The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-07-12
SMALL FARMER COMING
DENELOPMlNT Is THROUGH THE
HOMESTEADS

The Number Of These is Increasing and
the Combined Result is Large body
of Useful Information.
WAIMEA, Hawaii. July 6.-Whatever
Jared Smith ana his experiment station
on rantalus may do for the much talk
ed of small farmer and small farm
ing visit to the "hOmesteads' of any
part of this island will create very
hopeful impression of the ultimate out
look In Hamaltua and the two Ko-.
halas there are upwards of two hun
dred SO called "hOmesteaders," besides
hundreds of kuleanas and holdings by
ownership or lease which in their con-
ditiOn Of life and livelihood are COM
parable to hOmesteads. And every one
of these is in effect a small farm. SO
that the question of what the small
farmer can do is answered by finding
out what the people on these home
steads, kuleanas and holdings are do
ing.
The most interesting part of travel
by any of the roads through the KO-
halas or Hamakua is through the sec
tions locally and colloqually known as
the "homCsteads." These homesteads
vary in size usually from ten to twen-
y
many other holdings of similar size
Sugar planting, rice planting and taro
planting pay in Hawaii. But these
homesteadS are neither sugar, rice
nor tarO plantations. They are small
farms. They are devoted to a diversified
cultivation. Everything, from Indian
corn, potatoes and watermelons, to
bananas, papaia and pineappes are
grown. Inquiry among the homestead
ers reveals the fact that collectively the
homeSteaders in any locality have ex-
perimented with and are experimenting
with several hundred different kinds of
crops. The result of this must be the
gradual creation of a body of expert
mentally demonstrated information on
the subject of the best methods of Gull
tivation of particular crops in particu-
lar localities, the most suitable crops
for particular localities and the cost Of
raising such crops. 1t is true this In
formation may not be in quite as COM
pact, specific and explicit form as it
would be were it the results of scienti-
hcally conducted experiments at an eX-
pertinent station. But it has the adj
vantage of the latter in being more
widely disseminated. 1t is a part of
the life and current information of the
people interested in it and likely to
use il or be prOfited by it. 1t is right
where this farmer or that one as he
get the results of others experiments
and work, to help himself.
IL IS probable that there are very few
of these hOmeSteaderS or small farmers
who are making the whole of their liv-
ing from their homesteads. A part OF
their living they make in some other
Wav usually by employment on some
of the nearby sugar plantations or cattle
ranches. But few of the homesteaders
want to sell their holdings. None of
them are discontinued with them, and
there is constant desire in the popu-
lation. adjacent to the homestead re-
glons, to get hOmesteads There is
feeling that homestead is a good thing
to have and good thing To keep; that
sometime there will be such changes in
transportation and market facilities
that not only can you grow anything"
but you can grow it prOfitably because
you can get it to market and sell it ar
ter you have grown it, There is a feel
ing, too that the insect pests which in
teliere with the cultivation OF some
things Will be overcome in some way.
The very fact that more ana more
lana is coming into use as hOmeSteddS,
that there is a continual increase IN
the number of homesteads and home
steaders is bringing the question Of
markets and transportation inevitably
nearer settlement. The small farm
problem is being solved, is solving it.
self. And the solution is coming as
most things of this sort are solved, MOI
by some one man making a sudden ana
complete discovery of all the condi-
tons and requirements. But by many
men, each applying himself to his i'm
mediate problem OF providing for him
self and his family, and making dis
coVeries in the general subject which
are added to the whole body of ascer-
tanned and available facts, so that
WhosoeVer will may make use of them
IN old or in new combinations. Small
farming and the small farmer VIII be
here just as soon as conditions are ripe
for him. Neither he nor it can be Great
ed out of hand any more than the sugar
industry as it exists here was or could
be created out of hand. The much talk
ed of, earnestly desired small proprle-
tor population is actually coming into
existence through the Hawaiian land
laws and faster than anyone who has
not actually been in the homestead re-
gions has any idea of.
As showing the growth of the home
stead and small holdings system under
the present land laws, the following fig
ures are from the office of the Commits
sioner of Public Lands:
Of homestead leases there are in Ha-
makua and the two KOhalas, 3; in the
two Konas and Kau, 20; in Oahu. 10:
OF cash freeholds there are in Hilo
and Puma, Is: Hamakua and the two
kohalas, 8; in the two Konas and Kau,
!.
OF right of purchase leases, there are
IN Hilo and Puma 1876 though many OF
these have been transferred to other
parties than the original purchasers
and quite number of the homesteads
have been absorbed by sugar compa-
MES; in Hamakua and the two Koha- |
as, 50; in the two Konas and Kau, |
10; in Maui, AZ; in Oahu, IL.
" special agreements, all over the ISL !
ands there are 1853.
Under the old Crown Lands law there
are of homesteads in the Olaa Settle
nent, 14l (nearly all of these home |
'teads have gone into Olaa sugar plan |
.auon); Puukapu homesteads in South
< ohala, SO; Olaa homestead reservation
n Puma. AZ; Kaimu homesteads' in Ko-
q