Evening bulletin. [volume], March 25, 1909, Evening Bulletin Industrial Edition, Image 1

About Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912

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Evening Bulletin Industrial Edition
A HISTORY OF THE PROGRESS OF THE SUGAR INDUSTRY
OF HAWAII SINCE THE RECIPROCITY TREATY OF 1876
By ROYAL D. MEAD, (Bureau of Labor and Statistics of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association.)
CIIi: SCOI'E of this history is
no broad, anil the material to
draw upon ho limited, that
hotter results would undoubt
edly han been obtained had the work
been undertaken by one who has been long
er Identified with the sugar Industry, and,
through personal familiarity with the sub
ject, more capable, ot writing Its history.
So many extraneous causes have stimulat
ed, or at times depressed, tho sugar Industry
of tho Islands, and so many elements have
entered into tho Increase of production It
self, that It was somowhat of a problem,
after getting In hand all available Informa
tion, to know just whero to begin.
Wo will first traco tho general develop
ment ot tho Industry along tho lines of pro
duction and acreage, and will then take up
tho various causes leading to the Increase
of production and stimulating tho Industry,
with n brief and general account of the
progress made In Its various branches.
ACHEAOE AND PHODUCTION.
Previous to 1882 there was no organiza
tion ot the sugar planters ot tho Islands,
und theru Is very little In the nature
of statistics relating to the Industry
during tho years between that time and
tho establishment of tho first sugar planta
tion on a commercial basis.
Although this history docs not undertake
to go farther back than tho data ot the
granting of tho reciprocity treaty by the
United States, as a matter of general Inter
est thero Is shown In the following table
tho exports ot sugar and molasses from the
Hawaiian Islands from 1837 to 1876:
Yearly Exports of Sugar and Molasses From
the Hawaiian Islands Since 1837
Its First Year of Exportation,
Year. Sugar, I.bs. Molasses
Gallons.
1837 4,280 2,700
1838 88,043 11,500
1839 100.000 76,000
1840 300,000 31,729
1841 1 00,000 0.000
1842 1
1843 1,145,010 04,320
1844 513,084 27,020
1845 302,114 19,353
1840 300.000 10.000
1847 594,810 17,923
1848 499,633 28,978
1849 053820 41.235
1850 750,238 129,432
1851 21,030 43,742
1852 099,170 02,030
1853 012,740 76,709
1854 575,777 08,372
1855 289.908 38,304
1850 554,805 68,842
1857 700,650 48.480
1858 1,204001 75,181
1859 1,820,020 87.513
18G0 1,444,271 108,013
1801 2 502,498 128,253
1802 3,005,003 130,445
1803 5.292121 114.413
1804 10,414,441 340,430
18G5 15,318 097 542,819
1800 17,729,101 851,795
1807 17,127,187 544,994
18G8 18 312,920 492,839
18C9 18 302.110 338 311
1870 18,783,039 210 002
1871 21,700,773 271,291
1872 10,995,402 192.105
1873 23,129,101 140,459
1874 24,500,011 90,000
1875 25,080.182 93,722
187C 20.072,429 139,073
() Theso figures are from January to
August only, whllo for 1841 (t) tho figures
am from August, 1840, to August, 1841. (1)
No figures for this car but tho figures of
tho following year doubtless Include both,
Tho following tnhlo shows tho production
nf Btigar In tho Hawaiian Islands as a whole
from 1877 to 1891, nt which tlmo the Hawai
ian Sugar Planters' Association began Issu
ing detailed statistics of production.
Years. Quantity Lbs.
1877 25,676,905
1878 38,431,458
1879 49,020.972
1880 03,684,871
1881 93,789,483
1882 114,177,938
1883 114,107,155
1884 142.054,923
1885 171,350,314
1880 210.223.016
1887 212,703,047
1888 235,888 340
1889 242,105 835
1890 269,789,402
1891 274,983,580
From 1891 to 1907 tho production by Isl
ands Is shown by tho following tablo:
that this was tho largest average yield per
aero that the Islands were capable ot pro
ducing In an ordinary season, and it was
Improbable that the future sugar crop would
much exceed tho totnl, at leust for some
years.
In 1889 the total number of acres under
cultivation In the Islands was shown as
follows:
Plant Cane. Ratoons. Total.
Hawaii 21.9CO 13.912 35,872
Maul 8,097 3,320 11,417
Kauai 5,744 4,009 9,753
Oahu 2,072 1.623 3,59
Molokai 75 75 150
Total area under
cultivation .... 37,948 22 839 01,787
Oahu,
Year.
Acres.
1897 6,308 5
1898 5,373 14
1899 0,233.
1900 7,205 5
1901 13.602.
1902 16,183.
1903 10,084.
1904 15,832.
1905 18,782 84
1900 18,178.
1907 18,991 04
Tons of
Sugar.
28,929.
34,181.
45,820.
63,025.
98,897.
107,770.
121,000.
