The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-08-01
REBUILD
THE OLD
What Is Needed in
Agriculture in
Hawaii.
YEAR BOOK ON
| DEPARTMENT WORK
Considers That Small Farmer
Still Has a Big Show
in Islands.

Is there hope for the small farmer in
the Hawaiian islands? Will this class
of agricuIturists again come to the
front as important factors in the COM
nercial development of the group?
These questions and many others about
Hawaiian agriculture are answered in
the interesting year book for 1901 of the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture. The year book gives in detail a
history of how early navigators
brought plants and animals here and
how these have since Jared.
| The year book states that Commits
sicner Smiths work on the Experiment
tai Station here thus far has been or
ganization and preliminary investiga-
ton. When this work is completed the
problem of restoring some of the deca-
| dent industries viii be taken up, the
hope being that the small farmer will
be again a prominent component of
Hawaiian agriculture.
| Improved methods will reduce the
| cost of production says the year book
| $50 that a comfortable living may be
gained by the man owning a small
IL
| tenures was opposed to agricultural
development. For a long time the idea
of individual ownership of land was
unknown, and only lie ienures were
| allowed to the natives, and foreigners
| could occupy land only at the pleasure
] of the chiefs. The land laws have UNI
dergone radical changes, but through a
number of agencies large holdings OF
agricultural land are the rule.
THE improvement of Hawaiian ag-
riculture does not depend so much on
what crops will flourish in the islands
rs on economic questions. prominent
among which, are markets, transpor-
| tation and labor. The home market
is comparatively limited and soon sup
Piled, and the difficulties of inter-lsland
| TRANSFORMATION are such that little
profit is left for the producer on ship
ments made to Honolulu. Should the
| worlds production of sugar so increase
| as to result in a fall in price, and q
| corresponding reduction in the margin
| of profit, general farming may once
/ more become remuneratiVe. In tne
| meantime, attention can be given tt
| supplying the home market and to the
| cultivation OF crops which, While no.
| competing with those produced in the
| United States, are in sufficient demand
| to make their production advantage
| GUS"
III Concerning horticulture the Depart
| | ment's opinion is thus expressed
i plans are being matured for expert
| ments in horticulture, especially IL
/ fruit growing. The market of the Ha
i | waiian Islands is largely supplied a
! all seasons with fruit and vegetable
/ from California, which they can AM
| should produce at home, and have ;
II surplus to send to the mainland be
Il tween seasons. Paintings have alread,
been made of pistachia, grapes, peach
es and gooseberries, and others ar
II | contemplated.
Il "Studies" continues the report evil
II be undertaken in soils, forage crops
II animal husbandry, and dairying a
II soon as funds will permit. An attemp
was made to secure financial aid TO
II the station from the Territorial Legis
II lature to supplement the sum appropri
II ated by Congress but no assistanc
1 was granted
III OF the coffee industry the repOr
/ says: 1.-THE adaptability of the coffe
II tree to Hawaiian conditions has loni
since been demonstrated, and its ex
| tension over a widely increased area
shown possible, If the conditions war
rant it. It is estimated that NOR
than $10,000.000 have been invested i
| this industry, but with the world
supply increasing at much more rap
id rate than the increase in consump
ton, the price. has been forced dow
below the actual cost of production i
Hawaii"
Speaking of the early efforts to es
tablish agricultural industries in tn
islands the Year Book says that at
tempts have been made in nearly ever
agricultural industry and in some cas-
es repeated and persisted in to sesur
success but failure seems to have bee
the common lot of all except sugar an
rice.
The general tone of the Department
report seems to indicate that it intend
to revive and develop the old agricul
tural Industries by introducing ne7
and improved varieties, scientii
methods of cultivation, modern ma
chinery. proper methods of handlin
products, discovery of means for com
batting insect and fungus disease!
rather than establish new industrie
which the Department does not cor
slider of immediate necessity.