280 NATURAL HISTORY OF HAAVAII. 



form. The leaves are evergreen and leathery; the flowers are small, snow 

 white and fragrant, and the whole appearance of the tree is so very pleasing 

 tliat they are frequently grown in gardens and elsewhere as ornamental shrubs. 

 The fruit when ripe is of a dark scarlet color, and the seeds are horn-like and 

 hard. The seeds are usually called coffee-beans. Not that they are beans at 

 all. hut because of the Arabic word "bunn," which means coffee. 



The berries are very unequal in ripening. In Hawaii three or more pick- 

 ings are made annually. There are dift'erent methods of curing the berries. 

 P>y the old method the fruit is placed on floors especially adapted to the pur- 

 pose and allowed to dry in the sun. It is then passed between rollers to 

 remove the dried pulp of the bean, and the membrane which encloses the 

 seeds themselves. The coff'ee is afterwards freed from impurities by winnow- 

 ing machiner\-. By a new method the berries are freed from the pulp 

 and their coverings by maceration in water, with the aid of a pulping machine. 

 The beans are sometimes subjected to polishing. 



Three types of coft'ee are in cultivation in Hawaii, namely, the Hawaiian, 

 of the original introduction — a very hardy type; the Java, brought directly 

 from Java; and Horner's Guatemala, a variety supposed to have been intro- 

 duced from a Javan source, but nevertheless of uncertain origin. However, 

 the latter variety is the most extensively cultivated, being a hardy, heavy 

 bearer and not subject to disease. It bears a large, flat berry resembling the 

 best types of imported Java coffee. 



Sisal. 



The growing of sisal ^ has attracted considerable attention on the island 

 of Oahu, Avhere several hundred acres are now planted to this crop. The 

 ])lant not only grows luxuriantly on the better lands, but does well on land 

 not suited to other field crops. Sisal was first introduced and widely dis- 

 tributed for trial in 1892. It has been found to thrive from sea level to 

 three thousand feet elevation, and to be especially suited to the lee or dry side 

 of the islands. The species is a native of Central America and closely related 

 to the century ])lant." As a source of cordage it yields a fiber second only to 

 ]\Ianila hemp in strength. Its smooth, straight strands of fiber are obtained 

 by decorticating the leaf. The life of a slioot, if undisturbed, is six or seven 

 years, after which period it sends u\) a blossom stalk as high as twenty-five 

 feet, and then dies. Cutting the leaves for fiber, however, extends the life of 

 the plant several years. 



Other Fiber Plants. 



Manila hemp, secured from a species of banana,^ has been grown experi- 

 mentally in the islands for a number of years, and is reported from various 

 localities. It was introduced from Manila manv vears ago, and was well 



'^ Agave Mexieana var. sixalnna. 'Agave Aiiierivniia. "Miixii te.ititin. 



