The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-01-01
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AS to the opportunity To engage %.
prospective returns to be expected Trend
tI1at culture on G0vernfnenA .anE7s
available for the purpose, some Errre-7
spondepee that passed between certain
Territorial officials and inquTrers seek
ing information on these heads, viii be
of the last interest at this time In
response to a letter from a Costa Rica
planter, who expressed a desire for
knowledge as to the adapta biIity Of Ha-
waiian soil and climate for ba mama cElg-
ture, and who asked also the prices an
which suitable lands for the purpose
could be procured, Superintendent OF
Public Works Holloway wrote
w. Lewes Evans, Esq. Hacienda La
Philadelphia, Banana River, Costa
Rica, C. A.
Dear Sir: Replying to year letter OF
March q fnquiriHg as to the p9ssi-
bilities of banana growing in the Pa
waiian Islands, we take pleasure zzA
giving you the following inforInatioEs
In order to make the subject clear to
you we will at once explain that while
the bulk of the Ha waiian bananas ara
grown on the Island of Oahu and ship
ped through the port of Honolulu, ap-
parently the grea test opportunity for
development of the business is ON tha
larger Island of Hawaii, with ship
ments through the port OF Hllo. Ba-
nanas are now being shipped from HiIo
to San Francisco and also from tbs
port of Kahului, on the Island of Maui
From these points steamers do not At
present make regular saflings more fre-
quently than once month, so the dif~
ato;o -
1t is, however, unlikely that there
would be any difficulty in obtainiiASks
transportation for bananas, once there
were large shipments available
From Honolulu there are usually
from four to six steamers a month";
and they take from five to seven days
in making the passage to San Fran
cisco.
Taking up your list of questions we
will answer them In order.
1. Parts of the five largest isIands
are adapted to bananas, but CONNER
cially, at present, only Oahu. Maui an6
Hawaii.
2. 1t is difficult TO say what the aver.
age value of banana land is. The Ter
rftorial Government has disposed aR
such land at from 81 to 81 per acre.
and from that up to $50 or SO.
Further information on this subject
will be forwarded to you from the LAND
Office ~
3. Averages wages are about Is cents
per day.
T. Labor employed is chiefly ia panesn
and Chinese, the former predorn5naffng.
These laborers are transient. for sha
most part, and consequently the labor
supply is somewhat uncertain and "A
times is rather scarce
5. Most OF the banarIas now shipped
from Honolulu are either raised In the
close vicinity to the city, and hauled 10
the wharves in wagons, or are Rr0nghE
into town on the Oahu Railway. from
points along the shore line The rafi~
road rates from Honolulu run from sig
cents a bunch at twelve miles OUT. TO
twelve cents a bunch at fffty-sfx mixes
out. The HiIo Railroad Company hsvp
been requested to forward to you ID
schedule of their rates to Hflo Is7ana
% Hawaii,) from points in the HfFo.
Olaa and Puma districts Rate froua
Honolulu to San Francisco, is forty
cents per bunch, from Hilo. forty-ffve
cents. irrespective of size
q The average weight Of bananas
punches grown here is estimated az
from fifty to eighty pounds, and the
number of hands will probably tan
slightly under nine
g. Bananas are grown here on yarzs
Gus classes of SOIL alIuviaI mud. ycas
canie clayey soils. and porous volcanic
soils. d
Bananas are raised all the wzg
from sea level to an elevation of two
or three thousand feet.
10. Climate excellent tflrougftou shs
Islands. There is little if any feveS.
except in low swamp land.
H. Yearly rainfall varies accorFfnm
TO locality and elevation. In some dss-
tricts. bananas are grown by means 81
irrigation, where the rainfaD s. Eegs
than twenty inches a year. the aver~
age rainfall in the lilo End OEaa be-
nara districts runs apout fa0 IN sTg
inches per annunr.
IL. There are some swamp areza
near the shore line, but these are zzsz,as-
~ snaI. and if valuable are already
painted IN bananas, rice. or tarp ana
are heid at high price. SPACES In
extent.
10. 1t is doubtfuI If suitable Rsnd I'D
any considerable amount ear ~ 3,zS7 ~.
ehe island of Oahu though there ara
some lands that could be Kzsrcz.azeN
Dut would require Irrigation. ana vzouaa
De held at not less than SI00 rser ax=rn
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