The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-02-14
TOBACCO HAS
COME TO STAY

1cIIllVES. anu Sonlpdiiy Is III pToSeS
of formation, having capital of $50,
600 to grow tobacco in Central Kona.
The capital will be furnished by loca
people and c. r. Blacow, VINO ha
done more successful tobacco growin
in Hawaii than any other man, is pro
noting the enterprise. Jared G. Smith
for the past seven years special agen
in charge of the Hawaii experimental
station, will act as manager of tn
, new concern.
Mr.. Smith, seen yesterday, said tina
he had decided to give up his govern
ment position because the new tobacc,
company held out better prospects.
The plantation. said he, will b,
located at Keokea, central Kona, anC
we expect. to commence operation.
this summer. We have 216 acres o.
land leased from the Bishop estate
The culture of tobacco in the Terri
tory has advanced beyond the expert
mental stage and 1 think that the
Industry has a great future here and
that homegrown tobacco will before
very long be a most important item in
the commerce of the islands.
THE local leaf should command a
ready market. and viii undoubtedly do
so. on account of its excellent quality.
The leaf is a good burner. of fine color
and possesses splendid texture. The
new company will cultivate the Suma-
ira wrapper leaf and will be able to
produce an article which will compare
favorably with any Sumatra leaf grown
anywhere. 1t is better than the to-
bacco grown under artificial shade in
Connecticut and Florida.
I'VE shall cater 10 the foreign mar
ket and 1 feel reasonably sure that we
shall attract that trade. The United
States imports 100000 pounds of to-
bacco from foreign countries every
year and We figure 10 cut into this"
c. R. Blacow, promoter of the Kona
Tobacco Company. Ltd. as the new
organization will be called had the fol-
lowing to say on the subject yester-
day:
''Ths@eulture of tobacco in Hawaii
will not interfere with sugar for a very
great deal of it will be grown above
the sugar line. Also a more intelligent
class Of laborers will be employed
than those who work on the sugar
plantations.
AS a small mans crop the growing
Of tobacco holds out greater advan-
tages than anything else. Tobacco
yields three crops a year and this
means that a planter will not have
TO work at something else for two or
three years until his crop natures. In
Kona facilities are better for the cul-
tivation of tobacco than anywhere else
on the big island. Three different
grades can be grown al as many ele-
vations. The new company will turn
out a choice Hawaiian cigar which,
judging from the success which has
attended the experiments in making a
really domestic cigar here, should jump
into instant favor. The islands are
great tobacco consumers, 1865, 900 being
sent away for tobacco last year"
The Keokea lands are five miles
south from Kealakekua Bay, the land
ing being al Napoopoo.
The lower lands will produce the
Turkish cigarette grades; the middle
elevations the aromatic Cuban varie-
ties; and the uplands the Sumatra leaf,
the perfection of all cigar wrapper to-
bacco.
The varieties of tobacco best adapted
for culture in Hawaii are:
Cuban C. yielding per acre 1900 to
1000 pounds; Havana H, yields from
1000 to 1900 pounds; Sumatra B.. yields
from 500 10 1000 pounds; Turkish to-
bacco, yields about 500 pounds per
acre.
The average import prices Of suma-
ira tobacco brought into the United
States in 1907 was s113 per pound
These are invoice prices, which are
less freights, commissions, duties and
other marketing charges, which
brought the average New York price
TO $500 Per pound. Best lengths.
grades and colors of the 1896 crop sold
in New York Cseason of 1900 at 800
10 $3.50 per pound. inferior grades at
s2-25 TO 1915. Seven million five hun
dred thousand pounds were imported.
The duties are sLs5 and $3.50 per
pound, unstemmed and stemmed re-
speetively.
Four million pounds Of Turkish to-
bacco valued at s03s per pound, in
voice prices, were imported in 1857. The
duty paid is s0-s5 and $3.50 per pound,
unstemned and stemmed.
The imports Of Cuban tobacco were
sixteen million pounds. worth 1914 per
pound at invoice prices. The duty paid
is sa2s and $40.