Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-19

fifteenth the farm acreage reported for
Hawaii, but has over one-half as many
farms. This difference Is due to the num-
Der 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 it's improved area Is more In
tenSively cultivated.
THE areas In square miles of the remain
ing Islands are as follows: Kauai. 1854:
Molokat, 257.S: Lanai, 1876: Niihau. 1O4.5,
and Kahoolawe, S3.1. Lanai and Niihau
are given over almost entirely to grazing.
thousands of horses, sheep, goats and cat
tie feeding upon their grassy levels
Molokai Island.
upon the Island of Molokai is located The
government hospital for lepers, esta piished
in 1870. This institution is situated upon a
tract of about $500 acres, occupying a pro-
lection on the north shore. Owing TO Its
precipitous heights and the general rocky
nature of the surface there is but little
farming done on the island. The raising of
live stock and the cultivation of taro re-
ceive the greatest attention. An attempt
made by the American Sugar Company to
establish an extensive plantation In the low
lands along the southern shore has proven
costly and as yet unsuccessful expert
pended during 1899 and subsequently In the
prosecution of the enterprise. but the fail
ure to secure an adequate supply of fresh
water for irrigation purposes caused the
abandonment of the project.
The number of farms in 1900 was 2,273
of which 2.111 or 92.9 per cent. reported
buildings. The total area in farms, 2.6O9. :
613 acres. comprises GA per cent of the to-
tai land surface Of the eight principal
islands. distributed as follows: 1872 per cent
forest.
and per cent in improved land Con-
siderably less than ene-third of the improv-
ed land is devoted to crops, SO that only
about 2 per cent of the total land surface
is under cultivation.
THE average area Of the farms was
1.14S.1 acres. The large holdings Of the
sugar planters. together with extensive
sheep ranches. account for this large aver
age. There are many small agricultural
holdings in the islands, however. especial
ly among the farms operated by tenants
Number of Farms Increasing.
TT is probable that the number Of farms
and also the acreage of farm land have
been steadily increasing. as in recent years
thousands of acres Of pasture land have
been utilized for growing sugar cane, and
many marshes have been reclaimed for the
cultivation of rice
Some Of the larger farms contain great
tracts of lava and other waste lands. which
were, as rule, included by the enumera-
tors under the head Of forest lands, as they
could not properly be classed either as i'm
pr oved land or as pasture land. In making
comparisons based upon the average land
values and productiveness Of the different
islands. account must be taken Of the fact
that these waste lands constitute a large
percentage of the farm acreage Of some
islands. while in others they are very In
considerable in extent. Consideration must
be given, also. to the relative areas OF
I@I,
sive in some islands and comparatively
limited in Others"