414 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



squashes, cabbage, melons, cucumbers and toma- 

 toes flourish. So we might raise most garden 

 vegetables had we the seed, and did we know exactly 

 when to plant it. Of fruits there are the Ohio, or 

 Hawaiian apple, a rather insipid, but juicy and 

 cooling fruit ; the fig, grape, guaver ; the pine ap- 

 ple, orange, citron and lemon ; the cocoanut, 

 banana, and bread fruit, though the latter has 

 more of the vegetable than of the fruit. These 

 are the principal productions, which do so well 

 that there is no more risk in depending upon them, 

 under God, than there is in depending upon corn, 

 beans and potatoes, in New England. Of the 

 sugar cane I have not spoken, it being well known, 

 I suppose, that this is a sugar-manufacturing 

 country. The coffee I should have added to the 

 list of productions. It does well, and is of an ex- 

 cellent quality. A Mr. C. Titcomb, an American 

 gentleman at Kauai, it is said has raised 80,000 

 pounds the past year. The peach has been intro- 

 duced and does well. I think the apple, quince, 

 currant, pear, and other fruits of the temperate 

 zone, might be cultivated in some of our mountain 

 districts, to high advantage. The greatest, and 

 indeed almost the only draw back to the success- 

 ful prosecution of agricultural pursuits at the is- 

 lands, is found in what foreigners call the "cut 

 worm ;" the natives call it the "pe/ua." At seasons 

 it is very destructive, and no one has as yet succeed 

 ed in destroying it. I hope we may find some means 

 of ridding the country of this enemy of all vegeta- 

 tion. We have a standing committee on the 

 "means of destroying the worm." 



3. I come now to speak of what, by the blessing 

 of God on industrious and persevering labor, the 

 islands may be made to produce, (a.?) I hardly 

 need to say in addition to what I have remarked 

 above, that they may be made to produce every- 

 thing necessary to the physical comfort of a mul- 

 titude of people. Favored with a delightful cli- 

 mate, and, on the whole, fruitful soil ; having ex- 

 cellent, and in many places abundance of water ; 

 pasturage for cattle, horses and sheep ; sheep, 

 goats, swine and fowls being easily raised ; no hay 

 nor fodder of any kind being required for winter ; 

 no wood being needed for warming the houses of 

 the people, and woolen clothes, shoes, &c. , are 

 seldom worn, you can see at a glance that multi- 

 tudes of people might here find a comfortable sub- 

 sistence. 



(e.1) Again, the islands might be made the abode 

 of an intelligent and happy community. To con- 

 vince you of this, I need not spend many words 

 Two or three facts will suffice. One is the attach- 

 ment easily acquired for these islands. So delight- 

 ful is the climate, so mild and healthy, removed 

 on the one hand, from the frosts and chilly winds 

 of your northern clime ; and on the other, from the 

 sultry, withering blasts of Africa and the East In- 

 dies, the scorching sun of Borneo and Sumatra, 

 also the tornadoes of the West Indies ; that few 

 or none who reside here for a few years, and then 

 return to the lands of their childhood, are con- 

 tented to remain at home. They sigh for their 

 island home. I could name quite a number who 

 pant to come back — who would give almost any- 

 thing in their power, could they be among us once 

 more. Another fact is the facility with which 

 men can obtain a comfortable living. The mild- 

 ness of climate is such that no industrious man 

 need suffer — more than this, no industrious man 



can fail to gain property. The climate too is ad- , 

 mirable. Little do we need a physician with the 

 blessing of God on temperate living, and economy. 

 No better place than the islands do I know for study, 

 so that a man may divide his time between labor 

 xnd study, and with a good neighborhood of con- 

 genial spirits, I see not why any man would not 

 find the islands an abode of contentment and hap- 

 piness. 



(i.l) I might add that the islands might be made 

 to produce wealth. This I shall merely state, and 

 you can draw such a conclusion from what I have 

 dready said. We bless God that gold is found 

 here only by cultivating the soil. There is no 

 "royal road to wealth" among us. Still there 

 will, unquestionably, be much wealth procured 

 here, and being procured by the sweat of the brow, 

 I cannot but hope that it will spend well, and that 

 we may be blessed with an intelligent, industrious, 

 happy community. 



Yours, with high respect, J. S. Green. 



P. S. My revered friend, William Jackson, of 

 Newton, will hand you this, I trust. 



DEATH OF A. J. DOWNING. 



AVith feelings of the deepest sadness it becomes 

 our painful duty to announce the lamented and 

 untimely death of Mr. Downing, by the burning 

 of the steamer Henry Clay on the Hudson River. 

 Untimely, because we believe it was occasioned by 

 gross ignorance and carelessness. Such a catastro- 

 phe demands the most searching investigation into 

 its cause, and that the severest punishment be in- 

 flicted upon those who are culpable, if there is any 

 power left on earth that can reach them. 



Mr. Downing's death is a public calamity. We 

 believe the death of no man in the union would 

 be a greater loss. He was the distinguished au- 

 thor of the popular works on Architecture, Land- 

 scape Gardening, &c, and at the time of his death 

 Editor of The Horticulturist, published at Alba- 

 ny. He has done more to infuse a correct taste 

 into our people on these subjects, and on garden- 

 ing and farming generally, than any other man 

 now living in our country. He was also engaged 

 by the government in laying out and planting the 

 Public Grounds, at Washington, and they had al- 

 ready assumed an appearance to satisfy the casual 

 observer that a master mind was bringing them 

 into order and beauty. While we endeavor to 

 practice his teachings and imitate his virtues, Ins 

 memory shall ever be fresh in our hearts. 



Q^* The Granite Farmer, published at Man- 

 chester, N. II., is like good wine, grows better 

 and better as it grows older. It takes hold of the 

 vast work to be performed with earnestness; notes 

 the current events, has able correspondents, and 

 is worthy of a generous support. 



ffi^* One of Ilussey's Reaping Machines, and one 

 of Ketchum's Mowing Machines, may be seen at 

 the warehouse of Messrs. Ruggles, Nourse, Mason 

 & Co., at Quincy Hall. 



