284 RUBBER CULTURE IN HAWAII 



most of which are tilled by great corporations under their own planta- 

 tion systems. There are, however, many small planters whose cane 

 finds a ready market at the sugar mills. A great variety of tropical 

 fruits such as pineapples, bananas, alligator pears, oranges, etc., are 

 also grown and a good deal of coffee is raised while the Chinese planter 

 is quite a feature as a rice producer. 



It is claimed that there are at the present time something like 40,000 

 acres of arable land on the islands, most of it belonging to the govern- 

 ment. This may be easily acquired by those who contemplate any sort 

 of planting proposition. Much of this land lies in sheltered valleys, and 

 at the present time it is heavily wooded. The soil being volcanic, except 

 on the coast plains which are of coral origin, the drainage is good and 

 the land fertile. For certain growths, however, fertilizers are needed, 

 and to those who contemplate taking up land in the territory of Hawaii 

 it is strongly urged that they communicate with the special agent in 

 charge of the Hawaiian Experiment Station at Honolulu, who is a 

 gentleman of much experience and who is in a position to be very help- 

 ful. Exactly what it would cost one to purchase land it is difficult to 

 state. Good sugar land brings from $25 to $60 an acre, that is, when 

 purchased from private individuals, but bought from the government 

 it would cost from $10 to $15. These holdings are classified, and the 

 commissioner at Honolulu can give any inquirer full information 

 regarding what is open, conditions" for the homestead lease system, right 

 of purchase, leases, cash freeholds, and so on. 



I have dwelt at some length upon this for the reason that now that 

 rubber culture has made a beginning in the Sandwich Islands, and par- 

 ticularly as these islands are now making real progress, many faces will 

 turn towards this Pacific possession of ours, and much agricultural 

 development will result. It is to be hoped that a large part of this, or at 

 least a fair proportion of it, will be along the line of rubber cultivation. 

 Indeed it wouldn't hurt the writer's feelings a bit if the thousands of 

 acres devoted to the luxury, sugar, were turned within the next five 

 years into the production of the necessity rubber. 



To speak a little further about conditions for the man who wishes 

 to plant rubber or anything else: It will be a satisfaction to many to 

 know that there are no snakes or poisonous reptiles of any kind in all 

 the islands. There are no such pestilences as are to be found in other 

 tropical countries, and there isn't a wild beast anywhere there; nor have 

 they yet discovered malaria. Of course there are certain drawbacks. 

 While there are apparently no insects poisonous to man, there are many 



