The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-02-27
CROP OF HAWAIIAN
AGRICULTURAL HAS
some DIFFICULTY
Effects Of Leat-Hopper and Dry
Spell still Felt In This
Years Harvest :; :
Substantial Profit Is Made On
Sisal Business Of
Company

The annual meeting of Hawaiiao
Agricultural Company was held yester'
day and the report for the year of
James campsie, manager, received by
the shareholders.
The financial report Of the company
shows a profit on the year 1916 Of $747,.
l4754 and o balance brought forward
from 1915 of $37B,741.42, out Of which
dividends were paid TO the amount Of
$SOO,000, or forty per cent. The bal
nnce carried forward to 1917 is 1928,
SS8.g6.
The properties Of the company in.
creased in value during the year by
$36,325.32 to l3,135.57 making the
assets of the company $2,403, 302.T0,
against liabilities $79,4l3.S3. .....
The annual report of Kapapala
Ranch was also submitted to the meet.
ing by Julian Monsarrat, manager Of
the ranch. The profit on the ranch for
the year was $l5,S66.5S.
Reviewing the harvest of the 1916
crop from 3386Is acres, which yielded
l3y59l.S tons of sugar, an average OF
4.Ol tons per acre, Manager Campsie
states that this is the crop that suffered
81 severely from lcafhopper during
1915. There was loss of $24,122.55
ION 472.55 acres of cane totally de.
stroyed by the pest which was written
off TO profit and loss. There was nc
shortage of fume water during the
year and grinding continued uninter
ruptedly throughout the season. The
report states: ..
Dry Spell Is Severe
1--WE suffered severe dry spell dur
ing the months of June, July and
August, during which the cane on the
lower lands intended for the 1917 crop
suffered severely.
1.-The area to be harvested for the
1917 crop consists of 3737.67 acres
of plant cane, 30Sl Of ration cane and
1856 of outside planters cane.
Considerable of the cane to be har,
vested from the above area is on OuI
lower lands and suffered severely from
drought during the dry spell mentioned
above, only 81 of an inch of rain hay,
ing fellen at the Office in that period.
However, We experienced favorable
weather during the balance of the year
so that we still expect, to get q fail
gleiu IIOn lHlS AREA "a ROOu part VI
the cane intended for this crop also
suffered in its earlier stages from leaf
hopper attacks, and although none Of it
was entirely. destroyed, still il received
enough of a setback to affect the yieldl
adversely. Grinding operations com.
menced about the first week in Febru
airy and our estimate for the crop il
$4,000 tons of sugar.
Next Years Crop Good s."
"The area intended to be harvested
for the 1918 crop consists of 3423.34
| acres made up of 1886 acres Of plant
cane and 2547.3S acres of ration cane
/ With favorable conditions we expect Il
get good Aield from the same"
Considerable amount of new equip
| ment was added to the mill and boiling
house during the year, being installed
and ready for operation when grinding
started this month. The value Of thes'
! bettcrmeuts, chief of which were new
pan, was $50, lS9.49 and the report adds
"During 1917 we propose TO install
eight 40' belt driven centrifugals ant
one mixer for our low grade sugars.
The new sugar house, of structure
steel, started during the year will
other building improvements, is il
course of construction at Punaluu.
Laborer's Drifting Back
The report mentions that no seriOu
! shortage of labor was experienced ex
cept during December after the labor
ers were paid the balance of their bonu
for 1916 but "the larger part Of thos
who left are gradually drifting bacl
again" " T.
The company made, q substantia
profit during the year on its sisal bus
ness, the net income being $956l.54. o
this branch of the business, the repor
states:
! 'From the appearance of the sisa
field we believe that we can keep o
harvesting at the rate of about ten ton
fibre per month for about two years
come. This will necessitate very littl
outlay other than the cost of harvest
ing and marketing, and If the price 0
this commodity remains at anythin
near the present figure, ten cents pc
~ pound, it will be well worth our doin