim
that men are governed by sentiment
and not by reason.
Several years after the Civil war.
a visitor in one OF the southerly coun-
tries OF Virginia, noticed the poverty
of the people, and suggested TO several
Of the farmers, that there should be
profit In raising cabbages. The reply
was the usual one, 'cabbages never
nave been grown here. and the climate
is not right" Twenty years later the
same visitor called at the same place,
and found the same poverty. He made
the same suggestion, and met with the
same reply. The visitor urged that car
loads of cabbages were annually moved
from Canada to the South, with great
profit, and a thousand miles of trans
itOTtdtIOu WOuIu w sdNtH u tH's "''e
raised In this country. The farmers
replied again. 1t Is not possible to
raise them with profit. \ young man
finally tried the experiment. 1t cost
him few cents, and some brain work
Five years later, thirty car loads Of
Cabbages per day were sent out OF
this county during the season. The
place became prosperous. One asks,
why did the people OF this town con-
tinue in poverty for twenty years, when
a little intelligent work would have
brought them prosperity? An eXpla-
nation OF this very common phenom-
enon of the working of mans mental
machinery, will also explain the failure
TO introduce small industries into these
Islands. There is one general but not
scientific" explanation TO be made. II
is this. The air generated by one large
single and prosperous industry, Is
poison that kills the growth and healtl
of other independent industries. Tit
single industry Of the cotton crop o.
the Southern States is an example o.
IL.
One of the most interesting studio!
in psychology would be that Of analyz
ing and classifying the curious menta
phenomena presented by the trustees
Of the Kamehameha Schools in thu
matter OF manual labor and the alb
sence OF inspiration" in an environ
ment OF excellent opportunities sug
gested by the humble vanilla bean.
THE IAlIANS AMI MHE lMlN