Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-27

may reasonably offer; and these PROSPECTS
are really Of great value and importance
.aeoE L quite Sf As@ nsffy s sSs that III
chief agricultural product. therefore. 4 su-
gar cane Some 49, tons Of sugar are
annually exported with a value OF rom
this product cannot much interest tho ordi-
nary farmer who labors with his own
hands; because even In this very milo SUD.
tropical climate white men cannot well per.
form the labor of the cane fields. most OF
which is now done by Japanese laborers
But there are several other branches OF
production quite well established as profit
able for expectation.
One of the most important Of these II
sisal fiber. The plants whose long leaves
yield the fiber. belong to the agave. or cen.
fury plant family. They possess the great
advantage in this dry climate of growing
In quite arid soils, great tracts Of which
can be secured. unavailable for other cul-
ture. and requiring little labor to keep
clear of weeds. Eighteen miles down the
railway from this city Is a large and very
prosperous sisal plantation of several hun
dred acres, without irrigation. and having
little rain. The fiber produced ir Of the
best quality and brings high price In
San Francisco. There are several thou.
sands of acres of similar land unoccupied
in the same vicinity. This will doubtless
be ultimately devoted to the same use. A
mill for cleaning the fiber is necessity;
the farmers would unite in supporting such
n mill. There must be in these islands
more than a hundred thousand acres OF
land equally available for sisal but too
dry for any other crop.
Profitable Industries.
Another long established product for es-
port Is bananas. / think that about 1bO,-
600 punches of bananas are annually taken
hence to San Francisco. whence they ore
distributed throughout California and as
far as Utah. This industry promises stead
lily to increase. 1t is highly profitable. The
culture of the fruit is mostly In the hands
of Chinese. but some whites are prohtaoly
employed. The banana demands rlch
SOIL warmth and copiOus moisture; hence
is adapted chiefly to our lower and nlarshy
lands. huge production of this fruit Is
now arising at Hilo, at the east angle or
Hawaii Island, where coDfous rains,
and more than average warmth. as well as
an extensive back country. 1t seems prob
able that line of steamers will soon be
employed in transporting bananas from
Hilo to the coast.
third industry is the production Of pine
apples. This seems to be the most
promising for profit of all farming indus
tries Pneapples grow on low plants,
somewhat higher than cabbages. They
stand about 1000 to the acre. requiring two
years from first planting to the mature
fruit, but yielding large annual crops Tor
some years thereafter. The crops are easily
worth SEQ to the acre and require COM
p,ratively little labor. Their favorite habi-
tat is on our upland slopes. from 800 to ]. 2cO
feet altitude. and enjoy an average of four
inches of rain monthly. The market is
chiefly on the coast and for the canned
product. Two tracts of pines are now In
profitable operation on this island with
large canneries, supplied by combinations
of farmers. We produce the very best
varieties of the fruit and of the highest
quality.
Coffee has for considerable periods been
raised here at reasonable profit. Over
production In Brazil and consequent de-
press on of prices has been responsible for
recent abandonment of most OF that busl-
ness There are. however. certain volcanic
districts. with high uplands where berry
of rare excellence is produced. Kona COT
fee long since earned celebrity for cholce
quality. But there has failed to be sufhclent
care used In the selection and marketing,
and 1t has yet to recover its proper place.
There is no doubt whatever that capable
combination of farmers in the great kona
district might soon produce and market an
article of coffee unequaled anywhere else
in the world.
Cotton was raised here probably during
the American civil war, when prices were
high. Quite possibly 1t may again be profit
able. Here the same plants yield crops
year after year.
Tobacco grows luxuriantly, but for some
be overcome
The castor oil bean is a common weed and
has been prof1tably harvested.
1t should be added that the small farmer
can generally raise a large part of the
food for his family. with the exception OF
wheat and potatoes. Nearly all the COM
mon vegetables do well. besides sweet pota-
toes Squashes are luxuriant poultry thrive
dairy produce prospers He can raise PORK
beef and mutton for his own use and to
SELL As everywhere. successful farming
KAMEHAMEHA.