193 



NOTES OF THE PINEAPPLE INDUSTRY ON MAUL 



By Mr. D. B. Murdoch, Paia, Maui. 



The hopes of the smaUer agriculturists on Maui are largely 

 centered in the pineapple industry. Excellent results have been 

 attained along other lines by Mr. E. H. Bailey and others, in the 

 upper Makawao district, but for a steady source of income there 

 appear to be few things to pit against the raising of pineapples, 

 unless possibly rubber. 



Quite a number of pines are being raised by Portuguese farm- 

 ers on the higher lands of Kaupakulua, at an elevation of about 

 1400 feet, but the more serious efforts are being made at Haiku, 

 where the results continue to come up to, or even exceed, the 

 early prognostications. 



The chief growers in that district are the Haiku Fruit & Pack- 

 ing Co., the Haiku Sugar Co., H. M. Alexander, C. G. White, 

 W. I. Wells, Jas. Lindsay, O. O. Burns and E. H. Bailey, also at 

 Puuomalei, W. O. Aiken. Outside the area brought under 

 cultivation by the two above-mentioned corporations, fully 150,- 

 000 plants have been set out by the independent planters during 

 the past six months, and this number would probably have been 

 doubled, had it been possible to import a larger supply of plants 

 from the other islands. 



On account of the summer crop ripening much earlier than 

 usual, the pines average in weight perhaps a little less than those 

 of last year, but are not much the worse for that, being still a 

 fine average size for profitable work in the cannery. The fields 

 certainly present a splendid sight, with unbroken rows of fruit, 

 9000 to the acre. 



The summer pack of the Haiku Company will amount to over 

 10,000 cases. Late reports from the American market are most 

 encouraging, and good prices for the Hawaiian product should 

 rule for some time to come. 



Excellent land can still be obtained in the district at reason- 

 able rates, and there is no doubt that the Haiku colony will grow 

 considerably during the next year or two. 



