New-York tribune., 1903-02-08
SUGAR CANE IN HAWAII.
Groac7ng Of 1t an Important Indus
fyy-Rise and Progress

Before the sandwich Islands became a part OF
the United States and American genius and enter
prise had oesun TO transform the primitive civili-
zsfi9n the native raised sugar cane with a wooden
plough. drawn by harnessed men and women and
he resPed the harvest with knife and carried It
sT on his back The planting and gathering be
meath the ropic sun were only laborious, but
prostrating.
find instead OF the wooden plough the most mod
eTn traction engine drawing gang ploughs. whose
han dozen or more blades turn up the soil like
some giant comb. When. the crop is ready for
the mil II is carried rhither in freight be-
hind a locomotive. The extraction Of the juice
and the manufacture Of the sugar also done
RAPIDLY and yet delicately. by expensive machinery
Indeed. one might easily think himself in the Mis-
sissipPi Valley because OF the evidences OF
Americansm about him. instead Of in the midst
O. the Pacific
The pre-eminent industry Of the Hawaiian
islands has been for many years the growing OF
sugar cane 1t is estimated that only about
twentieth Of the soil Of the islands is available
for cultivation. owing their mountainous char
scter. and the greater part OF this land is now
planted with cane The majority Of the inhabi-
Eants depend entirely on sugar. and The advance
loss Of q few cents IN the price a pound means
sfiuence or poverty many Of them
Sugar cane was undoubtedly brought 10 the
Islands by the earliest Polynesian settlers and
was much used by the natives to appease their
hunger and thirst. On Kauai il was said to grow
q Il being of large size and OF good quality
The following were the varieties growing on the
islands al the time OF the first visits of white
men:
White cane CT a pale greenish yellow color when
Ender good state OF cultivation; white cane of
q color when ripe an inferior cane the
rbbon striped cane. and two varieties Of purple
game Since then have been introduced the
Tahiti cane. Of the yellow variety that is rich
n juice. prolific. ''trashes" easy and with good
cultivation ''rat;oons~ well. and the .pria-o,e'.
or srrowless cane, tavorite cane in many locaii-
ties. be allowed stand over without
much detrinle-t. II any. and does exhaust the
SOL The white cane first introduced by the rla-
.ives and TIE TWO later introduced varieties are
the ores TOW cultivated according TO locality and
method OF work.
= Chinarnan who went 10 the islands on one OF
Fbe vessels trading for sandal1ood taking with
him stone mill and boilers. is said have set
these tlp on the island Of Lanai. and to have
been the first 10 engage in the manufacture
Of sugar After grinding of small crop and
making = into sugar he evidently became dissatis-
FED as he went hack home the next year with his
spQars1us-
Nessrs Ladd < Co in 1855. were the first TO
gaze N the sugar business large scale. They
secured from the government a large tract Of land
Et KoIos, Kauai. for sugar and silk culture The
ground vas broken up with light plough drawn
tv natives The year following the plantation
produced ; oss pounds OF sugar and four hundred
gallons Of u1olasses from acre Of plant cane
This plantation had hard tine Of II for a few
wears as the product was Of inferior quality,
untl The arrival Of n. Provost who had had con-
siderable experience IN the Isle Of Bourbon He
took complete charge Of the plantation and much
improved the quality by better methods
n 1855 there were in operation. OF about to be
Greeted twenty mills be worked by animal
power and tVo by water power. In those days
labor was cheap and vas paid for in goods Brown
cot-or a1 s. per pio Ghree Yards, and blue cotton
and prints al s. 20 for the quantity, were the
articles usually given in exchange.
Il zssa there afty-one mills in operation.