The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-12-13
AN OPENING
FOR TOBACCO
Judgment OF an Expert
on the Hawaiian
Leaf.

/
known manufacturers of cigars on the
! Pacific Coast, passes it as his expert
| opinion as a manufacturer that the
| time is now ripe for the introduction
OF the tobacco industry into Hawaii on
| a large scale. He feels that the quail
| ity of tobacco raised here is fully equal
to anything produced in Manila, is as
me IN appearance as the famous Cuban
or Havana" growth, and well able.
with proper cultivation by experts i'm
ported from Cuba, to be high pay
ing investment for the agriculturalist.
Experiments covering three or four
months with samples from various dis
tricts of the Territory have convinced
him of the commercial value of the
Hawaiian product, especially in the
case Of that raised from the imported
Havana seed. Mr. Wright is taking
quite an amount of tobacco to Seattle
with him which will be made up and
returned here for sale.
A reporter of the Advertiser found
MI. "IiSIl yesterday dIlSIIOOu anu
inquired about the prospects of tobac-
co from a manufacturer standpoint.
Mr.. Wright had been on Hawaii and
| the windward side of this island.
Did you examine the soils supposed
to be good for producing tobacco" he
| was asked.
Il do not pretend to be an expert
on soils, but merely upon the product
when ready for the manufacturer. but
1 have been making a good many ex-
periments at the experiment station of
| the Federal Department of Agriculture
here with tobaccos kindly furnished me
station, from different parts of the is
lands. I was especially pleased with
/ the Hamakua district product"
| what particular point pleased you
most?" was asked.
WELL said Mr.. Wright, IT was very
much pleased with the appearance of
| the tobacco to start with and after
making it up into cigars and smoking
l
that it is the equal if not the superior
| of Manila tobacco"
wherein does the superiority lie.
Mr.. Wright %
Il believe" said he, that the rea-
son it is such a good and favorable
quality is on account of the quality
of the seed The Hawaiian tobacco
was grown from seed of Havana to-
bacco.''
rs it all Havana tobacco?" was the
next question.
"They also grow various other kinds
of tobacco" said Mr.. Wright, such as
the Cuban leaf and various kinds of
American leaf like the Pennsylvania
state tobacco and the Connecticut
broad leaf, and this is as fine quality
as any L have ever seen grown in the
United States
what is your opinion regarding the
experiments which have been made by
the Federal government and others -
Replying to that Mr., Wright said:
n
tobacco and after consideration with
Mr. Smith and others, who are posted
on the growing of tobacco here, be-
Iieye that Mr.. Smith has brought the
experiments about as far as he can go.
In other words, it has been demonstrate
ed that tobacco of a very fine quality
can be raised here. People have raised
If and have cured it and, as they say
themselves, it is now up to the expert
tobacco farmer who practically under
stands the growing of tobaeco-the
nIanting and afterwards the cultivation
of it. and then the curing of it."
What relation has the curing of it
to it's value?'
.yThe curing" said Mr.. Wright, is
the most essential part. 1t takes a
man of years and years of experience
RI bring out the best results in curing
and fernenting the leaf TO produce the
required coIors. If the tobacco stays
roo long in the fermenting process, the
leaf is too dark for use as a wrapper,
bur it can be used for filler.
How much land is there in the Ter
ritory that is suitable Tor TOBACCO
srowing?'
TO that question: said Mr.. Wright,
II would have to refer you to Mr..
smith. but he tells me that there is
unite a lot of land that would be suit
able both in soil and what L might
rau location. When I speak of loca
ton. 1 mean where there is not too
much wind to break the leaves storms
are bad for breaking the leaves and
DESTROYING the crop. But even in such
a Mace. if one wanted to grow to-
bacco. the difficulty could be overcome
bv planting a hedge of trees to break
the wind
..wbat seems to be the general local
,,inion as TO the practicability of the
II have spoken to a great many
said Mr.. Wright. and every person so
far would like TO see the experiments
,orriad farther and the crop given
thorough trial, and I am sure if it is
Thoroughly tried it viii produce the