The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-04-19
HAWAII'S FUTURE
Agricultural and Horticultural
Possibilities.
A MOST REMARKABLE LAND
The DEVELOPMENT of Resources Only Begun
Coffee Viii Be Profitable
The Climate.
tHawaii Herald.)

While the growing of sugar cane
and the manufacture of sugar must
of necessity for many years remain
the principal industry here, it does
not follow by any means that such
will always be the case. We feel as
sured that coffee growing will yet be-
come profitable, Notwithstanding the
alleged overproduction in Brazil
and Nicaragua which now obtain.
One fact has been abundantly demon
strated-Hawaiian coffee grown at the
proper altitude, properly cured, grad
ed and matured, has a very delicious
favor. Every man who has travelled
widely knows that the bulk of the cof-
fee which is consumed in the United
States is poor stuff Very poor indeed.
Much of it is unfit for consumption,
and most of it, poor as it is, is adul-
terated with everything from chicory
to peas. Rye is not commonly an in
gredient, while burnt sugar and black
Jack molasses are freely mixed with
the lowest grades.
In the United States one seldom
drinkable coffee for less than 80 cents
a pound, Drowned, while the better
grades command from 40 to so cents
pound, Drowned. Hawaiian coffee of
the first grade that has been properly
graded-one sour bean will spoil the
best cup of coffee that was ever made
is equal to the grade of coffee which
commands in the United States, at re-
tail, in the drowned state, 40 cents
per pound. In fact, a grade of Ha-
waiian coffee is now meeting an in
creasing demand at SO cents per
pound, Drowned, but we do not think
it is pure Hawaiian coffee.
Now, no matter what difficulties
may have been met by our coffee
growers in particular instances, we all
know that the culture of coffee which
can be sold in California at 40 cents
a pound Drowned, can be grown here
profitably, and will be grown.
There is at present very little coffee
being brought to the Pacific Coast
| from the more distant ports. Ceylon
coffee is seldom seen; East India is
very scarce indeed; while Mocha is
practically unknown, though the Mo
cha and Java blend is freely advertised.
Most of the coffee which reaches the
Pacific Coast is from Central America,
Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The Ha-
waiian Islands are much nearer, and
| if our coffee is carefully graded and
aged, it ought to take a leading posi-
| ton in the markets of the west and
northwest, particularly.
1t may, and probably will be neces-
sary eventually, to form cooperative
concerns, charged with the duty of
seeing that the coffee is properly grad
ed, properly aged, and properly mar
keted. For the success of the industry,
other things being equal, depends
largely upon insuring that none but
| the best reaches the market under the
name of Hawaii's best
1t costs, by the way, but IS per ton
to land our coffee in San Francisco,
while Guatemala coffee cannot be
landed in the same mraket for less
than SAP per ton.
Bananas, we all know, could be
| grown profitably if we had quick trans
portation facilities between Hilo and
| the Pacific coast. When steamers make
the distance from Hilo to San Francis
co in five days, as they certainly will
Eventually, banana-growing ought cas-
| lily to return a profit of S100 per acre.
We believe the banana-fiour project is
entirely feasible. The flour can be
made all right, and it can be sold all
right, if We go about it right. The
suggestion made in an interview last
week that the matter be brought to
the attention of the Seventh Day Ad-
ventists, who prepare food-products, is
worthy of careful investigation.
The orange industry will no doubt
under more favorable tariff laws, be-
come profitable also. There should be
no tariff whatever upon fruits grown
upon the islands. If the United States
wants us, they should take us, and
give our fruits an equal chance with
California fruits. Oranges, lines and
Jellies would be the only products that
would in any way enter into comDeti-
ton, for California cannot raise fruits
that are distinctly tropical, notwith-
standing the rosy wreaths that are
twined by weavers of words for COM
munities where bananas don't want to
grow.
One point which should not be lost
sight of is the fact that with quick
communication, we can put many pro-
ducts into the San Francisco markets
before and after the California crops
have been gathered. This is due to
our unique climate and an abundance
or rainfall. We can produce from two
TO three crops per annum,, of some
products
There are some things which do not
prosper here. Peaches do not bear
well. -Plums do not thrive Cherries,
apricots, nectarines and prunes do not
do well. California can raise all of
| these and will not suffer competition
from the islands,
When it comes to such products as
oranges, lines, pineapples, bananas,
papaias, ginger, loquots, mangoes, al
llgator pears and the rubber tree, we
can raise them, and will suffer no COM
petition from California, except as TO
oranges and lines.
However, we would not have any one
for moment suppose that the pro-
ducts mentioned comprise the full list
OF things profitable or possible. This
is a remarkable land A most remark