The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-03-29

Editor Advertiser.-In former COM
munication upon the above named sub
ject. I related some Of my own expert
ence Of general farming On these ISL
ands. I viii now refer 20 the expert
ence Of a few hoInesteaders who wen;
Into the business eight OF ten years ago
that have come under my direct obser-
yatlon as q sample OF what most home
steadsrs have undergone.
The first I refer to was a Portuguese,
industrious and ambitious 10 own a
home He built a nice cottage for his
family. cleared and fenced part of his
lot. set coffee. some fruit trees and
grape vines. planted corn and potatoes
and a garden. bur nothing seemed TO
flourish. and having TO work on a plan
tation to support his family. he decided
ne was living too far from his work
and no prospect OF making a living on
his lot with hts wife and children TO
help. SO after few years trial he sold
out the only home he ever had and
moved back to the plantation
The next adjoining homesteader was
an American, who built a small house,
cleared all the land and set IL with cof-
fee, and few lemon, lime. fig. orange
and peach trees While the trees were
growing. corn, potatoes. and some 9TH
er truck were planted between the rows
OF trees. hoping by so doing TO pay by
the sale Of the product at least part
OF the expense OF cultivating and keep
ing the weeds down while the trees
were coming into bearing But the corn
and truck would not grow: worms.
bugs. etc. preventing The whole
homestead was fenced and cypress trees
set on one side as a windbreak. and on
the other eide, along the government
road. they We're set as an ornament
They have done well. and are ornamen-
tai all round the lot The coffee fruited
and for three years yielded a fair crop,
enough to pay for picking and the year
~ care OF the place: but the price OF
the coffee was disappointing. The past
three years the coffee has not yielded
enough to pay for picking. and each
Of the three years its yield has been
less and less, until the coffee has be-
come vaIueless- So the owner, after a
ten years experience and a direct loss
OF $500 in money, has now rented it for
the cultivation OF cane The fine. prof
aimed at is now a cane field
The next homestead adjoining the
above was also taken by an American
farmer and he proceeded to develop il
by clearing and fencing il and setting
coffee trees. planting corn, melons and
garden truck. the same as the second
above referred to had
done. But nothing fiourished that he,
planted His coffee being injured by
worms. never yielded enough TO pay for
picking more than two years, and his
labor Of setting and caring for it was
all lost, and in short time the coffee
failed entirely. The owner. not wishing
20 risk any more labor or money on the
homested, rented ii 10 a man to raise
chickens
This renter expected to raise corn for
feed He worked hard prepar-
ing the land and planted a few acres. !
The corn grew and looked well until
L commenced to silk, when il was at
tackled by small fly. which increased ,
Sd rapidly that il soon extracted all the
virtue out of the stalks and they died.
There was no corn This ended the
project on that homestead
The protector lost his years labor and
the rent Of the place, which he paid in
advance The owner OF this homestead
how had the blues. He could not rent
IL and the labor and money he had
wasted on the place convinced him that
any further attempt at farming ii
would be a failure. So ne wisely con-
GUIDED 10 sell out, which he did. and
hen took up another homestead some
miles away. which he believed was bet
ter land. but thus far he has been no
more successful than on his first place
The past few years he has wasted both
abor and money. upon IL. with but
small returns
One more reference: An intelligent.
ambitious. hard working American
farmer with a family secured a home
stead near ten years ago In his minds
Eye he saw pleasant and profitable
American home He was quite sure he
,ouId make that fancied home a reaH-
y by his labor and the profits Of a 20
acre fruit orchard. which he commence
ID by sending TO California for fruit
.rees. consisting OF apple. pear. peach.
apricot. orange. lemon and olive OF va
-ious kinds OF each: also coffee. al
nonds. walnuts. strawberry. blackberry
and raspberry. and all kinds of the
most improved varieties OF garden
seeds. including watermelon and musk
melon seed
The first year he was successful IN
building a small house. fencing his
and receiving and setting his trees
md berry bushes he had ordered He
,lso received the garden seed. and rails
a peas beans. cabbage, bests. carrots,
-adish. strawberries and other garden
ruck. and melons enough TO supply the
his trees made an en-
.Oura gfng growth. and he, being ambi-
n
% acres OF land, so he bought another
homestead near by. and built nice,
'oOmy residence upon it, He was now
Iuite well fixed. so himself and others
bought. having one lot as coffee
,rove and fruit orchard and the other
or residence. vegetables. berries and
,enerai farming But alas. as theories
,ften lead 10 serious disappointments.
% II did in this case. After the first
ear melons could not be grown The
Held OF the garden and berries lessened
early and finally ceased altogether;
potatoes and corn never did anything,
F,or1.1 often tried Worms injured the