The Hawaiian gazette., 1910-11-29
is THERE TO Be
MILLIONS IN IT?
Government Officials Presented
With High Ambitions Of the
Humble kiawe.

An accidental industry in Hawaii
almost equal. in volume to the sugar
industry is contained in plans lately
developed by the government and pri-
waite individuals about the humble
kiawe bean.
Doctor Wilcox s statements made be-
fore the planters association at the
conservation mass meeting during the
late session limited at the scheme for
the utilization of the hawe, adding
that the japanese government was be-
coming interested in it as a food for
cavalry horses.
Manager Renear of The Renear Com
pany, Ltd, sent samples of the crushed
bean to Japan six weeks ago and the
imperial government is now expert
menting with them. Late reports indi-
cate that they have given satisfaction
and that there is good chance for
large orders being placed here.
Wilcox spoke in the most glowing
terms of the bean as food and tho
profit he claimed there was in its manu-
facture, and investigation has brought
to notice immense tracts of land COW
cred with kiawe throughout the vari-
oas islands.
The Kaimaloa estate on Molokai, for
morly an intended sugar plantation,
and now owned by the c. NJ. Cooke
! Z.
cred with kiawe from which 10000
tons of beans could be gathered. Els
Inmates of profit have been based on
these figures, although it is not yet
known whether negotiations have been
commenced with the Cooke Estate for
the beans or not.
The original estimates made on what
was considered logical prices brought
result so unexpectedly high that for
safety IS sake it was cut in half when
1t still presented q roseate sum. Tho
bean has been analysed and is said to
equal in nutriment and even excel bar
ley and other hay and on this basis,
, barley selling at thirty dollars a ton,
| price of twenty-five dollars ton on
the bean was set by those preparing
' the estimates.
{ Two dollars and half ton was
. fixed as the cost of gathering, crush
4 ing and drying the beans, and to make
matters safer this figure was raised to
So. This left profit at the place of
business of $50 ton. Carrying the
: sum still further this left the value of
= 10000 tons of kiawe beans as $780,
900.
These figures were reviewed by Doc
Y tor Wilcox before his address at the
conservation meeting, bit so high were
they that he cut them in two, which
|. leaves 81 100000 as the possible profit
from $500 acres heavily covered with
liawe trees. SO high are the figures
. that the first conclusion is that there
n must be a mistake in the basis upon
n which the figures were reached. Some
d say that the beans are deceptive on the
a ground and that twenty tons can not
J. be taken off an acre and others allow
G for deceptive grove with less trees
( than there appear to be.
IS The agricultural station has found
Y parasite for the worm that formerly
destroyed so great an amount of the
h bean, and in the grinding at the Re
j: near factory this year it was noticed
s. that the beans from the groves whe-e
& the parasite had been lodged yielded
,. beans free from the insect. Formerly
i any one remaining in the room where
l. the beans were being ground soon be-
p came covered with minute insects caus'
v ing an itch, but this is now almost al
e together done away with
g Mr. Cockett, manager of the Corn
well Ranch on Maui, states that there
9 are about 1000 acres of kiawe on that
y property which would also yield about
the same amount per acre.