The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-01-01
INEAPPLES, A PROFITABLE PRODUCT.
VANILLA.

BY EDWARD H EDW ARDS IN
Governor Carriers annual report 10 the
Secretary of the Interior:
OF itself the most valuable of what
may be termed the aerial parasites, the
vanilla vine promises to give to the
tropical islands of the United States
new source of revenue and an added inn
portance in the domestic economy of the
country For half a century ut various
points throughout the Hawaiian arch
ipelago vanilla plants have been grown,
more as matter of experiment or Tor
effect than in an attempt to produce
profitable crop The plant has -four
ished wherever it was given attention.
and to the efforts of Allan Herbert, at
one time commissioner of agriculture
under the Kingdom, is largely due the
success which now seems about to
crown the efforts tc, make productive
this new industry.
Tropical in its nature, thriving best
upon the soft, spongy growths, it was
but natural that the vanilla plant should
thrive wonderfully in our protected dis
tr;cts Experience has proven that no.
where do the conditions necessary exist
in greater perfection than in the Kona
or southern side of the large island of
the group, Hawaii There is found
rich soil, decomposed lava, with an av-
erage of 80 40 100 inches OF rainfalLi
and the growth of primitive forest to
furnish the shelter for the vines. Al
though an aerial plant, the vanilla
adapts itself to a variety of soils. For
instance, where a fern tree has found
foothold among the rocks the vanilla
will make its home, or in the free soil
of the "A or light lava, it will grow as
luxuriantly. The vines require support,
and it is best for their success that
these be natural rather than artificial
These facts make possible a new devel-
opment among the deserted coffee PLAN
Lations, which ceased to be profit pay
ng some time since. The tree fern and
j plant both offer excellent natural sup
ports and furnish the needed sustenance
Tor the vines.
The great difficulty so far has been
n the procuring of the cuttings from
which to start the plantation. Importa-
ions have been made from India and
rom the Caribbean Sea and Central
America, but a majority fthese plants
lave failed to adapt themselves to the
Innate. Some few have lived and from
hese cuttings were made within the
Irst year, SO that the original vine mut-
piles itself MANY times. In the expo
fence of the pioneer in this line in the
stands, Z. II. Edwards, Vanilla Park
state, Napoopoo, more than 10000 cut
ngs were imported to get 5000 vines:
r, to put it differently, bringing In a
uAicient number of plants to start a
o-acre plantation he found himself
nth but 5 acres growing.
The vine grows rapidly and bears
omewhat profusely once it has made
s home in its new surroundings. In
lie island of Hawaii, which is absolute
: tropical on its southern slopes, though
.mpered by trades to the north, vinss
ave been known to bloom within ten
ionths after planting, but it is not fair
expect a crop until the second year.
'nce planted, with the ground fairly
can around the trees used as natural
Importers, the cost of maintaining the
antation IS very small Several times
lring the year the grass and weeds
ould have to be cut from about th.
mes. but other than that the trimming
Id gathering of the pods furnish light
DIRK for the daughters of a family.
ne pods picked at their maturity are
red by drying under cover, but this
light work and the process would be
adily learned. In fact If is probable
at once the industry gets secure
othold central curing establishments
a opiiiiS Up "a Tic ti1tuSLS OF any pro-
cing district
AS to the future of the industry, il
,uld appear that nothing more is need
than that production be prosecuted,
+ the demand seems almost unlimited.
,e New York importer has asked for
I'm 10000 to 10000 pounds year of
sh-class product, and on this the price
asst vary from 81 to $3.50 per
und. Each vine will produce about
full-sized pods per year. To be of
: very first class these pods must run
inches in length, and all the shorter
es CHASING as inferior grades AS it
res 100 of the cured pods to make a
und, the 1000 vines usually planted
each acre would therefore mean 2so
inds of cured pods to each acre of the
ntation. Ii can thus be seen that
lillarie of S acres should give a fam
a comfortable income, once the vine
in full bearing. The use of frequent
tings from the growing vines makes
possible to renew the bearing vine and
p the plantation in constant health,
that in the absence of some disease
pest, none of which are now known,
productiveness of an estate would be
ctically interminable