284 
RUBBER CULTURE IN HAWAII 
most of which are tilled by great corporations under their own planta- 
tion systems. There are, however, many small planters whose cane 
finds a ready market at the sugar mills. A great variety of tropical 
fruits such as pineapples, bananas, alligator pears, oranges, etc., are 
also grown and a good deal of coffee is raised while the Chinese planter 
is quite a feature as a rice producer. 
It is claimed that there are at the present time something like 40,000 
acres of arable land on the islands, most of it belonging to the govern- 
ment. This may be easily acquired by those who contemplate any sort 
of planting proposition. Much of this land lies in sheltered valleys, and 
at the present time it is heavily wooded. The soil being volcanic, except 
on. the coast plains which are of eoral origin, the drainage is good and 
the land fertile. For certain growths, however, fertilizers are needed, 
and to those who contemplate taking up land in the territory of Hawaii 
it is strongly urged that they communicate with the special agent in 
charge of the Hawaiian Experiment Station at Honolulu, who is a 
gentleman of much experience and who is in a position to be very help- 
ful. Exactly what it would cost one to purchase land it is difficult to 
state. Good sugar land brings from $25 to $60 an acre, that is, when 
purchased from private individuals, but bought from the government 
it would cost from $10 to $15. These holdings are classified, and the 
commissioner at Honolulu can give any inquirer full information 
regarding what is open, conditions for the homestead lease system, right 
of purchase, leases, cash freeholds, and so on. 
I have dwelt at some length upon this for the reason that now that 
rubber culture has made a beginning in the Sandwich Islands, and par- 
ticularly as these islands are now making real progress, many faces will 
turn towards this Pacific possession of ours, and much agricultural 
development will result. It is to be hoped that a large part of this, or at 
least a fair proportion of it, will be along the line of rubber cultivation. 
Indeed it wouldn’t hurt the writer’s feelings a bit if the thousands of 
acres devoted to the luxury, sugar, were turned within the next five 
years into the production of the necessity — rubber. 
To speak a little further about conditions for the man who wishes 
to plant rubber or anything else: It will be a satisfaction to many to 
know that there are 110 snakes or poisonous reptiles of any kind in all 
the islands. There are no such pestilences as are to be found in other 
tropical countries, and there isn't a wild beast anywhere there ; nor have 
they yet discovered malaria. Of course there are certain drawbacks. 
While there are apparently no insects poisonous to man, there are many 
