The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-01-08
COL. MACFARLANE TELLS
OF HlWAII's PROSPECTS

Chroniele-The present seasons So
gar crop Of the Hawaiian Islands wifi
amount TO s5o000o tons. worth about
$4o.0Oooeo. and it viii register the
greatest production ever known In the
islands. and pro5ably be the standard
sized crop for years to come. such is
the declaration of Colonel Macfarlane.
who has just returned from a general
survey Of the plantations
The reason for this enormous crop
is the final bringing under a compre-
hensive irrigating system all the great
areas which are adapted 10 the growth
of sugar cane AS all the mountain
water sources and all the sugar lands
have been included in the develop
ment, no further considerable increase
in Hawai's sugar production can be
expected, but the perfection of the ir-
rigating canals and the bringing OF
water TO the crop when it is most
needed insure q reasonable reliability
Of this high-standard yield.
When seen at the Fairmont yester-
day Colonel Macfarlane declared that
i&AE bLs StSia Va tic EteA&iNSAS4S4As NA&t7
season, fully 90 per cent. greater than
last year, win probably mean con-
siderable dividends declared by many
Of the sugar companies In which CALI
fornians are financially interested. The
Hawaiian Commercial, the largest of
the plantations, is expected TO yield
about $4,000. o0o worth in the coming
crcr; the Eva. about S2,80o,0oo: the
Oahu, about 81. 00o, 900; the MakaweIi,
about ST. SEQ. GOO, the Onomea, about
s1.I000eo worth, making an aggregate
of some 81. 70o, 0o0 worth from the five
largest plantatio with nearly three
times as much more in the aggregate
from ali the smaller plantations. All
these estimates We're based on only
average prices for sugar.
Il have Just completed a visit to
most of the plantations of the group
with member and director of one of
the great engineering firms of Eng
land said Colonel Macfarlane. lie
went there TO report on two Of the
largo irrigation schemes in the Kehala
and Hamakua districts of the Island
of Hawaii. These canal systems viii
supply mountain water to a dozen or
more plantations. which have suffered
in occasional years from drought.
The steady water supply viii in
crease the yield of these plantations
fully so per cent. as it did in the case
of Hawaiian Commercial Three of
the plantations that are pretty well
known here and are to be thus bene-
fted are the Paauhau, the Pacific SUI
gar Mill, and the Honokaa.
''As an example of what this GER
tain method of irrigation is worth,
might cite the case of a large field on
the Hind plantation. For years it's
average yield has been three and a
half tons to the acre. Now, with water
on the new crop. it is estimated that
this season the yield will be nine TO
ten tons TO the acre. The ground has
been steam plowed very deep, but not
fortified, except by the natural sill
Gates in the abundant flow of noun
tain water
There are no new plantations be-
ing started in the islands, as the
finit to the development of the sugar
lands has about been reached.
THE Kohala ditch is of S., 600. 900
gallons daily flow and Is twenty-five
nailes long, seventeen miles of the dis
lance being through solid mountain
tunnel. It cost $3.50. 600, and was de-
vised and constructed BY a California
man, NJ 'Shaughnessy. formerly as
sistant engineer of the Spring Valley
Water Company. The Hamakua ditch,
consisting of upper and lower
branches, can carry about s0,ooo,ooO
gallons Of water. and 1T is thirty miles
long.
japanese are coming into the is
lands in large numbers lately. antiel-
pating the day when, with emigration
restricted 10 America they viii be
ready TO come into the States from
that way station. The result is that
for the present Hawaii has all the la
Dor she wants, and more. The finan-
ciaI furry did not seriously affect the
islands, the Honolulu banks having
abundant gold for the great payroils
of the plantations, and no certificates
were necessary"
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