The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-09-27
CHICAGO TAKES
NOTICE OF OUR
ISLAND FRUITS

The following indicates the interest
which the Experiment Stations recent
shipment of island fruits aroused in
Chicago. 1t Is from The Bulletin, the
weekly publication of the Chicago As
sociation of Commerce. 1t is publish
ed under a good display head and With
When T. Edward Wilder, chairman
of the Publicity committee. was in the
Hawaiian Islands, he brought away
an enthusiasm for this new American
territory and impaired something very
like it for the work and ideals of the
Chicago Association of Commerce. Out
Of his visit has grown an enterprise
about to come to its climax in Chicago
This enterprise is the laying down in
this city Of a cargo of Hawaiian fruits
in two or three instances unfamiliar.
interesting. and worthy careful ex-
ploitation for their trade possibilities.
This shipment originates with the
governments agricultural experiment
station in the islands, and with the
Hawaiian Promotion Committee.
Greater care could not be taken than
has marked the preliminaries of ship
ment, for Hawaiis appeal for recog-
milton is to be nothing less than the
Great Central Market. First, Jared
G.. Smith, director of the United States
agricultural experiment station in the
islands, dispatched to San Francisco
an experimental shipment of fifteen
tons of island fruit, chiefly alligator
pears, bananas and papayas.
SEEKING A TRUSTWORTHY EX-
PERTINENT.
This consignment was dispatched
under care of ]. E. Higgins, horticul-
turist of the experiment station, who,
upon reaching San Francisco, cabled
the condition of the fruit to Homo
lulu. Thereupon with increased knowl-
edge about matters of packing, han
ding, temperature, etc, there were
dispatched a second mixed fruit ship
ment of twenty-four tons, which, be-
ing transferred at San Francisco to
a refrigerator car, started eastward
with stops for inspection at Ogden,
Salt Lake and Denver. Mr.. Higgins,
in charge of the shipment, arrives
Friday, Aug. 80, and the fruit is ex-
pected Aug. 81 or Sept. 1. 1t is planned
that the car will be sidetracked at the
State street freight terminal of the
Northwestern railway.
With this important shipment of
miscellaneous Hawaiian fruits seeking
friendship and business is a ton of
pineapples. wonders all, presented by
the Hawaiian Promotion Committee to
the Chicago Association of Commerce.
The committee named by Mr.. Wilder
to receive this fruit are r. G. Muir
doch, fruit merchant, 40 Dearborn
street; George W. Sheldon, chairman
of the Foreign Trade committee of the
association: Richard C. Hall, chair
man of the Executive committee;
Homer A. Stillwell, chairman of the
Ways and Means committee; L. G.
Kunze, fruit merchant, so state street,
and the Publicity committee.
OUR HAWAIIAN TRADE.
The import trade Of the United
States with its territory Hawaii. is as
yet largely sugar. Hawaii is increas-
ing her articles of export to this coun-
try, and these have grown from s13,-
6S7, ZOE in 1897 to $3.50 ,S13 in 1907. We
have partly paid for these imports in
1907 with exports worth s14,435, ,725. AL
though our purchases from Hawaii in
1907 were represented by. nearly 2S
millions worth of sugar of the more
than 90 millions of imports, there is
a growing trade in Hawaiian fruits,
and it is these which the distributors
of the Great Central Market need TO
know about If they would bring Amer
lean products into competition with
similar fruits raised by our sub-trop-
ical and tropical English and Latin
American neighbors.
Twenty years ago Americans knew
little of the banana Now its consump-
ton increases at about million dol
lars worth a year. A little while ago
the grape fruit was a queer. extrava-
CANT looking creature to northern
eyes. Today the producer hardly
keeps pace with the demand. While
the pineapple is pretty well estab-
lished, the avocado and mango are
rarities. All these fruits are native to
that land OF possibilities, Hawaii, six
days distant from our own Pacific
coast, and as much nearer, compare
lively speaking. as by fast express
steamers our future trade with the
islands shall ordain.
Hawaii Is now studying. scientifical-
ly, the culture and transportation of
fruits, this being under the supervi-
sion of the office of experiment sta
tions of the United States department
of agriculture. The horticulturist of
the Hawaiian station is ]. E. Higgins.
who. as above said. is in charge OF
the experimental consignment Of mix
ed Hawaiian fruits to Chicago. The
venture takes impetus in the Hawai-
ian Promotion Committee. H. P Wood,
secretary.
1t would appear that the problem of
the Hawaiian shippers is to put rare
market in marketable and tempting
and palatable fruits into the Chicago
fectly equipped and well drilled fleet,
free to move speedily to any part of