The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-05-14
Eight. Yards for a Dollar.
WHITNEY & MARSH

forage and some kind of small grain
supply Experiments will be undertaken
with an extensive line of forage plants
and grains, especially those from warm
regions of the earth, as North Africa,
India, South America perhaps Australia.
We have more to look for from these
tropical countries than from the temper
ate zones, either northern or southern,
in this respect.
forage plants and grain for feeding cat
tie and sheep, hogs, poultry, etc., then
we can make feeding experiments to de-
termine which are the best rations to
use-how to produce the largest growth
and the most fat at the least expense.
Another line of work which l am di-
rected to take up, is investigation of the
coffee crop: the study and discovering of
methods of handling and marketing the
crop, and especially the possibility of
Improvement of quality and yield by Sc
lection and crossing of different strains
of coffee Very little work of this char
acter has been done except in Java, and
that was two or three years ago. The
field for tins work in Hawaii is as adj
,vantageously Situated as anywhere in
the world.
THE fourth line of work which am
under instruction to pursue, is the in
PRODUCTION and establishment of what
might be called minor industries, of such
nature as are customarily practiced in
tropical countries, and which have prov
en- everywhere profitable. Without doubt
most of these can be transported to
Hawaiian soil-for instance, the cultiva-
ton of Sumatra tobacco, the wrapping
leaf plant and of Havana, the filling to-
bacco. The Department of Agriculture
has been working experimentally on Su-
matra tobacco for two or three years
and the cultivation experiments have
been SO successful that the product of
Florida Sumatra tobacco took the high
est prize in competition with Sumatra
Sumatra tobacco at the Paris Exposition
this year.
-In the Connecticut river valley in
Connecticut it has been demonstrated
that Sumatra tobacco can be grown very
profitably. The market is almost unlim-
tied, because over 10000 bales are i'm
ported into the United States every year,
under duty of s1.50 per pound on the
best grades of leaf; Florida and Connect
icut have been able to produce a maxi
mum of 1900 bales per year, and this
leaves a vast field and market for the
industry elsewhere within the limits of
the United States, at a most profitable
figure
Experiments will follow with hemp,
jute, New Zealand fax, Manila hemp and
other fiber plants. The Islands ought to
be able to grow fiber plants enough to
bags for their sugar and
coffee crops
Besides fiber-plant growing, the ex
periments will be extended to the grow
ing of fruits, and a particular study will
be made of the market in California and
the Western States; the fruit-growing of
the Islands will have to be arranged so
that the crops will yield at a season of
the year when the product of the Main
land is not in season. The Hawaiian !
crops must be grown and ripened at
the particular season when the particu- |
lar fruits are out of season on the Main |
land, so that they will not have to com
pete with the Mainland product. The |
Islanus. for instance, could not hope. to ,
with the California crop of or
anges If the crops were ripened at the /
same time. The fruit must be ripened
either before or after the crops of the
same fruit on the Mainland The same
principle of study would have to be made
in the case of vegetables. The market
must be studied and the experiments di-
-ected towards the most desirable season
IF product, so that the fruits and vege-
-dpieS may rlpen Opportunely ana De &C
,ommodated to the demands of the mar
set. to render the industries profitable.
There is a great deal of work in
sight and because Of the very small
amount of money appropriated for the
Hawaiian station by Congress, the re-
suits will necessarily be slow. We won't
De able to do very much, but expect to
work along the general lines have out
ined. and the most important object of
he experimental staff will be the
building up in Hawaii of an independent
lass of small farmers, the need of which
$ to everyone obvious.