The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-01-07
PROGRESS ON
KOOLAU SIDE
Continued From Page one.)


and a considerable portion OF ii
ploughed and planted with cane and
rice. Two thousand cords OF hau have
been shipped over the lire to the Ka-
huku plantation during the year. the
| freight to the line as it was pushed
ahead.
! Altogether two hundred and fifty
| acres of rich, virgin land has been
obtained by the clearing away of the
forest and already one hundred acres
| of this is in growing cane and the
rest is being rapidly broken up for
/ planting with Caledonia, variety
! which does particularly well in this
non irrigated district. For the clear
! ing out of the roots in the soil a giant
knifer is now gouging across side hill
and fiat, drawn by. pair of Kelly
/ traction engines, the heaviest and most
| powerful machines of their kind in the
island. These are the machines which
the Oahu Supervisors refused to let
be taken across the pail and which had
to be taken apart and transported to
Hauula on an o. r. & L. fatcar.
Each weighs thirty-five tons and one
of them smashed through the f1atcar
While in transit.
PLANNING WATER POWER.
At the present time these engines
are working just below the famous
Kaliuawa gulch, where eventually the
company will install a plant for the
development of a water power plant.
Weir measurements and water gauge
are now placed at various places along
the crest of this watershed and care
full watch is being kept on these for
data as to the average water supply.
The results of the data so far collect
ed show that there is water in plenty
to develop high power but the supply
is Irregular, much of it coming in the
form of freshets.
Just south of this spot in the Puma
luu gulch the site of another power
plant has been selected. Here il is
estimated that between five and six
thousand horse power can be obtained
and it is well within the possibilities
that this power will be used later on
to develop electricity and supplant
steam as a motive power on the rail-
road.
FERTIL1zTNG WITH SAND
A cheap fertilizer is being used on
the new lands of the Koolau Agricul-
tural company, where the soil has
been found to be clayey and in need
of sweetening. The proper leaven has
been found close at hand in the shape
of coral sands from the beach and as
the land is being broken and planted
it is being treated with liberal doses of
this handy fertilizer. The coral sand
is ninety per cent lime and is proving
a better addition to the soil than lime
itself, being taken Up slower and re-
naming in the soil longer than the
pure material On the Heeia lands,
where the blowing is to commence
within the next, few weeks, the same
fertilizing agent will be used.
The sand for the plantation is to be
obtained from the pretty little island
in Kaneohe harbor. where the best
article is found. A steam launch will
tow lighters back and forth between
the island and the landing at Heeia.
On the lighters will be tracks on which
small cars may be run, and these,
loaded at the island, will be hauled
from the lighters directly upon the
plantation tracks and distributed
about the plantation as required.
SOY BEANS A SUCCESS.
On one of the tracts of the Koolau
Agricultural Company. below the Ka-
liuawa gulch, on which twenty-acre !
plot of seed cane is being grown, Jap |
anese soy beans have been planted |
between the cane rows and the first |
crop of beans is now being harvested. |
This experiment has turned out well, |
and the crop is finding a ready sale
in Honolulu at the soy factory, tAe1
amount realized reducing. the expenses
of the cane raising appreciably. Man
ager Bowling will extend the bean |
cultivation as the cane planting |
RUBBER TREES GROW QUICKLY.
Back of the railroad station at Ha-
uula is Ceara rubber tree now
eighteen months old. 1t is twelve feet
high and the trunk is four inches IN
diameter. This is the way rubber
grows in Koolau, In other parts of
the district Hevea trees have been set
out, and these, too, are doing amazing
ly we'll From the latter the best re-
suits are expected, for while the
Ceara have a quicker growth, the sap
flow from the HeVea is heavier.
At Heeia the saplings from five thou
sands seeds have just been basketed /
in ii leaves and the grounds for the
final setting out of these is already in
shape. Next week they will be plant
ed, baskets and all.
COTTON NEARBY.
Nearby the Heeia Company has an
patch of cotton planted.
As yet no prophecy of the results have
been made. but in many of the house
yards of the natives from Laie to
Waimanalo are cotton bushes set out
as ornamental plants, and on each Of
these the white bolls thfclSly cluster.
PINEAPPLES AT HAUULA.
In patches near the sea and in other
patches on the highlands of the Koo-
Iau Company two months ago pine
apple suckers were set out Today
these patches are filed with sturdy
plants, in both attitudes the pines APP
pearing to do equally well. In the
kuleanas of the Punaluu valley, and
in the Chinese and Japanese gardens