The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-08-02
VANILLA
IN HAWAII
California Paper Which
Describes the Pro.
duction of It..

[ the University OF California has ana
lFzed the product and pronounced ii
fully as valuable commercially as the
| best product Of Mexico (where the
highest priced vanilla is grown; the
success of Mr. Edwards has stirred a
great interest IN the new industry. and
ID the fall of this year he viii sail to
FIJI TO fetch 100000 cuttings of the
vanilla plant back to Hawaii for the
use Of himself and of others who are
TO begin its culture That is to saw,
In region Of Uncle Sans dominions
where crops that can be grown profit
ably are much needed, Mr.. Edwards
has introduced one that seems certain
to be grown successfully, which is peeu-
larry small farmers crop, and
which pays good profit on the capital
invested, which need not be much All
this is told by the vanilla pioneer from
Hawaii, and his own words are best
TO tell the tale.
1t may be said right here, however
that the vanilla is a very valuable
product of the soil The best varieties
fetch, when ready for the market, as
much as $50 a pound. The value of
the vanilla beans imported by the
United States during the last year was
s1,436, 900. The most of this came
from Mexico. Now the American
planter seems likely to have a chance
TO supply-in the course Of time-the
American market; and the birth Of an
important industry seems TO have been
born when this pioneer landed In Ha-
waii two years ago and saw a vanilla
plant raised under grass. The idea
occurred TO him: perhaps it would
grow outside of glass. in the interior
So he took a walk, as it were, into the
interior He came to Kona, a valley
on the island of Hawaii, and there he
found what he sought. climate and
sod suitable for the growing Of vanilla
Il had long experience In the grow
ing Of vanilla in the Seychelles is
lands said Mr.. Edward to Sun
day Chronicle writer, "and when I
visited kona / reached the conclusion
that 1t was as well adapted as any
place in the world to the cultivation OF
been successfully raised In Hawaii; in
deed. there was no serious attempt to
do SO. 4 few plants were grown in
gardens or Conservatives as any exotic
plant might be, but that was all. had
made up my mind 10 leave the Seychel-
les. hence my trip to Hawaii. When
| investigated the region around Kona
l made up my mind to try to raise the
vanilla plant there. So / went TO FIJI
and bought some eleven thousand cut
tings Unfortunately, the steamship
people put the plants III the hold, in
stead Of Transporting them on deck, as
had been agreed, with the disastrous
consequence that twenty-five per cent
of the cuttings died before the vessel
reached Hawaii.
This was the first time, by the way,
TO nv knowledge, that vanilla cuttings
have been transported. | had boxes n
which one hundred cuttings each were
put, and left the ends Of the boxes
open for ventilation
II had taken up two hundred acres
in Kona. Now, although the cost Of
labor in Hawaii is high compared with
that prevailing IN other vanilla-produc-
ing countries, / estimate that when
the vines are bearing fully the vanilla
can be put upon the market at cost
of about s1.50 q pound. An acre VIII
give from go TO 500 pounds. This will
give, and does give, very handsome
profit, as vanilla OF the quality raised
in Kona will fetch an average price
of s. pound. The price, Of course,
auctuates with the state Of the market
The best Mexican product fetches from
81 to $50 pound Inc Mexican vanilla
is the best. The plant is also grown
in Bourbon. on the east coast Of Africa,
in the Seychelles islands, and there Is
a large quantity sent from Tahiti into
the United States This last, however,
IS OF very inferior quality, and does not
bring more than fifty cents pound y
The method Of cultivation OF this
newest crop to enrich soil in Uncle
SAM 5 land is thus briefly described By
Mr.. Edwards: .'W men we clear the
land in Kona we allow II 70 remain
a few months TO 'sweeten,' 10 get the
benef, Of air and sunshine. Then II Is
lined The lines are drawn eight feet
apart. and N these lines the cuttings
are planted FIVE feet apart. which al
lows of about 1000 plants to the acre
..The vines begin TO bear about
twelve months after being planted, but
We find that it is not advisable TO
marry the plants il the frst year, as
to 90 50 would impoverish the vines
Did I say We married the 5owersf