The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-03-29
A SYMPOSIUM ON THE TOPIC
OF SMALL FARMING IN HAWAII
John M. Horner Tells of the Struggles and
Failures of the American Homesteader.
Another Expert on Coffee Growing.

This location is two thousand feet eie-
walton. The homesreader has spent sew
eral thousand dollars in labor and
money trying 10 make paying home,
tried certainly as long as his means
and prudence would justify; so he
makes no further effort 10 cultivate
either homestead After a struggle OF
ten years his money and high hopes
have all fed He is now working on a
plantation some miles from his home.
His wife is raising poultry, but having
10 feed them on foreign grain purchas-
ed al retail Cnot being able 10 raise any
on their two homesteads). il proves not
a very profitable business
This I apply ID Hamakua, Hawaii:
but I am impressed with the thought
that but few homesteaders have been
successful on any OF these Islands,
where they aimed only at general farm
ing.
Drought bugs worms of various
kinds, beetles. weevils, blight, flies,
aphis, etc, are the principal enemies
TO success. There are no winters here
TO check their increase, and the more
food raised for them, the more rapidly
they increase.
The low price OF coffee and the high
price OF labor precludes the raising of
coffee as a paying crop So there seems
no way TO settle these Islands in an
agricultural sense, when general farm
ing only is relied on for success, while
so many enemies exist
The above may answer the question
partially at least as to why the farm
ers OF these Islands do not supply the
fruits. grains and vegetables the peo
pie require" JNO- NJ. HORNER-
THE COFFEE INDUSTRY.
Kukaiau, Hamakua, Hawaii,
March. 18th, 1902.
Editor Advertiser:I am glad to see
that the business men of Honolulu are
taking an interest in the coffee indus
try OF these Islands, for now we have
hopes that something may really be
done But what is mainly wanted is a
Coffee Planters Association, TO which
all coffee planters should belong, some
thing like the Sugar Planters Associa-
ton. who, like the sugar planters. shall
make il their business TO forward the
interests of the coffee industry in every
possible way. This association should
build central factories, one on each OF
the islands. 10 which all the coffee of
each island should be sent, so that it
may be sorted. cleaned and ground in
the most approved and perfect man
ner, so as to be ready for the market,
and kept at high standard An agent
of this association should be located in
New York or San Francisco, who should
handle this coffee, and thus avoid mid
dlemen, who generally eat up all the
profits. II may take a little time to es-
tablish a trade in this way, but when
once ii is established it would certainly /
grow The cost for each central fac
tory need not be very much for a start. |
and IL could be added to as occasion
required Again, IL this were done, we
would know that the coffee that was
put upon market was al right and in
good condition-something which we
are not always sure of now, and which !
II not attended to at the start may
eventually work much harm to this in
dustry. The idea OF employing a chem
Ist by the government is good. and
would be certain TO do a great deal to-
ward establishing this industry on a
sound basis.
The report that there is proba bility
% the United States putting duty on
coffee is also good news. and it is to be
hoped it really viii be done. Should
his much needed legislation really take
place soon, il would prove the greatest
boon that Hawaii has received since
annexation. and would save from ruin
hundreds of men who have embarked
their all in this once promising indus
Try. Many of these men, II not most of
hem. have had to abandon their cof-
Zee. and at a time when ii had just ar
lived at maturity
The most of these men had worked
Early and late and surmounted almost
difficulties only TO find that
heir efforts had been wasted and their
-. anti
line, and at present prices Of coffee,
,nly the very best and most favored
,offee plantations are able to pay ex-
lenses. And this is greatly to be re-
sFetted. for coffee is eminently the poor
mans crop; anu il can, when worked
r conjunction with truck gardening,
De started with very little capital
hat is. on a small scale. II is also
most unfortunate that with soil and eli
nate unsurpassed. and everything fav-
'rable for the cultivation of the coffee
rec. the conditions are such. or more
strictly speaking. the price of coffee is
- low, that il does not pay for pick
ng, pulping. curing and cleaning. TO
say nothing OF culuvating it; and that
30 much OF this land in Hawaii that is
Insuited for anything else, should have
% be abandoned, particularly as the
nen who have attempted 10 reclaim
hese forests were. as a rule. poor men,
Ind who. as a rule. have nothing left
o live upon. is the most unfortunate
z