The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1906-10-12
SPEAKS WELL
OF RUBBER

a statement printed in the Hawaiian
star on Tuesday. purportng to be the
opinion of DR.. Olsen.Seffer on the pos
sibilities of rubber, coffee and fiber
culture in Hawaii was shock TO the
men of Honolulu who are putting their
energy and money into at least two of
the enterprises. From the printed arti.
Gle it would appear that rubber, sisal
and coffee cannot thrive here but in
the opinion of the doctor, who is an
expert in the cultivation of rubber and
sisal. the contrary is the ease. He is
connected with the Hidalgo Rubber Co.,
IF Mexico, and his business here is
merely incidental to his Mexico con
nections. He has been over a portion
of Hawaii and, while not making a
close inspection of the soil in the Olaa
section, says it looks to him good for
rubber up to an elevation of two thou
sand feet, or twenty miles from Hilo.
DIR. Setter furnishes the Advertiser
with the following:
"Perhaps was misunderstood by
the young gentleman who represented
the Star. / was certainly misquoted,
but it was unintcntional, ! am sure.
The occurrence was peculiar in that !
was, at the moment the paper was plac-
ed in the hands of the newsboys, in
consultation with some gentlemen who
are largely interested in the rubber
plantations at Nahiku and the state
ment appearing in the Star was diamet-
rically opposite to that ] had made to
them. What / wish to convey is that
the area of Hawaii, in land suitable to
the cultivation of rubber, and, | may
add, available for the purpose, is not
sufficient for the development of very
large industry. OF the trees | have
seen | cannot speak too highly. AT
Nahiku landing ! saw Ceara rubber
trees which they told me were planted
eight years ago, with diameter of
twenty-five inches. This is really re-
markable.
81 consider the climatic conditions
of that portion of Maui excellent for
the cultivation of rubber. The aver
age temperature is conducive to a good
supply of sap. In my experience / find
an average of "a deg. high and mini
mum of 62 deg. low to he excellent,
lower than 81 deg. endangcrs the sap.
Tropical trees are sensitive and a low
temperature has its effect upon the
trees
"lt looks to me as though the men
who have started the rubber industry
on Maui will do well but there is al
ways the danger of promoting boom
which would not do here on account of
varying condition in soil and climate.
| found the Hevea trees making excel
lent progress and they will no doubt do
well.
81 do not think this Territory is
adapted to the cultivation of coffee but
| will not say the same for fiber plants.
found the sisal an excellent quality
but the progress is slow and | am in
clined to believe the matter has not |
been gone carefully into. The land in
the different sections | have visited |
seems suitable for the plants and they |
compare favorably with that grown in |
Yucatan. At Pahala ] saw one field |
of plants that looked very well as do |
the plants on the line of the railway |
outside of Honolulu. But l am of the
opinion that there is scarcity of |
water at sisal and the SOIL as viewed |
from the ear window, looked n tritle |
shallow for the best results. There |
are other fiber plants than sisal that |
would do well anywhere in this Terri !
tory and the common century plant is
one of them