The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-02

hereto attached II made a part OF
this report"
Jared Smith, who accompanied the
committee as an expert, reported as
follows:
The best portion of the agricultural
land which I saw was what is called
the bench a level, t~reeless plateau
extending for a distance of four miles
southeast from the ranch headquarters.
This bench averages about one mile in
width. It is intersected by four deep
gulches rising in the main water
shed and extending in d southwesterly
direction so that the portions Of the
plateau between the gulches are nearly
rectangular in form. This bench con-
tains about 1900 acres Of Government
LAND on Kamoku, Kalulu, Kaunolu and
K~eaIiaapuni. In addition about $50 acres
of this bench Ian are on the privately
owned lands of Kealiakapu and Pala-
wal and bou $50 acres OF Kaohai.
THE 1900 acres of bench land on the
Grown and Government lands above
mentioned is as good agricultural LAND
as exists anywhere in Hawaii. The
rainfall at Kaele at an elevation OF
from 1900 to 1880 feet amounts to from
80 to 35 inches per annum This loca-
ton is to the westward of the main
ridge and is less sheltered thar any
other portion of the bench. That por-
ton of the bench farther to the south
east, as far as Paliakoae gulch, judging
from the character of the vegetation,
receives a very much higher rainfall,
The soil is deep, red, loan, compare
lively free from stones and of good
texture. I would say that there are at
least 1900 acres of land suitable for
pineapple cultivation. The annual
rainfall is sufficient for his crop judg-
ing from the nature and appearance of
the vegetation existing on this bench
land. The rainfall here is higher than
it is In Kula on Maui The soil Is
deeper INC apparently of very excel
lent quality. I believe also that there
is about a thousand acres of land hat
would grow good tobacco, if it were
desired to plant that crop instead Of
p~ineapples.
Wherever there is a rainfall of 20
to 80 inches in Hawaii, enough water
for domestic is obtainable
from roofs. Even if it were desired
to grow crops which require irrigation,
a tunnel not over 1000 feet in length
"ouio O1iiiS lltO "dtct AAOIl AndOIldiCA
head-waters to the Kona side of the
island. I would estimate the value of
the bench for either pineapples or to-
bacco at s35 per acre and I believe that
the bench land alone. for the purposes
of pineapple or tobacco cultivation
could be sold on this basis Of valuation.
Below h bench extending along
its border from the ranch house to Pa
liakoae Gulch and bounded on the
southeast by Kamao and thence ex-
tending towards the northwest a dis
lance Of about Z miles, is a broad level
or slightly rolling plain. I would esti-
mate the well grassed portion of this
plain as about 1000 acres, about 1000
acres of which forms a part Of the
government lands of Kamoku, KaIulu,
Kaunolu, K~ealiaapuni and PaawiIi.
The whole of this plain Is covered
With a close turf which indicates that
there is probably % inches average
rainfall. The character and density of
growth also indicate that the rainfall
is well distributed throughout the
a There are no evidences of heavy
rainfall, that is to say there are no
gulches or washes showing erosion as
a result Of torrentia1 rains. The rain
fall in this region is probably derived
from valley showers from the clouds
that pass over the mountain. About
1000 acres of this plain are second-class
agricultural land and capable of utiliz-
alton for the cultivation of sweet-po-
tatoes, peanuts during the winter
months. occasional crops of corn and
watermeions. From the grazing
standpoint, the carrying capacity of
this uhnIa n1afaau or no Gin onrIS hn
doubled or tripled by planting Rhodes
grass and Paspalum dilatatum, to re-
place the pilipiliuIa and manienie.
Sufficient roof water could be obtain
ed for domestic purposes. The soil is
red, apparently very deep and free
from rocks. This basin land plateau
be worth at least an average
price of SIS per acre for grazing pur-
poses alone. The probabilities are h
all or the most of this plateau would
be suitable for the cultivation of sisal.
The land is of much better quality
than that in the vicinity Of Sisal on
Island of Oahu. The rainfall in
this portion of Lanai is also much
higher than in the district of Oahu
where sisa1 is now being cultivated.
A further advantage lies in the fact
that there is no rock and the land is
free from kolu, lantana and other
n~oxious shrubs.
"A considerable strip of and below
the pail which divides the bench from
the basin, is suitable for agricultural
purposes and would be worth consid-
more than the average price Of
the whole body, and would compensate
for areas worth less, in striking an
average valuation.
Second Glass Grazing Ian Under
division would fall almost the
of Kamao and the makai por-
ions of K~ealiaapuni, Kaunolu, Kalulu
and Kamoku on the kona side of the
sland; also on the windward side of
the island probably the whole Of Paa-
Will. Kaunolu, Mahana and Paomai,
although we examined only a portion
If the mauka portion of Paomai and
All of this country is good
grazing land. The makai portions of
he Kona government lands have the
heaviest growth of pill grass that I
seen anywhere IN the islands
There are probably 5000 acres Of
'econd-class agricultural and first