THE MAIN INDUSTRY.

The production of cane sugar is the main industry of the country. The cane flourishes best in tropical regions, and the industry has been gradually developed during the last forty years and today it represents a capital investment of about $150,000,000. It gives a good and sure return for the capital invested, and consequently has gradually consumed all the suitable available land.

Such lands as are suitable for the growing of sugar cane, pineapples, rice or bananas at this date cannot be thought of for the production of cotton, as they all furnish excellent returns to the investors and are regarded as very safe propositions, so that the growing of cotton, the last introduced crop, has to depend for its establishment on such lands as have hitherto been regarded as waste or ranch lands.

This, however, must not be regarded as the first attempt at the introduction of cotton growing in the Hawaiian Islands, for as early as 1862, one lot of 600 pounds of Hawaiian grown cotton was shipped to Boston, and each year following up to 1874 inclusive, shipments of cotton were exported.

The largest shipment any one year was 22,289 pounds. This found an unfavorable market; the growing of cotton ceased and for many years it looked as though it had received its death blow. In 1898 an attempt was made to revive it but without

success.

Many specimens of the Peruvian tree cotton, (introduced nearly fifty years ago) are found growing strong and luxuriant under very arid conditions. These have been growing without care among other trees, resisting the severe drought and yielding large quantities of cotton for more than forty years. Single specimens of these at times are found reaching some twenty feet across the head, the trunk about four inches in diameter.

After seeing these things, and fully investigating the matter together with a few friends, the idea took root that there was a possibility of a good industry in the islands, second only to the sugar industry and our efforts have been to try and get people interested in the growing of cotton.

Mr. E. W. JORDAN, of Honolulu, imported a little seed of the Caravonica tree cotton from Dr. D. TOMATIS of Cairnes, Queensland, Australia, and distributed it among some friends, and today this is the type of tree cotton that is generally planted in the islands.

The United States Experimental Station have taken the matter up and are doing very good work, having made experiments with many varieties of cotton, such as the Chinese fire cotton, the American Upland, several types of Sea Island, the Egyptian and the Caravonica tree cotton. In addition to this, we have had the advantage of their co-operation in actual work and in a free distribution of good seed.

Their experiments have been mainly to determine the best kind of seed, suitable soil, elevation, fertilizers; the best method. of propagation; the number of years a plant can continue to

yield without any deterioration and the best season and method to prune.

Their experiments have furnished splendid results, and at this date the Caravonica wool stands first, with Sea Island second in supremacy, although each variety furnishes some promise.

At this date, there are about 750 acres planted to cotton in these islands. The planting is being done pretty generally on the whole group. Eight-tenths of the planting done has been with the Caravonica wool, and the balance to Sea Island. None of the other varieties so far have been taken up in a commercial

The Sea Island flourishes and bolls at a much greater altitude than the Caravonica tree cotton. It also requires more moisture to enable it to yield the best results. It grows to a height of from four to seven feet, and so far its yields have

varied all the way from 100 pounds to 700 pounds of lint per

acre.

There is no doubt that these small yields are brought about largely on account of condition. It has been either too dry, too much exposure to the wind, or unsuitable soil, but in every instance where the lint has been under expert test, it has proved to be very long, strong and silky, and it is fully expected that this is going to prove a very profitable crop in many locations, especially where we have it both warm and moist during the months of April and May. There should be some eight to sixteen tons of this very choice lint to market during the year 1911.

The Caravonica tree cotton is very prolific under favorable conditions, but past planting like that of the Sea Island, have given very varied results, its yield of lint per acre being all the way from nothing up to two thousand pounds. It is very sensitive to a cool, moist atmosphere, this causing the squares to drop, and in their place a great abundance of wood and foliage is put on.

The tree grows to a height of about ten feet, makes about the same spread, and at times from 900 to 1,000 bolls have been counted on a single specimen; i. e., bolls in formation, and at all stages up to mature open bolls. Also, odd trees yield as much as thirteen or fourteen pounds of seed cotton in a year. The lint from this is of good length, about one and one-half inches, also uniform, strong and resilient, and these traits can be maintained almost absolute.

This being a tree cotton and perennial, makes it possible to work all the trees over as desired to one or two specimens for this purpose.

The extra large yields of this cotton which have been procured, only go to show the possibility rather than the probable result from this tree cotton, but it is beyond any question of doubt that the tree cotton can out-yield any other variety where all conditions are favorable.

The height of ten feet would make it appear difficult to

gather. This, however, is more apparent than real, for as the bolls mature, the weight of full bolls gradually bear the branches down until most of them are at convenient height. A judicious use of the pruning knife also does much to control this apparent disadvantage.

The tree is a great drought resister and very prolific. It stands up well and supports its bolls, so that no dirt or very few bits of leaves, if any, get mixed with the lint. The bolls are large and open up well. It flourishes best very near the seashore, on light or sandy soil of broken coral formation on a south slope where the climate is very dry and warm.

THE EXPERIMENTS OF THE WRITER.

Seeds planted on January 6, 1908 made a yield of one pound of seed cotton per tree on March 6, 1909, and on April 6, 1910, another six pounds of seed cotton per tree were gathered, and on July 6, 1910, five pounds and sixty-eight one-hundredths of a pound per tree (5.68 lbs.), this making a total of twelve pounds and sixty-eight one-hundredths (12.68 lbs.) per tree from January 6, 1909 to July 6, 1910. At that date the trees were put under a careful series of pruning, etc., with the idea of bringing in a larger yield within the third year.

The trees are now white and ready to harvest, but without any exact data, would say that their present crop is better than two and one-half pounds per tree, and this would place this their third year at a little over eight pounds per tree.

This experiment has been made on forty trees, planted 7 x 8 diagonally, and most of the trees have budded to a few choice prolific specimens. This experimental plot has been increased to two hundred (200) trees, all of which are budded to the three best available specimens.

The trees should reach their best in the third year, and I have no reason to think that they will not be as durable as any orchard trees at present in use, such as apple or orange trees,

etc.