102,019.78
123,094.70
113.303.2
119.272.40
Yield per
Acre, I.bs.
10,777
12,723
14,702
14,701
14.581
14,190
14,513
12,888
13,107
12,473
12,551
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Steam Plow Engines, With the Mill In the Background, of the Koloa Sugar Company on the Island of Kauai.
Year 1891. 1892. 1893. 1894. 1895. 1890. 1897. 1898. 1899.
Hawaii .. 70,800 58,561 67.078 72,199 01,043 109,299 120,730 91,000 117,239
Maul .... 30,110 28,390 32,070 33,089 27,735 29,097 41,047 45,033 54,389
Oahu .... 8,979 10,096 19.804 18,843 17,433 35,782 28,929 34.181 45,820
Kauai ... 24,219 24,043 43,009 41,704 42,810 51,050 64,414 58,594 05,359
Total ... 140,174 122,279 152,021 100,432 149,027 225,828 251,120 229,414 282,807
Year 1900. 1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905. 1900. 1907.
Hawaii 116,224 134,018 121,295 170,005 122,805 120,405 137,750 143,891
Maul 67,347 58,349 50,720 84,770 77,985 100,434 102,900 104,772
Oahu 53,025 99,534 107,870 121,000 102,019 123.095 113,750 119,273
Kauai 03,348 07,537 09,720 61,484 64,000 70,314 74,763 72,081
Total 289,644 300,038 355,011 437,991 367,476 420,248 429.213 440.017
It may be noted In this connection that
the small quantity of sugar produced at
Molokai by the Kamalo Sugar Company and
by R. W. Myer and perhaps others, Is not
Included in tho abovo, but this amount I be
llovo Ib relatively very Binall, and tho statis
tics of yields aro not available
Average Yield. From 1835 up to say 1850
1855, with tho methods ot cultivation then
In vogue and with tho use ot the most primi
tive mill apparatus, it was considered that
one ton ot sugar per acre was a fair average
yield.
In 1882, there then being upwards of sixty
mills In operation, a statement of production
and acres harvested was obtained from each
plantation with the following result:
Acres. Tons
(2000 lbs.).
Island of Hawaii 11,200 28,734
Island of Maul 5,037 13,482
Island of Kauai 3,459 11,671
Uland of Oahu 1,779 4,704
Island of Molokai 259 473
Totals 21.894 69,124
This gives an average yield per acre of 2.71
torn ot sugar. It was stated ot that time
Tho yield from tho area actually harvested
is not given with the foregoing figures, und
they aro Interesting only as showing the
steady enlargement ot the area under culti
vation in sugar.
It appears that during these years
(1882-1889) a yield of 3 to Z tons por acre
from plant cano and 2 tons an aero from
ratoons was considered a vo y good uveruge.
No systematic attempt to record areus
harvested and production thereof wus mado
until after tho beginning ot the Experiment
Station conducted by tho Planters' Labor &
Supply Company, In tho year 1897 this
Station Inaugurated a system of returns
from the plantations showing acrcago and
production, from which have been compiled
thu following tables, In some Instances the
totals of production aro at varianco with
thOBo shown above, but this Is to bo account
ed for by tho different inuunei In which m
turns aro mado to tho Experiment Station
and to tb Secretary of the II. 8, P. A.
Kauai.
Yeur. Acres. Tons of Yield per
Sugar. Aero, I.bs
1897 9,714 64,414 11.203
1898 10,864. 58,594. 10,787
1899 11,109. 05.359. 11.707
1900 11,802. 03,348. 10.G81
1901 12,890. 07,205. 10.423
1902 14,320. 09,694. 9,774
1903 13,291. 61,484. 9.252
1904 14,959.15 64,603.47 8,037
1905 10,541.82 70.313.42 9.227
1900 17,096. 74,787.7 8,749
1907 10.289.49 72.194 68 8,804
Maul.
Year. Acres. Tons of Yield per
Sugur. Acre, I.bs.
1897 8,093.5 41.047. 9,443
1898 8.269.5 45,033. 10,891
1899 9.295.76 54,389. 11,702
1900 10,425. 57.347. 11.002
1901 11,400. 58.311). 10,237
1902 11,920 56,610. 9.499
1903 14,025. 84,770. 11.593
1904 13,9188 77,926. 11.173
1905 15,110.40 100,133.77 13 288
1900 15.971.4 102.901.00 12,893
1907 10,724 5 101,772.47 12,529
Hawaii.
Year. Acres. Tons of Yield por
Bugur. Aero, I.bs.
1897 30,107. 120,730. 8,419
1898 30,728 5 91.606. 6 962
1899 33,671. 117.239 6,963
1900 34.264. 115.224. 6,720
1901 40,700. 134,082 0.008
1902 39,631, 119,870. 0,061
190J 48,760. 170,728. 7,004
1004 47.057.670 122 855 54 6,281
1905 46,002,390 127,523.73 6,607
1900 44,984 000 139,255,7 6,191
1907 47,907.370 144,094 55 0,041
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