HAWAII EXPERIMENT STATION. 367 



reputation for quality and flavor of berry. If it could be sold on its 

 merits instead of in competition with the low-grade coffees of Brazil 

 and Central America, it would in time prove an immensely profitable 

 crop. An effort should be made to save this industry from total 

 extinction. It is a crop especially suited to the small farmer and the 

 small investor — the man who can build up a home and care for his 

 crop himself. The establishment of the coffee industry on a success- 

 ful basis would make the Hawaiian Islands a land of small farmers 

 more quickly than the transformation could be accomplished in any 

 other way or through the medium of any other crop or industrv. 



The exports of coffee from the Territory of Hawaii during the fiscal 

 year ended June 30, 1901, amounted to upward of 2,600,000 pounds, 

 valued at $311,000. The production of 1901 has been greater than that 

 for any preceding year. This increase in yield and amount exported is in 

 spite of unprecedentedly low prices for coffee and a general overstocking 

 of the markets of the world. The downward trend of the prices of all 

 grades of coffee since 1895 has brought ruin to hundreds of small 

 planters in the Hawaiian Islands. Only those continue in the industry 

 who have sufficient capital to tide over years of depression, or who 

 are content to market their product at or below the bare cost of produc- 

 tion. Those of the former class are very few in number; those of the 

 latter comprise the hundreds of Portuguese, Hawaiian, and Japanese 

 landowners, homesteaders, and renters having 5, 10, 20, or sometimes 

 40 acres of bearing trees. In most of the coffee districts on the 

 islands the owners of the larger tracts of bearing coffee have ceased 

 to cultivate their plantations and are spending no money on the har- 

 vesting of the crop, allowing the berries to dry on the trees or rot on 

 the ground, unless they are able to make contracts with Japanese or 

 Portuguese to harvest the crop on shares, and in that case are con- 

 tent with one-fifth to one-half of the crop, the Japanese or Portuguese 

 laborer receiving the balance in payment for his services. 



The islands on which there are now bearing plantations of coffee 

 are, in the order of their importance, Hawaii, Maui, Kauai, and Oahu. 



On Hawaii, where the largest areas are planted, the chief producing 

 districts are, in the order of their importance, Kona, Olaa, and 

 Hamakua, while Kau, Hilo, Puna, and Waimea add their quota to the 

 whole. 



A preliminary survey has been made of the Hamakua, Olaa, and 

 Puna districts of Hawaii, all lying on the windward, or west coast of 

 the island. Even a most hurried glance at these few districts can 

 not fail to impress upon the visitor the fact that the island of Hawaii 

 is the home of coffee. Whether the plant is given the most scientific 

 and careful cultivation, or through stress of circumstances the planta- 

 tion has become overgrown with fern and weed and is totally uncared 

 for, the trees throughout show a thrift and a freedom from disease which 



