1857. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



339 



or less. I think this stood them in from 75 to 80 

 cts., and they will realize a handsome profit on this 

 purchase. They mix it with Hawaiian flour, and thus 

 obtain a good article, A portion of this wheat is 

 being sown as an experiment. 



Thus I have brought things up, so hr as wheat 

 growing is concerned, to the close of harvest 1850. 

 If you take an interest in our aflHurs, I will try to 

 keep you posted up more promptly hereafter, than 

 I have done the last two years. You may recollect 

 what 1 wrote you in March, 1855, respecting my 

 avocation as a pastor of a Hawaiian church at Ma- 

 kawao. I have also a small congregation of for- 

 eigners, to whom I preach once on the Sabbath in 

 English, in my own house. So that I have much 

 labor and responsibility on my head, heart and 

 hands. Still I am not inclined to excuse myself 

 from devoting a portion of my time to the noble 

 employment of agriculture. I may be able to do 

 more as a pastor and teacher than 1 could do were I 

 to confine myself to my study and labors of the 

 parish, I do not think any one, be his qualifica- 

 tions whatever they may, can "endure hardness 

 as a good soldier of Jesus Christ," without a good 

 deal of vigorous, manly exercise. To this arrange- 

 ment I cheerfully submit. I find too that I must 

 bear the sobriquet of missionary farmer; so I 

 may as well merit it, seeing it is both honorable 

 and useful. Near the commencement of 1856, 1 

 had a pleasant visit from the Rev. John Sessions, 

 of Albany, N. Y,, who was spending a few weeks 

 with his daughter at Lahaina. In my boyhood 

 had known him as the room-mate of a brother of 

 mine, when they were fitting for college. He spent 

 several days with me in my parlor and study, and 

 in walking over my farm, a portion of which was 

 then being plowed for wheat. In my pleasant in- 

 tercourse with him, I gave him a history of my 

 residence at the islands, my experiment of seeking 

 a support from the people, and my eflbrts to intro- 

 duce wheat-growing t mong them. Just before 

 leaving the islands, he wrote me from Lahaina, re- 

 ferring to his late visit, and saying, among other 

 things, "you have set the example of depending 

 on the people and yourself for support, and 1 

 doubt not the Lord will carry you through. Ger- 

 ritt Smith calls Beriah the farmer president; I 

 think you may be called, in no invidious sense, the 

 farmer missionary, and I rejoice that your intro- 

 duction of wheat culture is proving so successful." 

 Let me do all things with the desire of glorifying 

 God and benefiting the people. Thus far I have 

 realized little or nothing in a pecuniary point. I 

 did not engage in the business for the sake of gain, 

 but with the hope of aiding the people in acquiring 

 homes, building better houses, and providing them- 

 selves with more of the comforts of life. Instead 

 of sending my wheat to market this winter, I have 

 reserved every bushel of it for seed, and am loan- 

 ing it to such of my people as cannot elsewhere 

 procure it. Let me tell you of the arrangement in- 

 to which I entered with my people relative to 

 wheat-growing the present year. As the time for 

 preparing the ground after the last harvest ap- 

 proached, I laid the subject of wheat culture before 

 them on one of my week-day meetings ; there be- 

 ing a great scarcity of help, I asked them "what I 

 should do ?" Some six or eight of them volun- 

 teered to plow and sow the land, and they soon 

 took hold of the work. They plowed about 40 

 acres at once and let it remain for a while, as it 



seemed best that it should, that the grass and 

 weeds might die out. After laying awhile thus, 

 the harrow was used, and when soon after we had 

 copious rains, the wheat scattered at the last har- 

 vest sprang up, and some 30 acres of the 40 prove 

 to be so well seeded that we judge it best to let it 

 remain. About 70 or 75 acres these individuals 

 have plowed, and they have sown the greater part. 

 The seif-seeaed acres are beautiful in appearance — 

 wheat as high as one's waist ; the sown is mostly 

 up, but it is too early to speak of its promise. 



I think all of 2000 acres in this neighborhood 

 have been prepared for wheat, and much the 

 greater part of it is sown. I am sorry to say that 

 our old enemy, the cut-worm, and the caterpillar 

 are busy in some of our fields. The caterpillar does 

 the most mischief thus far this season, though 

 there is time enough for the cut-worm to work. I 

 hope to write you again, ere long, if spared, and 

 will tell you of the growth and the harvesting of our 

 grain. Some oats and perhaps barley have been 

 sown ; we are too early yet for corn, beans and gar- 

 den vegetables, though our lands are prepared, 

 and we shall soon commit the precious seed to the 

 earth. Of the result I will speak, if spared. 



Early in January, at a meeting of the Makawao 

 Agricultural Society, we listened to a very sensible 

 address from a Hawaiian member. His subject 

 was "Hawaiian agriculture as practised by their 

 ancestors, compared with agriculture as practised 

 at the present time." "Agriculture on the islands," 

 he remarked, "was no new business ; on the con- 

 trary, the ancestors of the present race of Hawai- 

 ians cultivated a great deal of land ; indeed, agri- 

 culture as then understood in that time of heathen- 

 ish darkness, was more industriously prosecuted 

 than it is now, though this is a time of gospel light. 

 True, the agriculture of their ancestors was con- 

 fined to narrow limits, wheat, coffee and other for- 

 eign products, not having been introduced ; but 

 such products as were indigenous to the island were 

 raised in so great abundance that few people were 

 hungry." In inquiring as to the cause of decreas- 

 ing energy in cultivating the earth," he says, "our 

 ai cestors were compelled by their chiefs to work 

 in iheir kalo patches and potato fields, to multij)ly 

 the means of sustenance, and becoming accustomed 

 to hard labor, it became a kind of second nature. 

 Hence he had particularly observed that aged men 

 who still survive, are much more skilful and effec- 

 tive in the kalo patch than young men." This, I 

 have myself observed. Indeed, the rising genera- 

 tion are becoming unskilful in nearly every Hawai- 

 ian occupation, as the managing of canoes, fishing, 

 making of nets, building of houses, &c. Our young 

 Hawaiian friend did not hesitate to say that indo- 

 lence, genuine laziness, was the principal cause of 

 the decrease of agriculture among us at the islands 

 — that this was an enemy more to be dreaded than 

 the pehta, cut- worm, and the caterpillar, kepoko, or 

 the cattle of foreigners. The man who refuses to 

 work from sheer indolence is no better than he 

 who has no arms ; true, he might work if he would, 

 but will not, and thus he renders abortive the gift 

 of God to him, of arms, which hang uselessly by 

 his side. So far as useful action is concerned, he 

 might as well be destitute of those members of the 

 body. Think it not a hardship that you must toil 

 for a living; at first, it may seem thus, but to those 

 who become accustomed to toil, it becomes an ab- 

 solute pleasure — a source of rich enjoyment. Their 



