The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-09-20
CHANCE FOR
FARMERS
Jared Smith Talks
Of WahiaWa
Colony.
(From Wednesdays daily.)

THE small farmer is and will be a
success on the Hawaiian Islands," re-
marked Jared Smith Of the Agricul-
tural Experiment Station yesterday.
His remark was called forth as the re-
suit of his visit of inspection to the
California colony at Wahiawa, where
he spent Saturday and Sunday. Il am
sure they will make a great success
of their undertaking." he continued.
they have had hard time Of 1t, but
now are on the high road to success
and prosperity in my opinion.
The thirteen families there have an
average of one hundred acres apiece
under successful cultivation. They are
now going in for the growing of pine
apples on a large scale.
Farming Is at best a drudgery and
requires painstaking and constant ap-
plication. These people have stuck to
their task In the face of obstacles that
would dishearten many a man. They
are all good farmers and know their
business. At first they had to con-
tend with many difficulties. The prin
cipal pests were the Japanese beetle
and the melon hy which did consid
cradle damage, as did other insects.
The soil to begin with, was acid. but
the continued cultivation. and constant
exposure to the air is sweetening the
earth now, and they are having no more
trouble on that account.
These men have demonstrated that
nearly everything can be raised on the
Islands They are located at an eleva-
| tion of six hundred feet and the climate
| Is fine and bracing. The lack Of water
will soon be remedied, when the ditch
from Waialua is completed. About four
miles are already laid. and within six
months the Wahiawa farmers will have
all the water they require.
They have successfully raised garden
truck and vegetables of every kind.
The sweet potatoes raised there are
among the finest / have ever seen.
Peach and pear trees have been set out,
and will no doubt bear fruit. Melons
have been successfully cultivated by
the farmers of Wahiawa, and they have
demonstrated that sugar cane may be
raised there without the use of much
water. do not think though, that they
will go in for the cultivation Of cane,
even after they get their water supply
as they have not enough land to make
best adapted for the colony. and they
will begin cultivation of them on a
large scale very soon. They will raise
only those OF most commercial value,
not the finer grades OF fruit which are
. uncertain, but those best adapted for
the market, and which are easier of
cultivation.
The small farmer is just what Ha-
| nd tha, no
benefit to the Territory. heartily ap-
prove of the Homestead Lease Law, 1t
Is an excellent thing for the people of
the Islands. The United States could
not do anything better than devote the
military reservation to the small farm
err and divide it among them in tracts
of twenty or forty acres each. There
are l4OO acres In the tract set aside
| for military post, and If it is not to
be used for that purpose it might well
be given over to the small farmer.
Twenty acres is enough for one man, as
five acres is sufficient to sustain a
family if properly planted. In case OF
a blockade Honolulu would be in a sad
plight. Her food supply cut off even
temporarily would work great hardship
: This mucn was demonstrated in the
scarcity of food caused by the San
Francisco strike. If Hawaii had a 10,
of small farmers they could raise
: enough to feed our own people, and
should be able to export fruits out OF
$ season. The military reservation Is
: good farming land and if given out un'
! der the provisions of the Homestead
j Lease law in small tracts of twenty
acres. would be greater thing for the
), country than even the encampment OF
: a military force upon it.
THE owners of large plantation:
Z could do nothing better than suble
- small tracts to farmers willing to make
e their homes here. The farmers on Oahl
/ have of course a better market fo
, their produce, than those of the othe
!, Islands but l think farming on small
y scale on the other Islands could easil,
y be made profitable
S OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Sorno