lOj KKl'fUn' <']•• nKKKK oy KX I'KKI MKNT STATIONS. 



(•rt)|), prohiilily Itci-m^r tlic whole pcnilisulu of Vlic:il:ili. w lici-c sistll 

 is {\w mniii (roj). is of coial roi-matioii. In tlie 1 lawaiiiiii Ishuids 

 sisal siHMMs to do just us well, and the (|iialit\ ot llic tihcr is certainly 

 not infiM'ior, wlu'thcr it jjfrows on coral Hals alony; (he s('a<-()ast or on 

 volcano formations wiicro, the soils arc dclicicnt in lime 'i'lic Ice- 

 ward or Kona districts of tlu>, Hawaiian Islands arc naturall\' ada|)tcd 

 to the cultivation of this imj)ortant til)er plant. During- the past year 

 a larj^e numl»«>r of new plantations have been started, and while (here 

 is at pi-cscnt ordy one plantation of sonic (JOO acres which is marketinj^ 

 sisal fiber, the next two or three vears will s(h' a verv considerable 

 increase in the (juantity of (il)er exported. 



PEPPERS. 



Two si)ccics of pcp[)cr plants, (\ip)<ivniii (inuuimi and (\ fniti-sfcns^ 

 are widclv scattered in a semiwild condition throui>hout the islands. 

 Both species were undoubtedly introduced fi'om Mexico or South 

 America, and soon found i-eady acceptance In' the native population. 

 The ori(^inal cultiNated forms have been jrrown so many years without 

 cultivation that they have reverted to the orij^-inal species. Instead 

 of being animal, this species is here truly perennial. In almost an}' 

 situation in which the seed falls the plants which spring up 3'ield 

 enormous (luaiitities of fi'uit. In consideration of the fact that laroe 

 quantities of dried peppers are imported ammally into the United 

 States from foreign countries, the question of cultivating this crop 

 here has often been considered. Within the last twelve months two 

 small plantations have been established for growing this crop. A 

 quantitN' of the fruit was dried at the experiment station and samples 

 were sent to some of the loading dealers in condiments in the United 

 States. A number of them replied to the efi'ect that the samples sent 

 were of good comuKuvial quality and several otters were made, pro- 

 vided a sufficient amount of the dried pepjiers could l)e gotten together 

 to pa}' for shi})ping them. 



This plant grows like a "\7eed at all of the lower elevations of the 

 islands, and while the profits from the cultivation of this crop may 

 not be comparal)lo to those of coffee, sugar, ^'anilla, or sisal, the prices 

 secured for the samples which have been sent to the eastern markets 

 indicate the possil)ility of inaugurating an industr}' which will yield 

 a ver}' fair margin of profit. Practically the onl}' labor in coimec- 

 tion with gi'owing pepp(>rs is that of picking them. The method of 

 curing is simply to dry the pods in the sun and to protect them from 

 rain and moisture during the curing process. 



CASTOR BEANS. 



The castor-bean plant, so well kno\vn as an annual ornamental in 

 back 3'ards and gardens throughout the United States, is perennial in 

 Hawaii. It is not known what the extreme life of this tree is in the 



