Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-08-08


agriculture on this side of the ISL
and and smaller proportion than
that knows we are doing some very
practical experimentation at Mauna-
will, and have there The beginning
of rubber plantation"
This remark by ". NJ. GiTfard while
ON the way to the famous Maunawili
ranch with #. r. T.. Watcrhuuse and
the Blu lc g II man was as fell OF
truth as nut is of meat.
The average resident of Honolulu
thinks of the Maunawili rauch rs the
luxurious countr" home Of Mr.. VIM.
G. Irwin. and while II Is all that
beautifully situated and one of the
most favored spots on the Island of
Oahu,-it is at the same time ranch
where much practical work is going
on and II bids fair to have the FIRST
rubber plantation on the Island of
Oahu.
The main industry" of Maunawili
is coffee. And although J. Pierpont
Morgan drinks Maunawili coffee and
all the "Sprcckels boys" and one OF
the Ilayemeycrs drink Maunawii cof-
fee, this industry being unprotected
by tariff does not return Il profit. IN
fact IL Is not difficult to figure out
what would happen to n small farm
er If he owned the hundred-odd acres
of coffee with which this ranch is
planted and had no cash balance to
fall back upon.
This ranch, however, has other in
come sources resulting from pecu-
liarly favorable situation and control
of certain water rights. All that
makes a difference. The ranch Is
nevertheless splendid place to study
the practical side of diversification.
and prove without danger of success
ful RECITATION that the life of the
land in crops other than sugar is
bound up in the protective tariff.
In addition to a large number of
brcadfruit and other fruit trees.
Maunawili ranch has many thousand
alligator pear trees. II each tree
averaged a cash return of half dol
lar, these would in themselves re-
turn a neat income. Half a dollar
u tree sounds easy, mighty easy. Mr..
Gifiard can tell you the story of past
attempts to market both the pears
and the brcadfruit in Honolulu. first
attempting to sell these on COM
mission basis, then to dispose of them
at such prices rs would enable the
fruit men to sell larger quantities to
the purchaser and still make the same
profit. Both methods were n failure.
as the larger portion of the consign-
mcnts, fresh from the orchard ms they
were. had To be given away. and tho
ventures resulted in Il financial loss
Hut there seems to be no OCCASION
to worry over the alligator pear ven.
turo much more. A fungus Is attack
ing the roots, weakening the tree 50
, that the leaves and trunk are unable
, to throw off other parasites. As u
result of this the alligator pear trees
are dying of at Maunawil rapidly
There is Il similar fungus already in
Honolulu and other locations on Oa'
hu, quite a number having been re.
ported AS dead or dying during IN,
past two years.
BESIDES the magnificent brcadfruit
groves on the ranch scattered as they
are all through the coffee fields, Their,
are also cattle within fenced areas
in fairly good numbers, also som,
leased rice fields, and so forth.
Just ut the present time the center
of interest Is the rubber trees thai
have been set out through the coffc,
areas, and which. II found to be sue
ccssful, will result In the planting q
| now largely occupied by Hilo gras
' and guava bushes.
II was to make the first tapping o
The first experimental trees that Mr.
ranch with Mr.. Giffard. Mr. Water
house, who Is quite heavily interest
ed in rubber, has recently returne,
from II trip through Ceylon and tn
Straits Settlements investigating tn
rubber plantation methods of tina
great rubber-producing section of tn
world.
At the present time Maunawili ha
three rubber trees ready for tapping
These are 5-year-old "Ceara," which
according to the first tapping, yielde
well, but several weeks of tappln
at intervals will be required to dc
termine whether the rubber yiel
will be in sufficient Quantity and q
The proper quality to warrant fur
/, thcr extensive paintings than hav