The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-01-29
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE
HAWAIIAN GROWN TOBACCO

The following communication has
been received from Jared @. Smith by
the Committee on Ways and Means Of
the House, and published:
Some exceedingly interesting infor.
nation, regarding the development of
the tobacco industry of the Hawaiian
Islands and the competing tobacco
crops of the world is set forth in a
communication received by the com.
mittee from Jared G. Smith, manager
of the Kona Tobacco Co., Limited, of
the Island of Hawaii, as follows:
"Tbere are three de facto tobacco
growers in Hawaii (November, 1o0s),
the Kona Tobacco Co., operating in
Kona and Hamakua, on the Island of
Hawaii; one farmer in South Kona,
and one farmer in Hamakua. The
crop alrealy harvested is $500 pounds,
and 1000 pounds additional will be
cured by December 81.
"one new corporation has been
formed which expects to begin opera.
tions about February, 1909, with a
capitalization of 100000. Two other
corporations are in the promotion stage,
one on Hawaii and one on Maui.
"The Kona Tobacco Co. is capital.
lied at $4,000. Officers: j. G. Smith,
III. p. Wood, A. Coyne, G. l.. Beal and
X. w. Perkins. The Kona Tobacco Co.
and the two farmers who are growing
for us under contract produce only
Cuban leaf. Two of the corporations
forming on Hawaii plan to grow only
Sumatra leaf, and / believe the Maui
oomnan,, ;ntond ,,rouinp Sup,o+ro onl,,
"The Kona Tobacco Co. will harvest
sixty acres of Cuban leaf in 1909.
"The tobacco plant is believed to be
native of Cuba and other West In
dian islands. Cuban tobacco is con.
sidered the best cigar leaf grown any
where.
"CuBan tobacco is both filler and
wrapper and is distinguished by its
high flavor and aroma, fine texture and
usually good burn.
"There are two main types of Cuban
leaf: Vueltas, including all leaf grown
on the western end of the island, and
Remedies, from the Santa Clara dis
trict. Remedies are cheap, heavy fill
er tobaccos of high flavor, dark in
colors, and usually poor burn. Vueltas
comprise three-ffths of the crop and
comprise the best Cuban cigar leaf
both filler and wrapper.
"1he estimated crop of Cuba fol-
1908 is $50, 900 bales (of ninety pounds
each). 1t is the first good crop, as fai
as quality goes, in four years.
"The Cuban area planted in tobacco
is 10000 acres.
"The duty on Cuban filler is twenty
eight cents gold per pound; on wrap
per, $1.4S per pound; and on stemmet
wrapper, So per pound, Cuban dutie
being twenty per cent. less than thos,
on goods from other foreign coun
tries. The duty on unstemmed wrap
per is practically less than $1.4S, be
| cause filler may contain fifteen pc
cent. of wrapper leaf and still be ad
mitted on payment of filler duties
Filler containing more than fifteen pc
cent. wrapper leaf pays the highe
| duty.
"England is the largest buyer o
Cuban tobaccos. Germany is second il
quantity (buying mostly Remedies ant
other cheaper grades), and the Unite'
| States is second in values and thir,
in quantity.
" "Hawaiian-grown tobacco from Gu
ban seed is of the Vuelta type, of fin
texture, unexcelled burn, good body
mild aroma and flavor, and running
largely to- light colors, making it n
excellent wrapper leaf.
"There are 10000 acres of virgil
tobacco land in Hawaii, capable of sus
tanning large and profitable industry
The best tobacco lands in Cuba hav
been cropped continuously in this crol
for one hundred years or more, so tina
there has been marked deterioration il
yield and quality. The 1908 crop j
the first crop of good, sound, workabl
leaf since 1904.
"The yield of Cuban leaf in Hama
lSua in 1908 has been over 1000 pound
per acre, while the average Cuba