The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-03-22
TO GROW SUGAR
BEETS ON LANAI
Test Plots Now Planted and Re.
suit May Mean Homestead
ing on Large Scale.
AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT
Island Owners viii Erect Factory
if Root Show Proper Sugar
Percentages.
AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT

1t is now proposed by those holding
the title deeds to the Island of Lanai
to erect beet sugar factory, cut up
some thousands of acres of the island
into beet lots, settle the lots with white
homesteaders and go into the manufac.
ture of beet sugar. Already experimen.
tai patches of beets are growing on the
land and developing well and within a
few weeks Governor Frear and Com
missioner. of Public Lands Marston
Campbell will be taken over the island
and shown where it is proposed to locate
some hundreds of farmer families from
the mainland.
1t is the great hope of the present
owners of Lanai to settle their lands
with citizen families, with the heads of
families tilling the soil with their own
hands, working for the establishment
of homes to be owned by them. For
such families the cultivation of sugar
beets is an ideal occupation if it can
be demonstrated that the beets will
sweeten to degree that will render
them profitable to grower and slicer.
1t has already been proven that the
beets will grow luxuriantly in certain
sections of the island; it has yet to be
demonstrated that they will contain the
requisite percentage of sugar when rip
ened. The tonnage is certain and the
sugar contents are soon to be determin.
ed by test at the federal experiment
station.
In this climate, with a proper use
of fertilizers, two crops of beets a year
are certain, doubling of the general
output of beet fields that should make
the production lucrative, both for the
factory and the grower. On the main.
land beet land it is estimated that ten
acres of beets, with average crops, will
support family. On Lanai it is pro-
posed to make the lots larger than
that, probably twenty acres or more,
an area that should net the holder in
the neighborhood of fifteen hundred
dollars year, provided mainland sugar
averages and tonnages can be secured,
while a portion of the land can be put
to garden and other purposes. Chicken
raising is one of the side occupations
being considered for homesteaders, La
mai being as yet without the mongoose.
A great by-product of the sugar beet
field and factory is ensilage for cattle,
the beet tops and the pulp being used
as finishing feed for cattle, sheep aud
hogs. In connection with the livestock
industry, which the Lanai promoters ex-
pect to engage in, this feed will be
something to figure on largely.
1t is not proposed to use the avail
able cane land on Lanai for beets
which are less profitable than cane, but
to grow the more profitable crop on the
lower levels. 1t is believed that cane
can be grown most profitably on a
great deal of the land as high as fifty
feet above the available water level
to which height it will pay to pump
and for which land it is believed there
is good water supply for irrigation
, The old Lanai plantation was attempt
ed to height of two hundred feet. il
| is believed that the cane grown car
/, be ground at the Lahaina mill.
Dl The first thing to be done on Lana
r is to exterminate the goats and to be
d gin reforestation. To kill off the goats
1 which have so increased as to be ;
t pest threatening to destroy the useful
|. ness of the Island for years to come, ;
a series of great drives is to be com
|. menced. Miles of fencing are to b.
d put in, one hundred and ninety mile
e of fence wire being now on order AM
e expected shortly. In order to conserv
h the present timber on the Island ant
n still make the importation of fenc
f posts unnecessary, experiments are nov
/. under way to determine the feasibilit
of making posts from concrete, rein
s. forced. 1t is estimated that thes
e posts can be turned out at cost no
d materially above that of wooden post'
n while they will be practically inde
Is structible. This, by the way, is onl
# ne of several very interesting exper
ments being made on and in connet
r tion with Lanai.
Cotton, sisal and other products al
being tried out and between them a
h it will be very surprising II numbe
of things can not be found that wi
ID develop the despised Island OF Ian.
into one of the most productive,
N proportion to size, of the group.