The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-01-15

witch proved fatal 10 M trade and IN.
ttfptlss
WIN The faii In tho price of clnohaHa
.hnfl Hu1 the fact that the cultivation uf
Tea would prove On unqualified sHcctu4
having been established cinchbnn waH
practically abandoned W. Cnyi0u Rn1 has
continued so until the present day. There
Hrc. however ono of two fnrn4wlaH tu
their rrnoration- look with nrprchrr-
.rf0n on the vast areas that have boon.
and ore bclur brought under too cultislt
ii11-not only IN Coylon. hut rlerwhrrf
These men nro now rpr milling their ten
nrIdq, as thoir brothers IN coffee did ln
days gone hv with cinchonn plants. Gin
,Uurn ua with nloos. need not De har.
vested ut amy particular time. the grower
can wait Tor U romunuratlvc market boz
fore barking the cnchona trees or cut
ting tho aloe leaves
. The following IL an example " tho
Yield OF the c'nchona tree:
Three ycar-old trees give about one
pound dry bark from ten trees.
Four-ycar-old trees give about one
pound dry bark from seven trees.
4 Five-yoar-old trees give about one
pound dry bark from four trees,
sIxyear-old trees give about one pound
dry bark from two trees.
4 Scven-year-old trees give about one
I'UUl uTN DARK from one Tree
! Java has the largest area under sys-
|tematic cultvaton-25.OO 900 acres-and a
considerable quantity Is shipped from the
Central American States. In Peru, 30
livia, Colombia and Ecuador there Is a
large area covered with Indigenous trees,
but with the exception OF the calsaya
species cutting has been stopped owing
to low prices.
In 1895 there were four qunlne factories
in the United States. manufacturing
about 10000 pounds: until 1879 the States
had n heavy import duty on quinine equal
to 20 per cent, to protect local manufac-
turers, but In that year this duty was
abolished. though afterwards partly re-
imposed. Among the various species of
the cinchona tree may be mentioned, Of
ficinelis. calisaya, ledgeriana and succi-
rubra. Probably the last named is best
suited to the Hawaiian Islands. 1t Is the
most hardy In its growth, Is less jealous
as to soil and its bark has of late years
attracted as much attention among
chemists as its rivals.
Cinchona culture may not at the pres
ent moment commend itself as Il highly
Iremunerative one, but 1t would make an
excellent standby.
The succirubra tree is a highly orna-
mental one, and is frequently seen in
bungalow gardens; 1t is also planted to
define the boundaries of different fields
on tea and other plantations. An avenue
of succirubra trees cannot be surpassed
from an ornamental point of view; more
over 1t has always some economic value,
so that those who plant it combine the
useful with the ornamental
FIBERS.
OF the numerous tropical cultures that
suggest themselves as suitable to the
Hawaiian Archipelago that of fiber pro-
ducing plants stands prominently for
ward. OF all others of this species the
fourcroya gigantia, or green aloe, owing
to the facility with which it is propagat-
ed the freedom with which It adapts it
self to almost any soil, and the little care
that 1t requires when once established
commends itself to the attention of land
ed proprietors.
For many years planters in different
countries have fought shy of this culture
owing to the difficulties experienced in
decorticating the leaves: still, notwith- |
standing this drawback. many growers
in Mauritius have found it profitable |
industry-as much as 100000 worth was |
exported in one year; and this manufac- |
tured by the primitive graf.
In using the graf the leaves are passed |
half way into the machine and then with |
drawn by hand. They are then reversed |
and the other half treated in the same
manner. machine has recently been |
invented through which the leaves pass
in one process, thus ensuring one I'M
broken length of fiber. Owing to there |
being no backward scrape, there is no
loss of fiber, and the machine is capable
of taking any size of leaf-from pineap- |
pie to the largest of the aloe plant. The |
introduction OF this machine is likely t,
stimulate the fiber industry to no incon-
siderable extent.
There are probably thousands of acres
in the Hawaiian Islands available for |
aloe cultivation, and were 1t once made
evident to villagers and others that there
was a demand from American traders
for this product they would speedily cul-
tivate It, AS in the preparation of va
nilla, central factories would be erected,
so that the small grower. or aloe farm
err, would simply have to plant his aloes,
and, when mature. to cut and carry his
leaves to- the factory, where he would
find ready sale. Aloes would grow well
on exhausted sugar land. or If planted
between the rows of cocoanut trees.
The foucroya gigantia green Leaf is to
be recommended, as the fiber Is superior,
and 1t has all the advantages of the
American arizeda (blue leaf without its
disagreeable acid, which makes the hand
ling of the leaf very much easier for the
workmen employed