The Hawaiian gazette., 1903-08-07
ANCIENT FARMING
DATA STILL EXTANT

The antique circular issued by the
United states Agricultural DEPART
inent upon the farming outlook in lJa-
wall is Still going the rounds of the
Eastern press. 1t was issued about
1850 by the Royal Agricultural Society
OF Hawaii and has just reached WASH
ington. The circular is appended ms a
curio:
The benefits to the agricultural in
dustries of the Hawaiian Islands ,e-
sulting from the closer relationship
with the United States which has come
through annexation are shown by some
remarkable statements recently made
| py q committee organized in those ISL
ands IN the interest of improved agri-
cultural products to meet the demands
OF the United States for tropical prod
ucts of various kinds. This committee
was appointed by public meeting re-
Gently held in the Hawaiian Islands,
and in its address to the people of the
islands says:
| The Importance and almost necessity
| of an institution like the one con-
templated is too evident to require ex-
position. For years past, the agricul-
tural interests of these islands have
been insignificant, and their pursuit I'M
profitable. With an uncertain and dis
tant market-wth little or no encour-
agement, or facilities given to foreign
tillers of the soil, without proper knowl-
edge of the soil, or sufficient capital
to experiment upon it's capabilities,
most of the agricultural enterprises
have languished or utterly failed. And
with the exception of a few sugar and
coffee plantations, the proprietors of
which have invested too much capital
to be able to abandon them without
heavy loss and which were still strug-
Cling on with doubtful prospects. the
whole amount of agricultural opera
tons at these islands consisted in the
raising of fruit and vegetables for the
fleet of whaleships that semi-annually
touched here for supplies.
within the last two years, however,
a great and sudden change has taken
place in the prospects of this group.
The extension of the territory and gov
eminent of the United States to the
borders of the Pacific, the wonderful
discoveries in California, and the con-
sequent almost instantaneous creation
of a mighty State on the western front
of the American Union has, as it were
with the wand of a magician, drawn
this little group into the very focus of
civilization and prosperity. We find
ourselves suddenly surrounded by in
telligent. enterprising neighbors, who
call loudly to us to furnish of our
abundance and receive in exchange of
theirs. Our coffee and sugar no longer
remain piled in our warehouses. Our
fruits and vegetables no longer decay
on hn tt-ha
We are not even compelled to seek for
them a market, but clamorous pur-
chasers come to our very doors and
by the royalist element, who have new
err been reconciled to the overthrow of
the monarchy, and their influence is
distinctly pernicious, tending as 1t does
to foment political dscord and obstruct
progress.-Army and Navy Journal.
carry off our supplies with an eager
ness that has caused us to feel a
scarcity ourselves, and We are assured
that not only for all these, but for any
other products of the soil that we will
raise, ready and increasing demand
may be relied on from our enterprising
neighbors. The native government too,
impelled by the irresistible influence
and example of the Anglo-Sa ener-
gy and progress. which it sees in every
direction, is relaxing it's former tena-
cious grasp on arabic lands of the ISL
ands, and even inviting and encourag-
ing their cultivation by foreign skill
and capital"
The demand of the United States for
tropical products indicated in the above
statement is illustrated by the follow
ing table, which shows the value of
tropical products imported into the
United States in 1880 and 1902 respec-
lively: