The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1905-01-17
THE CASE OF FRANZ BUCHHOLIz.

Known all SOTlS Vi bOOu NiopS Oi' 49,
waii-an impression which is shared
by the observers of the United states
Experiment Station-then Mr.. Buch-
holtz must be set down as man OF
most unqualified faith in the future OF
Hawaiian agriculture.
Look at the figures! II. Hackfeld &
Co. assert that in eight years Mr.
Buchholtz has only had 1922 per an
mum from the sale of his crops, hardly
enough to pay taxes, leaving nothing
Sor his support. Yet we find him not
only enthusiastic to stay on his farm
but entirely satisfied with the outlook
ahead. Why?
Inquiry develops the fact that Mr..
Buchholtz did lose $4,000 in a great
Kona storm of a few years ago which
leveled his crops. But that is no more
o. an argument against the virtues OF
this soil and climate for diversified
agriculture than the fact that II. Hack
field e. Co, If they lost their fine build
ing by fire, would argue against the
capacity of that firm to do business.
Mr.. Buchholtz, in spite OF "visita-
ton of God" in the form of warning
elements, and much trouble with the
middleman, is satisfied to go on and
says that he is paying interest on what
he owes. More men like him would
save this Territory to white civiliza-
ton and at the same time do no harm
to the sugar planter.
Speaking of the middleman. this is
what Mr.. Buchholtz told the Advertiser
in the last interview the paper had
with him:
1.-The Honolulu middleman wants to
get rich all at once" said Mr.. Buch-
holtz yesterday. "They are not satisfied
with a profit of 20 per cent, but 1t must
be 200 per cent. Then they fear the
coming OF home grown products to this
market 1t is liable to reduce the cost
t. the consumer and that means
smaller profits for the middle man
again. The freight rates, too, are
high, but / have made arrangements
for the handling of some of the prod
uce in Honolulu now, and 1t Will pay
small profit. AS 1t is, l raise only
things for my own use, and as l am
by myself, it doesn't take much to
supply the demand. / have about 2IO
acres, and 400 more under lease.
Everything grows well in our dis
trict, and there appears to be no limit
to the crops that can be raised Cab
bage, celery and caulihower can be
picked all the year around. The celery
Is of the finest quality. 1t may re-
main in the ground year or more,
and that doesn't appear to affect its
quality in the slightest. Cabbage the
same way; 1t may be planted in sum-
mer, winter, fall or spring and grows
TO enormous size-two feet in diameter,
and has the quality to rattoon. Po-
tatoes. the same way; ! have planted
them four times in succession on the
same piece of ground, and they cost
but half a cent pound.
'Artichokes. parsley, parsnips, car
rots and red beets grow the year
round. and lima beans have to be
gathered every week. Cucumbers, tur'
nips and tomatoes are all growing or
my farm, and are doing finely. The
melon was first attacked by the melor
fly, but 1t doesn't grow well at my
elevation. Peas do not pay. though
the grow readily. However they
must be picked right away, as they
ripen too quickly, sometimes in SIX
weeks.
Some more of the things that may
be grown here? / guess pretty neal
everything that grows anywhere, car
be successfully grown in Kona. Be
sides the things 1 have mentioned,
have growing, corn, onions, radishes
leeks, elephants, lettuce, peppers
squashes, pumpkins, strawberries
raspberries. gooseberries. currants, ap
pies. pears, almonds, walnuts, olives
prunes, cherries, peaches, apricots
oranges, lines, alligator pears, grapes
figs. pineapples, dill, lavender, marjor
am, sage. thyme, peppermint, man
goes, papaias, wheat, barley. corn, al
falfa, oats, blue grass, in fact ever
thing can be grown there and is grow
ing on my farm now.
"Onions grow to a thickness of thre
or four inches. and are of the fines
quality, yet / have been offered but
cent and half to two cents a poun
here in Honolulu. and they sell fc
five and six cents. Eggs I was offere
but nineteen cents a dozen for-on
shipment I made, and two dozen wer
broken en- route. Other produce hav
shipped to Honolulu, and the middle
man says he could not sell 1t. No
my arrangements are with a man VIII
says he will give away the stuff
compelled to. just to make the poop
see what can he raised here. I don
see why small farming should not pa
In Hawaii. and some day the middl,
men will be sorry that they treated
as has been done"
We think that the Buchholtz ar
other experiments on Hawaiis 81
farms-not including plantations-ha,
established the fact that all kinds
agriculture flourish here. Doubtless
Mr.. Buchholtz had scientifically grow
tobacco, pineapples and sisal durir
the years before and since the Kor
storm he would be rich man toda
As It is he has been successful