Coffee and Sugar Planting at Hawali.

Manawatu Herald, 22 October 1898, Page 2

Coffee and Sugar Planting at Hawali.

Those who know Colonel Gorton, one of the leading residents of Rmgitikei, were considerably Bar* prised to hear recently that he bad serious intentions of taking up a coffee plantation in Hawaii, after a residence of nearly a lifetime in the colony, and tbe result of his visit to th* Sandwich Islands, in antioipa* tiiin of suoh a venture, was awaited with considerable interest. Colonel and Mrs Gorton left Wellington for Honolulu not long aga in -the Miowera, and returned here on Sunday last, after a searching investigation into the profits and pro. speets of taking tip land: for the growth of sugar or coffee in the bland*.

At Honolulu tha party left), for Hawaii io the steamer Ktnaa, 600 tons, calling at a dozen placeman route, including Mani Island, where a son of the lake Major Von Tempsky hai a coffee plantation. From RohaLi to Uiio the steamer passed sugar plantations for 60 milea by two to three miles broad. Hilo, the capital of Hawaii, where the party landed, has a population of 9000, -s and seems destined in the near future to rival Honolulu in importance. The Colonel visited the Puna district, the soil of which is mostly covered with scoria, very indifferent country from a planter's point -pi view, although a considerable extent of good soil is used for coffee*planting. From Olaa to the coast the party * r drove through a guava avenue three miles in length, the fruit being of a bright yellow colour and as large as lemons. At the coa3t a most complete plant was ereoted for pulp* in?, drying, and separating the parchment from the coffee bean, and classifying it into five different , grades. A splendid stone building \ bad been ereoted for the housing of this machinery, which was capable of turning out the produce of 1000 acre?, but there was not 200 acres of offee planted within three miles of the works, consequently the enterprise of the proprietor resulted in serious disaster to himself. Return-* ing to Hilo through the celebrated Oiaa district, a stay was made with Mr Biggins, who cultivates 210 acres of coffee, and an inspection carried o>it of five or six other plantations, the opportunity being taken of find* ing out exactly what profit (here

vas in the coffee industry. A book bad been published, under the authority of the Hawaiin Government, showing the gains of coffee* planting, but the results of minute enquiries was that the profits shown therein ..ould have to be reduced by two-thirds in most cases, or by one half in others; otherwise, the particulars of the possibilities of the industry contained in the work were tollable, provided that the labour difficulty did not interpose. Generally speaking, while the coffee industry was a fairly payable one, it was not sufficiently profitable to justify anyone in leaving this colony tO go into it. Coffee-raiding required capital, experience, and energy and for an expenditure of 20 OOOdol an eventual return of from 4000dol to 5000dol is the utmost ta be ex peeked. Then a bad season must be counted on, and if the plantation is at all negleoted, or if weeds come up, there is an end to the coffee.

The question of labour is one of ?ery great inportanoe in connection with the staple industries at Hawaii. At present the work on the plantations is carried on almost exclusively by Portugußes, Chinamen, and Japanese, the last named being im<* ported under contract for three years in batches of 1000 at a time. Since the annexation of Hawaii by the United States, Chinamen cannot land there, and the importation of Japanese or any other labour under contract ia prohibited. The difficulty is likely to prove a serious one when the engagements of the present labourers expire, and there is great Uncertainty as to what will happen, unless the United States Government finds a way out of the difficulty for ita colony. The sugar industry was one Colonel Gorton examined minutely into, and in regard to that his enquiries were more satisfactory, although the labour difficulty again proved the disturbing element. While an immense amount of capital was required to ensure success, the profits were enormous. For instance, the original shareholders of the Ewa plantation, where irrigation is extensively resorted to, received a dividend on last year's operation of 41£ per oent. on their £20 shares, while this year the manager estimates the dividend will reach 52 per oent. The expenses amount' to 500.000 dollars and the output to 1,880,000 dollars. At Pahala, where the rainfall is entirely relied on, and a good season has been experienced, the dividend was 60 per cent. The sugar mill alone coat £60,000, while it cost from £4 to £4 10s per acre to put the Crop in at first, and 30a per acre afterwards. The average yield where irrigation is employed is from 8 to 10 tons per acre, while oo other plantations the yield is about 4 tons per acre. At £16 to 17 per ton, the profit would.be from £5 to £8 per ton.

The Co9fc of fertilising the sugar plantation ranges from 10* to 80* pec acre, and a capital system is adopted to assist plan ters in arriving at what i 3 required. A sample of the soil ia sent to the Government Analyst, who advises, free of cost, what manures are to be used. - Pott.