The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-12-16

also on all of the other islands; and
the plantations are constantly in
creasing. The output for 1908 was
100000 cases of canned fruit and
1000 tons of fresh fruit.
The attitudes most suitable for
growing pineapples lie between 500
and 1909 feet 1t is desirable to have
rainfall Of 80 to 60 inches or more.
Pineapples will stand ordinary winds
very successfully. Planting distances
on different plantations vary consider
ably, and for this reason the number
of plants per acre ranges from $500
to 10000. Where it is desired to grow
large fruit for table use, the pine.
apples are commonly planted in rows
six feet apart and 20 to "a inches in
the row. On some plantations the
rows are four feet apart and the pine
apples two feet in the row. Where
smaller fruit for canning purposes is
desired, the planting distance may be
Is inches to two feet each way, in
beds of four rows with alleys be-
tween each bed. Another method of
planting, which has been followed to
some extent, consists in arranging
the plants in groups of two rows, two
feet apart, the groups being eight feet
apart. Naturally, the size of the pine.
apples depends somewhat upon the
spacing Of the plants. Some of the
canneries desire fruit weighing
from three to four pounds, and bring
about this result by close planting.
Where wide planting is followed, the
fruit commonly attains a weight of
six to ten pounds, and sometimes
much more.
The first crop of pineapples is OBJ
tanned within eighteen months to two
years, and averages about ten tons.
ration crop follows twelve months
later, in which the yield ranges from
II to 20 tons per acre. The cost Of
production Of. pineapples is about SIS
per ton, and the cannery price is $40
per ton or more. The mainland price
for fresh fruit ranges from $50 20
$3.50 per ton. There are now nine
canneries in the islands and more
than S1,0)0,000 invested in the pine
apple industry. The acreage of pine
apples is constantly Increasing, and
for the past two or three years :he
output has been nearly doubled each
year.
The whole west coast of the main
land should be supplied with fresh
pineapples from Hawaii. The favor
of our fruit is far bettr than that of
the varieties which they now receive
on the Pacific coast.
Bananas promise to become the
next great crop of Hawaii, a line Of
weekly banana steamers to the coast
now being under consideration.
At least twenty varieties of bananas
now growing in Hawaii are consid-
cred indigenous. The actual origin of
some of these varieties may never be
thoroughly determined Altogether,
there are about fifty varieties of ba-
nanas in the islands, the chief ship
ping varieties being Bluefield and
Chinese. The Chinese banana is
uvrOun pnrbons mana automatically than
the Bluefield, but does not endure
shipping quite so well. The adapta-
bility of our soil and climate to ha-
mana culture is evident from the
jungles of bananas which grow wild
without care or attention on nearly
all of the islands.
The banana plant fruits at the age
of fifteen to twenty-four months and
is then cut down, making room Cor
the growth of suckers which spring
from the ground near the base of the
stem. Banana plantations may be al
lowed to reproduce themselves, by
suckering, for two or three years; bat
the plantation gradually deteriorates
unless it is replowed and planted
anew. A rotation with other crops,
therefore, ultimately becomes neces-
sary, as is also the case with most all
of our other money crops A banana
plantation produces 500 to 900 lunches
per acre.
The prospects for banana culture in
Hawaii are excellent, aud the POSSIBLE
ity Of extending the industry almost
unlimited, The whole Pacific coast
of the mainland should be supplied
with our bananas, and Hawaii is
properly located to furnish them eco
nomically. San Francisco alone would
would consume $4,000 lunches of la
nanas per year. The cooking banana
trade has not been touched, in fact
on the mainland cooking bananas are
/ little known; and most housewives
have hardly heard of them, With orr
large variety of aXcallent cooking