362 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



dants, if otherwise disengaged, busily reading, or 

 listening to something being read by one of the 

 conapany. In walking through the outskirts of 

 the town, it is not unlikely he will come sudden- 

 ly on a knot of children, seated in a snug corner 

 out of the sun, all intensely engaged in looking 

 through some story-book or other, they have 

 just bought at a neighboring stall, and laughing 

 right heartily at the comical pictures which adorn 

 the narrative. The conviction is thus brought 

 home to a man's mind that the Japanese are a 

 reading people. — London JVews. 



For the New England Farmer. 



LETTEia FHOM THE SANDWICH 

 ISLANDS. 



Makawao Maui, Hawaiian Isunbs, ) 

 February 12, 1859. J 



Messrs. Editors: — Gentlemen, — Dec. 30th 

 being our Hawaiian thanksgiving day, I wrote 

 you giving some account of the increase of our 

 comforts for the physical or outward man since I 

 took up my residence at the islands in 1828. Let 

 me now speak of other things pertaining to the 

 agricultural interests of the islands up to the 

 present time, beginning at Hawaii, the most 

 southern of the group, and ending at Kauai, the 

 most northern, as you will see by looking on a 

 map. 



Hawaii is much the largest of these islands. I 

 have resided on that island and, have travelled 

 around it. But for its being the seat of Pele's 

 dreadful reign, it would be the most important 

 island, having the largest forests, the loftiest 

 mountains, most extensive fields for cultivation, 

 the greatest variety of climate, and spacious bays. 

 But we have some fears on account of the late 

 eruption of the volcano on Mauna Loa. In 1855 

 we trembled when intelligence from Hilo reached 

 us lest one item should be that that beautiful vil- 

 lage had been destroyed by the rivers of molten 

 lava which rolled their burning waters till some 

 six or eight miles only remained between them and 

 Hilo. Had they reached this village, they would 

 have disgorged themselves into Byron's Bay, 

 destroying probably the most spacious harbor on 

 the islands. God spared our friends their vil- 

 lage and harbor, seemingly saying to the burn- 

 ing liquid, "Thus far shalt thou go, but no farther, 

 and here shall thy proud waves be staid." 



January 23, only about three weeks ago, our 

 friends of Hilo were again startled by the sight 

 of the burning lava gushing from the same place 

 apparently as in 1855. It was at first supposed 

 that it would pursue the course of the former 

 one, and make for the Bay of Hilo, But it is 

 now well nigh certain that the flow is toward the 

 west or Kona side. But more of the doings of 

 Pele at some other time. I am to tell you of 

 the agricultural interests of the island. 



At Kau, the southern district of the island, at 

 the station occupied by Rev. Mr. Shipman, the 

 people have during the year engaged in the busi- 

 ness of wheat raising. A few hundred bushels 

 have been produced and sold, and the hopes of 

 the farmers are raised that the product thus 

 gathered will be profitable. From my recollec- 

 tions of this district, from having once passed 

 thrnwgh it, I should say there is a widp field for 

 this enterprise. I am now writing to Mr. Ship- 



man, making various inquiries respecting the ex- 

 tent of this district, and the prospects of wheat- 

 growers, and I may speak to you again respect- 

 ing this portion of Hawaii. Other than this com- 

 mencement of wheat growing, I have heard of no 

 new agricultural enterprise on that island. There 

 have all along been many important native pro- 

 ductions carried to Honolulu, such as Pia, or 

 arrow-root, Olona or Hawaiian hemp, suitable for 

 fish-nets and rope, Pula, a material much used 

 for bedding, potatoes, yams, coffee, oranges, &c. 

 The latter fruit of an excellent quality is rapidly 

 increasing, and it is said that American applea 

 are being raised on that island. 



On Maui, wheat is becoming one of our staple 

 productions. In my former letter I told you of 

 the number of bushels raised the past year. 

 Much more land is being sown this year, and 

 unless the cut-worm shall destroy more than in 

 ordinary years, the amount of wheat will be much 

 larger than ever before. We have a small mill 

 at length, at Wailuku, some ten or twelve miles 

 distant from our wheat fields, where we can pro- 

 cure grinding for toll. This is a favor. Other 

 things of an agricultural nature on Maui are 

 much as they have been for many years. But for 

 the cut worm the labors of agriculturists would 

 rapidly increase ; but the ravages of this insect 

 are most discouraging, and we know of no rem- 

 edy. For a while we cherished the hope that 

 frequent and thorough cultivation would do the 

 business for this implacable enemy of wheat, 

 corn, beans and garden vegetables ; but such is 

 not our experience. Can any reader of the Far- 

 mer tell us how we can escape this scourge ? 



The best gardens on the group are at Lahaina 

 and Honolulu. I know not how gentlemen there 

 protect their tender-springing vegetables from 

 the ravages of insects ; but I am glad to report 

 the raising by them of fine beeta, turnips, and 

 other comforts, such as New England gardens fur- 

 nish. I am confident that our island home will, 

 ere long, abound in fruits of an excellent quality. 

 Last year I had in my garden alone some ten bar- 

 rels of peaches, and there were as many more in 

 three other gardens in the neighborhood. We 

 abounded, also, in figs, had a few oranges, guav- 

 as, citrons, chirimoya or custard apple and water 

 lemon. A» yet, I have not succeeded with the 

 American apple, and much fear that this fruit will 

 not do well on Maui. Still, we shall not give up 

 the hope without further trial. I am hoping to 

 see the orange and peach flourishing in native 

 gardens. The orange and fig are both nutritive 

 and exceedingly healthy. Just now there is 

 nothing like wheat in the estimation of my peo- 

 ple, but they will learn, ere long, that the culti- 

 vation of fruit is a cheaper method of obtaining 

 a living. Oranges, too, can be exported to San 

 Francisco, and will be profitable, I think. On 

 Kauia the natives have made the raising of sweet 

 potatoes, for a few years past, quite profitable. 

 They have exported them to San Francisco, and 

 have had very fair returns. Sugar and cofl'ee 

 have been exported from this island,* but these 

 are produced by the capital of foreigners, and I 

 do not take them into account in this report. 



In my letter of Feb. 11, 1857, which you gave 

 your readers in the July monthly Farmer, I re- 



* So on Maui, largely. 



