The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-03-17
THE MOVEMENT GROWING.


Interest in small farming is now cpl
dernic. The larger part Of the first
page OF the Hawaii Herald Of March Y
Is given up TO a meeting Of the Hilo
Agricultural Society. at which it was
announced that the rate on banana
ebipments would be cut down and that
the area OF ban4na culture is TO be
considerably extended. At or near the
III mile section Of Olaa the total OF
banana plants C44OO) is 10 be increased
by 2. 900: at F'erndaIe. where there are
241o viii be added 1850; Olaf Petersen.
who has 1OssO plants now, will put in
2s2O more: and Mr.. Gerhardt, a recent
purchaser Of Olaa land at 10 TO II
miles, viii plant his entire fifty acres to
bananas. making 10000 in all. The
Herald reports $1,000 banana plants at
Kaiwid and Kaumana. The grand
total OF all the old and new plants list
ed in the Herald-some of which are
not enumerated above-is 44.79O old and
$3.50 new, making 1880 in all. At
the meeting at Hno there was discus
sion as to improved varieties of bananas
and it is not at all unlikely that eff
forts will be made to grow the best
fruit known to the American market.
On Maui the local paper Announces
that what is being done by the United
States Experiment Station TO rid that
island OF it's insect and blight pests lis
opening the door to successful small
farming;;" and it is predicted that the
Kula and Makawao districts "win once
more supply fruits. grain and vegeta-
bles." The News remarks editorially:
''The offer of capital to back the Gull
ture OF sisal on the Island of Oahu is
one of the best answers which could be
given to those who have heretofore
claimed that sugar is the only reliable
industry on the Islands While sugar
OF course is and probably will continue
TO be our leading industry. still it is
now morally certain that other indus
tries are bound to take high rank The
time is coming when millions of dollars
worth Of canned pineapples will be
shipped TO the coast annually. Guava
jelly will be another important prod
uct, and If an Incorporated company
were organized today on Maui, with a
practical, cleatheaded man as man
ager, to manufacture and ship guava
jelly to the coast, within a very few
years stock in such a company would
prove far better and more profitable
investment than even sugar stock"
Mr.. Burners work in coffee and pine
apples on Hawaii; the boom in sisal and
pineappIes here; the increasing output
OF Wahiawa; the intention of the Oahu
railroad to back small farmers; the
coming OF promoters to encourage
tropical farming; the interest taken by
the merchants and other business men
in getting the Bureau of Agriculture
rehabIlitated; the bills before the Leg
islature to encourage special forms of
production by remission OF taxes;
the favorable attitude of the Governor
all these things show that the way
Is being cleared for the men who viii
make the untitled acres OF this Terri
tory blossom with the fruits of thrift
and Industry.
If. at a next step. the Legislature
win amend the land laws and provide
for advertising the available public
domain on the mainland. Hawaii will
soon enter upon a new era of develop
ment a