188 



supply and altitude are the chief factors in the productivity of the 

 agricultural lands. Of the arable land, the most valuable is that 

 having- water rights and utilized by the kalo, rice, and sugar 

 plantations. This aggregates about 213,000 acres, on the alluvial 

 flats and lower slopes. Above or adjacent to these areas is a belt, 

 aggregating 1.500,000 acres, too high or too dry for sugar-cane, 

 and so used for grazing.* Higher up on the mountain slopes, in 

 many places extending well up towards the summits, are the for- 

 ests, which constitute invaluable water reserves for the lower 

 lands. 



The lands of Hawaii are owned as follows : Public lands, 40% ; 

 corporately owned (chiefly sugar and pineapple plantations), 

 39% ; individual Americans, 10% ; individual Hawaiians and part- 

 Hawaiians, 9% ; individual Asiatics, 2%. The land was owned 

 at one time entirely by the Hawaiian aborigines, who were pre- 

 eminentlv farmers, and who developed a highly intensive system 

 of cultivation. Arable land and available water were utilized to 

 a maximum degree. The food supply of the early Hawaiians 

 came almost wholly from the fertile lowlands that engirdle the 

 islands, and from the bounteous ocean. Kalo, sweet potatoes, 

 yams, bread-fruit, bananas, coconuts, sugar cane, and wild fruits 

 constituted their vegetable food. Fish, swine, fowl and dog 

 supplied the remainder of their diet. The pounded corm of the 

 kalo, forming a starchy and acetic paste called poi, was their 

 "staff of life," and "Fish and poi" is still a by-word for a meal. 



"The limited area of the islands restricted nomadism ; the en- 

 tire lack of big game cut off hunting; and the absence of grazing 

 domestic animals prevented pastoral life." Thus this peaceful, 

 kindly people became, by force of circumstance, skilful farmers. 

 Their ancient practices are unfortunately decadent, and little 

 survives but deserted kalo patches, neglected groves of bananas, 

 and slow-dying coconut plantations, to tell of the minute system 

 that once drew tribute from every foot of good land, and was so 

 marvelously adapted to local conditions. 



During the middle of the last century there were about 11,000 

 native landowners, each occupying and tilling minute "kiilcanas" 

 of from a fraction of an acre to three acres in extent. "This 

 division of the land illustrates the fact that the needs of the 

 common ])eople were filled and a relatively high state of culture 

 developecl by individual work on very small tracts ; in fact, the 

 native under best conditions can rarely make use of a larger 

 area." — Newell. 



If there is any relationship between food and physi(|ue, kalo is 

 to be highly commended, for the ancient Hawaiian, according to 

 imanimous report, liad a superb physical development. This 



* fi) rccpiit years iiincli of this fir:i/.Mi^ laml lias Iccii coiivcrtoil into 

 jiincapjilc fields. 



