Year: 1878

In the early days of California immigrants
were attracted in crowds to its shores by the
glitter of its gold. Although country OF


unparalleled agricultural resources, those


resources remained for considerable period


almost or altogether untouched. The "greed


of gold !" and the hope of speedily acquiring


the shining treasure blinded mems eyes to


every other interest and diverted their minds


from every other pursuit. 1t was only after


the lapse Of years, when ardent hopes had


expired in bitter disappointment and thou


sands had sorrowfully discovered that the


once enchanting prospect was fatd n'orgdna


which vanished approached, that men turned


their thoughts into other channels and de-


voted their energies to other and less exciting


occupations. Thence began season of genu-


inc prosperity that bas known but little inter-


ruption to the present time. And now it is


universally conceded that the wheat fields,


vineyards, and fruit gardens of that rich


country contain greater stores of lasting


wealth than all her mines of gold. Here in
! these islands we have no gold mines to excite
| then dissipate the hopes, to dazzle and demor-
| alize the minds of people; but the country


contains many and varied agricultural re-


sources and the soil is blessed with wonder
| full productive capabilities Its adaptability


to the culture of sugar and rice has long since


passed from experiment to assured fact {:


Cinnamon have fattened on its rice and eau


casians have become opuleut from its sugar


And because the cultivation of cane and the


manufacture of sugar have already enriched


some and are enriching others, many hitherto


otherwise engaged are being unduly excited


thereby: the sparkle of sugar in meas


ure takes the place in this country of the


"glitter" of gold in the by-gone days of


California. In several instances which have


recently come to our knowledge, young men


with limited capital, full Of hope and enthusi-


asm, but devoid of either experience or due


appreciation of the difficulties to be surmounted


and the energy and economy essential to sue


cess, rush wildly into the venture, with the


impression that they cannot go wrong. We ex-


press the conviction that all such will ultimate


ly wake up to the fact that even sugar raising if


injudiciousy conducted is neither short nor


sure road to affluence Not that We would


discourage legitimate enterprise, or say one


word in dsparagement of the country's capa-


bilities of sugar production sugar is, and
probably ever will be, our main staple. And


even this industry is only in infancy, and


much time and money and labor will yet have


to be given to it ere it has attained complete


developement. But public attention is being
SO exclusively absorbed by the sugar interest


as though it were the only profitable invest


ment the country affords; whereas the soil


and climate of these islands are -eminently
favorable to a variety of agricultural and


horticultural pursuits, some Of which have
been partially tried and others altogether
overlooked. We instance few. Coffee hat
had comparatively little attention and thai
little confined to about half dozen localities
Most of our valleys supply the conditions


requisite for the healthy growth of the tree
and the maturing of its fruit. Here is al


open field, and we are disposed to believe tina
experienced enterprise turned into it would
produce profitable results. The castor OF
plant grows spontaneously and perennially al
over the low lands, producing the oil nut il
abundance: this might be made source o.
revenue to the people. We have no doubt the
> olive tree would flourish here, and the manu-.
factLre of olive oil, for which there is never.


failing market, might be developed into ont
t of our staple industries. Successful expert


;.l Ill, ho,o oh tbo
3 skilled silk culture would yield profitable
return. There is hardly room to doubt tina
E the cultivation of grapes, as advocated by tn
I AdUertiser, would be attended with success
To the foregoing may be added dried bananas
and mango and guava preserves Driet
J bananas are delicious; the operation of drying
e is short and easy when dried and CAREFUL,
= packed they are not liable to damage in trans
: portation; the demand is active. Picklet


mangoes are considered great luxury il
e Europe, and realize high price. The frui
: when nearly ripe makes excellent jam, con
8 sidered by some connoisseurs equal to appl
q jam. The demand abroad for guava jell
e invariably exceeds the supply, thus rendering
y it one of the most costly of preserves. Gu
h readers need not be told that, in and aroun,
e Honolulu, vast quantities of these differen
!. !. fruits annually fall to the ground and decay
Is unutilized. What shameful waste W
u have but briefly indicated what we conside
a some of our undeveloped resources, reservin
u u the intention to discuss the various items i


detail as occasion may offer and inclinatio
d prompt.