Agricultural Finance 



58 



[July, 1910. 



be furnished. At no time of the year is 

 the supply of this fruit equal to the 

 demand. Practically all lemons con- 

 sumed in the Territory are imported 

 from the mainland, ^they too could be 

 grown here. 



Some of our seedling oranges are of 

 excellent quality, but the supply on the 

 market is too variable, in both quantity 

 and quality to maintain an active de- 

 mand. 



Our pomelo is as good, or better, than 

 that imported from the mainland ; but 

 no dealer can secure a sufficient quantity 

 of Island pomelos on his own trade. 



Eggs in Demand. 



Eggs are in constant demand at a high 

 price, and there is a decided preference 

 for Island eggs. Nevertheless, thou- 

 sands of dozens have to be imported 

 annually from the mainland to supply 

 the trade. The same may be said of 

 turkeys, and this in spite of the almost 

 astonishing fact that turkeys take care 

 of themselves here practically without 

 attention ; and, in fact, run wild on 

 several of the Islands. So long as a turkey 

 brings as much as a sheep on the market, 

 it seems difficult to undersand why 

 more attention is not given these birds 

 as a side-line on ranches, or in other 

 localities where they have free range. 



Article II. 



The second dealer, who was recently 

 interviewed, handles honey, eggs, coffee, 

 jam, jelly, chutney, pia, taro flour, 

 sweet potatoes, limes, pomelos and a 

 number of other Hawaiian products, al- 

 most all of which are obtained from the 

 Island of Oahu. This dealer has experi- 

 enced difficulty in obtaining such pro- 

 ducts as he handles from the other 

 Islands. The difficulties, as he thinks, 

 are largely concerned with transporta- 

 tion. Floral honey, unmixed with 

 Honey-dew honey, finds a ready sale 

 in considerable quantity, both in bulk 

 and in bottles. If one considers the fact 

 that this honey can be obtained at about 

 one-tenth the price of imported honey, 

 it seems as if a larger quantity of it 

 should be used locally. The dealer in 

 question handles only Island eggs. He 

 is unable to obtain as many as he wishes 

 for his trade, but whenever he has no 

 Island eggs, he cannot satisfy the de- 

 mands of his trade for eggs for the rea- 

 son that he refuses to handle imported 

 eggs. The latter brand of eggs is some- 

 times fairly satisfactory, and some- 

 times quite unsatisfactory, and the 

 dealer thinks it best to lose the pro- 

 fit, which could be made from hand- 

 ling case eggs, rather than take the 



chance of disappointing his trade with 

 eggs of poor quality. The same ex- 

 perience was related in regard to sweet 

 potatoes, limes and various other pro- 

 ducts, as was noted before, namely, 

 that the sweet potatoes lack uniform- 

 ity and are not regularly supplied, 

 and that limes are not available in 

 sufficient quantities. It was definitely 

 asserted that if mare of these commo- 

 dities could be obtained at regular inter- 

 vals the local trade could be greatly in- 

 creased. 



A commission man who was next 

 interviewed, handles considerable of the 

 corn which is sent from Maui. He 

 stated that the local market tor corn 

 could be increased, and that the demand 

 is already in excess of the supply. He 

 has found the supply irregular, but the 

 corn which he obtains is fairly satis- 

 factory to the trade and competes 

 successfully with imported corn. The 

 dealer asserts that the growers of Naui 

 can meet Seattle prices on corn and 

 make a reasonable profit. 



Dry beans cannot at any time be 

 obtained in sufficient quantities for the 

 local trade, and if supplied regularly to 

 Honolulu would be shipped by the dealer 

 in question to the Coast. This would 

 furnish an outlet for an indefinite quan- 

 tity of dry beans of several varieties. 



A fourth dealer is also interested in 

 the corn crop. His trade requires corn 

 of a small yellow kernel ; much of the 

 corn which is supplied him has two 

 large kernels. It is also desirable that 

 the corn should be kiln dried. About 

 4,000 bags of corn are imported annually, 

 — part of it from Manchuria, Cracked 

 corn prepared on Hawaii satisfies the 

 demands of the trade as to quality, and 

 could be used locally in larger quantities 

 than are now supplied. During the 

 period from December to June far 

 more onions than are now grown 

 here could be used locally and would 

 be welcomed at 3| cents per pound. 

 Garlic, which can be readily grown 

 in Hawaii, is imported at the rate 

 of two tons monthly and sells for 5£ 

 cents per pound. Beans, both Lima, 

 calico, white and other varieties, are 

 imported by this one firm to the extent 

 of $60,000 annually. All of these could be 

 grown in Hawaii and would be preferred 

 to the imported article. 



The corn growers of Maui say that the 

 price received for corn is too low, and 

 that there is little or no profit in grow- 

 ing corn at the present prices. The 

 method of marketing the corn, however, 

 is responsible to a large extent for the 

 unsatisfactory returns to the grower. 

 It is a common thing for four or five 



