33 1 
cation of science to the highest point of efficiency yet attained 
anywhere, — so much so indeed, that from her comparatively small 
acreage of cultivated land Hawaii will produce this year more 
than $40,000,000 worth of sup-ar alone, or more than one-sixth of 
this country's consumption of that product, and her exports and 
imports, with this product as almost their sole basis directly and 
indirectly, will considerably exceed those of the entire United 
States at the time of the adoption of the Constitution. 
Hawaii being within the tropics, the question of water is of 
superlative importance. The rainfall is abundant, ranging from a 
few inches to several hundred inches a year according to locality, 
but the more abundant fall is usually distant from the land where 
it is most needed. The problem is that of its conservation by way 
of preventing it from escaping immediately to the sea in freshets, 
and that of transferring it to the arid lands. It has been demon- 
strated that land which, with an ample supply of water properly 
applied produces, say, ten tons of sugar to the acre, pro- 
duces only four-fifths of a ton under a rainfall of 32 ^ inches a 
year. Most of the irrigated plantations have less than this amount 
of rainfall. One hundred and five thousand acres or about one- 
half of the 213,000 acres devoted to sugar production, only about 
one-half of which is cropped annually, is practically reclaimed 
arid land, — entirely through private enterprise. The reclamation 
of this land has involved an expenditure of about $15,000,000 or 
more than $140 per acre in initial outlay for the construction of 
ditch, tunnel, flume and pipe lines, reservoirs, pumping plants, 
artesian and surface wells and electric plants for the generation 
of power for pumping plants. A single system for one group of 
plantations includes about 225 miles of main and lateral ditches, 
tunnels, etc., costing a million and a half dollars, besides wells, 
reservoirs and pumping plants. In one instance, electric power is 
generated by water on the rainy side of the island for the opera- 
tion of pumps on the opposite or dry side. There are 11 1 pumps 
in operation with a capacity of 580,000,000 gallons oer 24 hours. 
Sixty per cent, of the water used on irrigated plantations is 
pumped. The average lift is 191 feet, with a maximum of 550 feet. 
One acre requires about 5,000,000 gallons per crop or about 10,000 
per day. The expense is great but it is a necessity and it pays. 
The irrigated lands produce nearly twice as much as the unirri- 
gated. Though constituting only half the total area they produce 
about two-thirds of the total output of 500,000 tons of sugar. 
In view of the foregoing, the preservation and extension of 
forests are obviously prime necessities. The typical islands con- 
sist of a high central mountain with radiating ridges and valleys. 
From ancient times the islands have been subdivided in apple-pie 
fashion, the tvpical main division of land extending from seashore 
to mountain-top and comprising one or more vallevs with their 
side ridges. Even in ancient times each valley had its own net- 
work of small ditches for purposes of irrigation. The water-sheds 
