The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-02-23
GARDEN OF
THE GROUP

Dy Governor carter on MS tour OF Ga
, wall. Not only does the small farmei
live well in the two Konas but he /.
making money at the same time.
From Hookena to Kailua there Is O
string of farms. Coffee pineapples
and taro are the chief products oil
kona and there are but few acres OF
unproductive land in the entire dis
trlct
Kona is in a higher state of cultiva-
ton than any other section of Ha-
wall, and the land is not given over to
sugar cane either. excepting the acres
under the control of the Kona Sugar
, Co. In other districts there are miles
and miles of barren land, with houses
to be found only at rare intervals. In
, Kona there is on an average one or
two houses for every mile of country,
and each home is surrounded by well
titled acres. Little communities have
sprung up everywhere, in the interior
as we'll as on the coast and what Is
more the natives are prosperous and
contented and good Republicans as
we'll.
Coffee Is O. course the principal prod
uct of the district and the men who
are7 behind the industry are making
| money at 1t and extending their hold
| ings. Bruner Is the leading coffee man
of the district although the Kinds and
Wallace have large acreages in coffee.
Mr. Bruner says there is money in cof-
fee and he is doing all he can to extend
the area under cultivation. Last year
he made a good many thousands of
dollars and he expects to do even bet
| 10 hac oil cI, n
| ped about seven thousand bags of the
Kona product and expects to ship
double that amount before the sea-
son closes.
| The coffee fields stretch in snowy
wilderness through miles of Kona.
| Much of 1t Is now in blossom while
thousands of acres are now being pick
ed and cleaned and made ready for
market. At Napoopoo, John Gaspar
has a coffee mill, and has about twen-
ty-five girls and women at work clean
ing the product He also takes care
of Burners coffee and the Captain
Cook brand has a wide reputation on
the mainland. Mr.. Bruner says that
there is money in coffee at twelve
cents q pound and the ruling price Is
somewhat higher now that there is a
report of failure in the Brazil fields.
Where some years ago the coffee was
allowed to run wild the lands are now
being leased by natives and japanese,
who pick the coffee and sell it to Bru
ner. Bruner pays them a good price
and both picker and middleman are
making a handsome profit.
Then there is the pineapple. Hun
dreds of acres are being planted in the
luscious fruit and it is the opinion OF
many of the Kona people that pine
apples will be the coming industry of
the district. Bruner recognizes the pos
sibilties of the future and is just now
completing a fine plant which has all
the latest improvements and which Is
capable of expanding sufficiently to cln
thousands of pines every day and 10
make the cans for it as well. The mill
will be open for business before the
present pineapple crop is ready for har-
vesting and Bruner Will can both the
fruit and the core as well. The Ha-
waiians are goirg into the cultivation
of pineapples extensively and much
land Is being prepared for them. Cof"e
cultivation is also carried on by some
of the natives and Bruner has been on
couraging the policy of farming out
land to natives and Japanese for the
cultivation of coffee, the only condition
being that the product shall be disposed
of to him.
But the one thing upon which the
natives can best depend is the making
of poi The taro grown in Kona is the
best of any in the islands and what is
more there are splendid opportunities
for extending it's cultivation. The dry
land or royal taro is grown here in the
Kona district and it far surpasses any
other variety in quality. Much more
taro is raised than Is sold but there is
talk now of forming a company for pui-
ting the paiai on the Honolulu market
and also of taking up the Kalaupapa
contract.
The natives can raise enough taro to
supply all the islands and Governor
Carter was much interested in schc,nc
for marketing the product in Honolulu.
Another thing is that the plant can he
grown successfully in the same fields
with the coffee, and In this way su.il-
cient taro can be raised to pay the ca
tire cost of the coffee crop.
Oranges, sweet potatoes and small |
crops also grow successfully in the Ko-
mas and efforts are now being made to
get more land to be divided up INFO
homesteads. Small farming is SUI
cess in the Konas whether it is or is not |
in any other section of the islands
Franz Bucholtz has a place here also
where he raises everything under ;he
sun and he told Secretary Atkinson that ,
there We're endless opportunities here
for the American farmer.
1t is in Kona also that Mr. Edwards |
is carrying on his experiment with the
vanilla beam He has planted thou
sands of cuttings and nearly all of them
are doing we'll, Gov. Carter and party
visited the place on Monday and We're
shown over the plantation by Mr.. Ed
wards The plants are i'm blossom low
and Edwards is expecting a handsome
profit from his venture, Another SIM
lar experiment Is being conducted near
Burners place and at both elevators