Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-12-17
Smith LIKES PUMA
AGRICULTURAL SPECIALIST
PRAISES SUGAR DISTRICT
Henry WaterhouSe Also Pleased With
Outlook From Financial Stand
point TRUE Tropical
Condition.

The Hilo Tribune of Dec. 10 says:
Jared Smith and Henry Warehouse
returned last Thursday night from a
trip to Puma plantation with nothing
but the highest encomiums for the
hospitable treatment extended TO them
by Manager Campbell. They were
mere than pleased with the broad tields
of ripe and ripening cane. Mr.. water
house concentrated q world of mean
ing in the one remark: Every dollgr
that has been put into that plantation
IL still in sight
The vegetation and the general land
scape picture presented in Puma lwoke
in Jared Smiths practical head new
and pleasant trains of thought. There
is evidently very little on the Tautaius
slopes back of Honolulu to inspire the
student of tropical nature. With Puma
fresh in his mind. Uncle Sans repre-.
sentative farmer said:
Puma is the only real tropical re-
gion | have seen in Hawaii. One can
not have had perfect view of 3 per-
feet field Of cane until he has seen Pu-
ma. There is the great expanse OF
blooming cane decked here and there.
with groups OF tall cocoanut aud bread
fruit trees. 1t Is characteristic tropical
vegetation. II is exactly what we used
to see In the pictures in sthe old
Biographies at school. II is what We
now see in modern scientific works on
plant geography.
1T struck me that beneicer,t PROV
idence has always had that place in
mind as sugar country. Manager
Campbell told me that 1t never rains
in the daytime but that rainfall comes
In plenty, in quiet showers at night.
This is remarkable and a feature OF
great value. The daytime is the work.
ing period Of plants as well as OF men
and beasts Of burden.
plants do their eating ali the day
long and in the shadows Of the nigh,
time they digest their food aud rest.
The plant differs from the animal Only
| In the number OF stomachs with Which
It handles the food. Instead OF Ogz OF
| two or three. II has a millioG Or so
Each individual cell does its work O.
Transforming the elements OF the alt
and the earth into various valuable
compounds. The process is simple and
wonderful. A green plant taxes car.
bonic acid gas from the air anu pump;
up hydrogen through its roots from tia
water in the soil. These elements a-e
| nnn al GrCf intn oil f,,n
sucrOse, then into starch.
THE starch is stored up In the
leaves of the cane stalk as long a. the
sunshine lasts. At shutdown IN PIMA
the millions Of cane leaves are stored
and packed full OF starch. WEea ID.
sun sinks the subtle and delicate ma.
chinery Of the cane stalk begins IT.,
work OF digestion. The starch Il trans.
ferred from the leaves TO other portions
OF the cane stalk. II Is converted into
sugar, some of which goes to repair
damages and much Of II is stored In the
stalk as a reserve food supply. som,
OF 1t goes at once into the formation OIL
new leaves to make more starch q
make more sugar to make more leave;
to make more starch.
THE agency in all these Operation;
is the living matter in the plant cells
1t is the plant soul as Haeckel til,
German philosopher would say. Il 4,
directly comparable to the living mat,
ter in animals and is the vital force II
all life. The reserve supply of sugar II
the cane stalk, which Is the secret OF
nature upon which the great sugar
Industry rests. has for its purpose yh,
sustenance Of the new plant. Il Il
an economy of nature, designed FOR the
propagation and perpetuation % spe
cies."