The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-10-27

plants which would bring to the sur
face the elements used as plant food
to be found in the sub-soil. The reply
was that here in Hawaii there is not
a great difference between the surface
and the subsoil, but that it was good
thing to plant deep-rooted plants. Also
good to allow new lands to lie fallow
for a time and grow weeds.
Vegetable Gardening was the sub
ject of the next paper, presented by
Mr.. Krauss. 1t read as follows:
T. G. KRAUsS' ADDRESS.
Common usage of the term Vegetable
| Gardening makes is meaning so we'll
understood that I shall not attempt a
definition of my own. A more obscure
| latin-made term, Oler-i-cul-ture, has
recently been invented to designate this
branch of agriculture, the word being
coordinate with Pomology and Flori
culture, and though the term appears
| in some of the more formal writings. l
| think we need not fear it's general use.
Vegetable gardening may be divided
| into two categories, depending on the
With the home, or kitchen and anna
| teur garden all are familiar, while mar
| ket and truck gardening are terms used
| in the business of growing vegetables
on a commercial scale; the former SELL
| ing it's products in local markets, usual
| ly in large assortment, the latter for
| distant shipment in larger quantities,
and of a few or single kind, chief among
| which are,-Asparagus, Cabbage, Gel
cry, Onions, Tomatoes, ETC.; direct
outgrowth of industrial conditions,
among which are modern methods of
canning and preserving, refrigeration in
storage and in transit, and rapid freight
movement of perishable products. These
agencies are of a comparatively recent
| development and to them, in great
measure, is due the rapidly increasing
| acreage devoted to vegetable growing
| in the United States.
| 1 have thought a brief summary of
statistics on vegetable growing, as CIV
en- in the Twelfth United States Census
Report just to hand, may be suggestive
and of interest in showing the magni-
| tude of this branch of agriculture in
| the United States:
The total acreage and value of vege-
tables, including field crops of Irish and
sweet potatoes. for 1899 is placed at
5,753,191 acres, being 2 per cent of all
farm crops for that year, their value
being estimated at $242, 170,148, or S.3
per cent of all farm crops; making an
average value of $4,000 per acre for
vegetables as against 1904 per cent for
other crops. OF this immense acreage,
slightly more than so per cent was de-
voted to Irish potatoes. Next come
y, .iY10I Ind
ing that of yams, of 537,447, and the
value of the crop is stated to be $19,-
S76,200 Sweet potatoes, as you know.
cannot be successfully grown over so
wide territory as the Irish potato, its
extensive production being confined
mainly to the Southern States and Cali
fornia. These sections, however, seem
to supply all home demands under or
binary conditions, and it therefore does
not seem likely that Hawaii need look
to the mainland for an outlet Of this
crop The onion crop comes third in
Importance, the area of 1883 acres
valued at $685., 625; an average value
of 1883. This may seem at first
thought a promising field for our Ha-
waiian trucker, yet, my California ex-
perience leads me to believe that we
cannot compete successfully with the
mainland in onion growing. Our eli
mate may be favorable, in fact we have
grown choice bulbs of a half dozen
varieties at Kamehameha, but in gen
eral our soils are as yet too raw for
this exacting crop. except it be in limit
ed areas. However, we should by all
means supply our home demand
doubtless herein an opportunity awaits
some skilled gardener.
| Of miscellaneous vegetables grown
for the market, an acreage of 1,175, 200
is reported. OF the above, Hawaii and
Alaska are accredited with 1921 acres
The total value of the produce is given
as 1927, 746 an average of $149.73 pei
acre. Unfortunately these two new
territories have been thrown together
in the census report, thus depriving US
of more exact statistics for Hawaii.
Also, have 1 been unable to obtain
even approximate figures covering oul
imports of vegetable products, but
have no doubt but that a good many
thousands of dollars in hard cash are
annually exchanged for stale vegetables
and canned goods that might be grown
here, and of superior quality. That the
present state of affairs should not exist
) must be apparent to all thinking men
and the wonder is that our enterprisins
Chinese gardeners have not brought {
change ere this. 1t seems to me the
opportunity for superior intelligence
and skill, and I base my conclusions
on a years residence and experience
during which time 1 have seen a Ions
list of vegetables successfully grown
here. l do not remember seeing finel
string-bea table beets, collards
sweet corn, endive. cucumbers, egs
plants, leeks, lettuce, musk and water
melons. okra, onions, peppers. pump.
kins, radishes, satisfy, Swiss chard
squash and tomatoes. than we exhib
tied at our recent Territorial fair anC
elsewhere in the vicinity of Honolulu
not emitting Wahiawa. But no syste
matte effort seems TO have been made
to supply our home wants by anyon,
. excepting. perhaps, the Chinese gard
eners. and variety, with them, is woe
4 fully lacking. 1t requires judgmen
and skill, this intensive farming which
secures continuous succession of first
class vegetables in great variety. Blu
cannot Wahiawa colony become equa
to the fullest requirements. I think s.
most decidedly, and your good begin
1 ningS under difficulties are our hes