The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-05-27
CONDITION
OF INDUSTRY
Interesting Facts
Concerning Our
Bananas.


of Agriculture and Forestry in connec-
ton with a reply which the board is
to forward to a mainland inquirer con-
corning the banana industry here. The
following letter, prepared by Messrs.
James d. Dole and j. f. Brown, of the
Committee on Agriculture
Honolulu, T. H., May 20. 1904.
w. Lewes Evans, Esq, Hacienda La
Philadelphia, Banana River, Costa
Rica, G. A.
Dear Sir: Replying 10 your letter of
March 21st, inquiring as to the possi-
bilities of banana growing in the Ha-
waiian Islands, we take pleasure in Civ
ing you the following information:
In order to make the subject clear to
you, we will at once explain that while
the bulk of the Hawaiian bananas are
grown on the island of oahu, and ship
ped through the port of Honolulu, APP
parently the greatest opportunity for
development of the business is on the
larger island of Hawaii, with ship
ments through the port of Hilo. Ba-
nanas are now being shipped from Hiio
to San Francisco, and also from the
From these points steamers do not at
present make regular sailings more fire.
quently than once a month, so the diff
ficulty is chiefly one of transportation.
1t is, however, unlikely that there
would be any difficulty in obtaining
transportation for bananas, once there
We're large shipments available.
From Honolulu, there are usually
from four to six steamers a month,
and they take from five to seven days
in making the passage to San Francisco.
Taking up your list of questions, we
will answer them in order.
1. Parts of the five largest islands
are adapted to bananas, but CONNER
cially, at present, only Oahu, Maui and
Hawaii.
2. 1t is difficult to say what the aver
age value of banana land is. The Ter
ritorial Government has disposed of
such land at from $500 to $500 per acre,
and from that up to $4,000 or $4,000.
Further information on this subject
will be forwarded to you from the Land
Office.
8. Average wages are about 10 cents
per day.
4. Labor employed is chiefly Japanese
and Chinese, the former predominating.
most part, and consequently the labor
supply is somewhat uncertain, and at
times is rather scarce.
5. Most of the bananas now shipped
from Honolulu are either raised in the
close vicinity to the city, and hauled to-
the wharves in wagons, or are brought
into town on the Oahu Railway, from
points along the shore line. The rail-
road rates from Honolulu run from six
cents a bunch at twelve miles out, to
twelve cents a bunch at fifty-siN miles
out. The Hilo Railroad Company have
been requested to forward to you
schedule of their rates to Hilo, Qsland
of Hawaii,) from points in the Hilo,
Olaa and Puma districts. Rate from
Honolulu to San Francisco, is forty
cents per bunch, from Hilo, forty-five
cents, irrespective of size.
z. The average weight of banana
punches grown here is estimated at
from fifty to eighty pounds, and the
number of hands will probably fall
slightly under nine.
8. Bananas are grown here on various
classes of soil, alluvial mud, volcanic !
clayey soils, and porous volcanic soils.
9. Bananas are raised all the way
from sea level to an elevation of two
or three thousand feet.
TO- Climate excellent throughout the
Islands. There is little, If any fever, |
except in low swamp land.
II. Yearly rainfall varies, according |
to locality and elevation. In some dis
tricts, bananas are grown by means of
irrigation where the rainfall is less
than twenty inches a year. The aver
age rainfall in the Hilo and Olaa ba-
mana districts runs about 100 to 175
inches per annum.
r. There are some swamp areas
near the shore line, but these are usual
ly small, and if valuable are already
planted in bananas, rice, or taro, and ,
are held at high price. Spaces in
sheltered valleys are usually of small
extent.
10. 1t is doubtful if suitable land in
any considerable amount can be had ON
81, Of na "a