The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-06-04
THE FARMS OF HAWAII
FIGURES FROM THE FEDERAL
CENSUS.
summary of a Bulletin Recently Is
sued in MISUNDERSTANDING Lands
-Taro Patches-Sugar Lands.


sued in MISUNDERSTANDING Lands
-Taro Patches-Sugar Lands.
a bulletin covering the various ynas-
rs OF agriculture in the Hawaiian ISL
ands was issued from the census bu-
reau at Washington on May ~. the
census from winch this bulletin has
been prepared was taken in the sum
lner OF 1900 by a corps OF special agents
unuer the direction of Atalau T. Atkin-
son, ana the figures thus obtained COM
prise the nrSt statistics Of agriculture
| IN Hawaii obtained under the authority
/ Of this country. The bulletin reads, in
! part, as follows:
The farms Of Hawaii June 1, 1900
numbered 2,2I3 and We're vaued at $780,
| UZS,906. OF TINS amount S3,o4o, Sy5, or o.9
per cent, represents the value OF build
lngs ana 500, 4S4. U6i or y4l per cent. the
value of land and improvements other
than buildings. ON the same date The
value Oh farm implements and machiu-
cry was Sll, AS, $50 and OF live stock,
lS-,5iOl42. These values added to that
o. farms give the total value OF farm
property $t4,0S4ySS, an average agrieul-
Iural luVes Jmcnt per inhaDitaut Of
S4Sl,.
THE products derived from domestic
animals, poultry and bees, including
animals sold and animals slaughtered
on farms, are referred to i'm this bull
letin as animal products. Tine total
value of such products, together with
the value of all crops, is termed total
value of farm products This value for
the census year was So. 04O, i3l, an av-
erage of $14312 for each inhabitants Of
the islands. OF the above amount 1913,
Zl5, or rs per cent represents the value
! of animal products, and 81, AL SIC, or
9G2 per cent, the value of crops, in
Guiding forest products cut or produc-
ed on farms.
Third in size but first in productive
ness per acre. is the Island Of oahu,
which has an area OF 591.S square miles
| Honolulu, the capital OF the territory,
and the principal seaport of the group,
is located upon the southern coast of
| this island.
The Island of Hawaii is the largest
of the group, and also the most inn
portant from an agricultural point of
view. 1t contains 42.0 per cent of the
total number of farms in the territory,
! go per cent of the total area in
| farms asa per cent of all the improved
! land, and 7O.2 per cent of the acreage
| in pasture. The value of its farm land
and improvements, except buildings,
constitutes 2y.2 per cent of the total for
the territory, and that of it's live stock,
| 5O.S per cent of the aggregate live stock
value Of the territory.
The value of the islands farm pro-
! ducts in 1899, constituted 1873 per cent
OF the total vaue of products for the
territory, and its expenditures for la
| Dor and fertilizers constitute 352 per
cent and 43.9 per cent, respectively, of
the total expenditures for the group.
1t surpasses every other island in
number of farms, farm area, value of
farm property and value of products.
THE Island of Oahu has only about
one-tifteenth the farm acreage report
! ed for Hawaii, but has over one-half
as many farms This difference is
| due to the number of small rice, tarO
and vegetable farms operated in the
vicinity of Honolulu. With an area of
but little more than one-fourth as
much improved land Oahu produced
crops having a value more than half as
great as was reported for Hawaii, indi-
eating that its improved area is more
| intensively cultivated.
THE area in square miles of the re-
naming islands are as follows Kauai,
| 595.4 Molokai, 251.S; Lanai, 1876: Nil
! hau, 1913, and KahoOlaWe, S3.1. Lanai
and Niihau are given over almost en-
| tirely grazing, thousands of horses,
/ sheep, goats and cattle feeding upon
| their grassy levels.
Upon the Island of Molokai is locat-
ed the government hospital for epers.
established in 1865. This institution is
situated upon a tract of about $500
! acres, occupying a projection on The
/ north shore. Owing to its preCipitOus
| heights and the general rocky nature
of the surface there is but little farm
ing done on the island. The raising of
| live stock and the cultivation of taro
receive the greatest attention. An at
| tempt made by the American Sugar
! Company to establish an extensive
| plantation in the lOwlands along the
southern shore has proven a costly and
as yet unsuccessful experiment. Many
! thousands of dollars were expended
| during 1899 and subsequently in the
prosecution of the enterprise. but the
! failure to secure an adequate supply
! OF fresh water for irrigation purposes
caused the abandonment of the project.
The number of farms in 1900 was
2,27S, of which Eli or 92.9 per cent, re-
ported buildings. The total area in
! farms, 2,6096l3 acres, comprises ga
per cent of the total land surface of the
eight principal islands, distributed as
/ follows 1928 per cent in pasrurage, 17.2
per cent in forest area and : per cent
il improved land Considerably less
| than one-third of the improved land is
| devoted to crops, so that only about 2
per cent of the total land surface is I'M
| der cultivation.
The average area of the farms was
1,14S1 acres. The large holdings of the
sugar planters, together with extensive
sheep ranches, account for this large
average. There are many small agri-
cultural holdings in the islands, how
ever, especially among the farms Oper-
ated by tenants.
1T is probable that the number of