THE JHAWAIIAN 



rORE8T£R k AGRICULTURIST 



Vol III. JUNP], 1906 No. 6 



The cultivation of pineapples on these Islands as a commercial 

 venture, has probably been in progress for a period of about 

 fifteen years. The last five years have seen a very great develop- 

 ment of the acreage under cultivation for this purpose, and indi- 

 cations point to the fact that the next few years will witness an 

 even greater extension of the industry. 



The difiicuities which face Hawaiian growers of agricultural 

 products destined for disposal on the Mainland are unusual and 

 are chiefly attendant upon the vast distance of their market, and 

 also upon the remoteness of many of the plantations from rail and 

 wharf. 



Hitherto the method of marketing Hawaiian pineapples, and 

 in fact the system which is in use today, is for each individual 

 grower to consign his produce to some Mainland agent to be sold 

 there upon commission. The result of this is to bring each con- 

 signer into direct competition in the Coast market with his 

 fellow-growers, with the efifect that prices are at times depre- 

 ciated below the actual cost of production, and in some cases 

 have fallen so low as not even to be sufficient to defray excessive 

 freight charges. 



Not less disastrous to the realization of a profitable return is it 

 that at times the simultaneous arrival of large shipments of fruit 

 from different producers has so overstocked the market that a 

 large proportion of it has been unable to be disposed of at any 

 price, and has thus become an entire loss. After such a "glut" 

 a period has often followed when a Hawaiian pineapple was un- 

 procurable upon the Mainland, and could the shipments have 

 been arranged to arrive at dift'erent times, good prices would 

 have been secured for all. 



With the increased output of pineapples for this Territory 



r*v which is now anticipated, the difficulties facing the growers will 



?r be greatly accentuated, and it is believed by earnest observers 



, that the success and the existence of many of the plantations 



— - depends upon immediate provision being made to obtain more 



