THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL HAWAIIAN AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY: AT ITS FIRST ANNUAL MEETING, IN AUGUST, 1851. VOL. 1. NO. 2. HONOLULU, H. I. PRINTED BY HENRY M. WHITNEY: GOVERNMENT PRESS. 1851. PREFACE. 3 PREFACE. In presenting to the members of the Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Society the Transactions during the first year of its existence, it is due to its members to say, that the First Annual Meeting took place under circumstances of peculiar depression to the agricultural interests of the islands. Under the influence of an active demand, and high prices for the staples of the islands, during the years 1819-5), the hopes of the planters had been raised to a high point, and anticipations for the future, based upon the continuance of those prices and that demand, were of the most brilliant character. Unfortunately, for a few months before the Annual Meeting, the causes which had operated so favorably upon those interests, ceased to exert their influence. Demand was limited, and prices were not remunerative. The planters, generally, and all that class of agriculturists, not properly called planters, but who depended upon the productions of the soil, in all their variety, felt a degree of solicitude and were so much occupied with their own anxieties that they could not devote the time and attention necessary to drawing up reports, or to preparing contributions for the Exhibition. It is hoped that these causes will not continue to operate, but that all the committees, officers, and members of the society, will, in future years, make a special effort to contribute, for the information of the society, all the facts, which, although they may appear of trivial importance in themselves, will yet be of value, as the result of actual experience, to those who are still prosecuting their enterprises under the disadvantages of a lack of practical knowledge. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The society met on Monday, August 11th at 10 o'clock, A. M., in pursuance of adjournment last year; the President, Hon. WILLIAM L. LEE, in the chair. After reading the proceedings of the last session of the society in 1850, the president submitted a brief report of the proceedings of the society during the year, which was as follows: GENTLEMEN :-Agreeably with the ninth article of our constitution, in which it is made my duty on this occasion to render an account of the proceedings of our society for the current year, I beg to submit the following report. One of the most important subjects brought before the society for its consideration, has been that of labor. Under the present system of agriculture in these islands, there is nothing that offers so great an obstacle to success, as the want of a sufficient number of good, faithful laborers. Every plantation requires from thirty to one hundred men, in constant employment, and the impossibility of obtaining the requisite number, has been to many, a serious injury, to others, almost absolute ruin. To remedy this evil, to a certain extent, the committee on labor, consisting of Messrs. R. W. Wood, J. F. B. Marshall, and Stephen Reynolds, immediately after the last meeting, entered into a contract for the hiring of two hundred Chinese coolies to be delivered in Honolulu, and advanced between nine and ten thousand dollars to ensure their speedy and safe transportation. Unfortunately, the coolies have not arrived, and the experiment of introducing laborers from China, yet remains to be tested. More labor we must have; and it is clear that we cannot depend upon the islands for an increase. It only remains then, for us to look abroad; and I am happy to inform you that a new enterprise to procure coolies is under way, which it is confidently believed will not, like the first, prove a failure. Another branch of this subject of great importance, is the economy of labor. This must be accomplished mainly by the introduction of new and improved implements and machines-new modes of cultivation, and a proper and systematic division of our labor. The division of labor in all the arts is found to be of the greatest value, and the same principle holds good in respect to agriculture. I have no doubt that by a judicious division of labor; by the assigning of certain kinds of work to different classes of operatives, our sugar and coffee planters would save one fifth of all their expenses. It is painful to observe throughout the islands, the general want of system in all our agricultural labors. Our operations are irregular; our implements in many respects unsuitable; and our machinery, especially our sugar mills, rude and insufficient. In this respect we have not kept pace with our cultivation, and at the present time, I am told there are hundreds of acres of cane going to decay for the want of sufficient machinery to grind and manufacture it into sugar. This is a sad spectacle, and calls for prompt reform. Our little wooden mills-what are they? A constant aggravation-a screeching nuisance. In many respects some of our boiling houses are but little better. While prices were high, our planters were enabled to make money, notwithstanding these rude structures; but they will not meet the demands of the future. It will be answered "We have not the capital to remedy this evil." This is true, and I deeply mourn the fact; but nevertheless, the deficiency must be supplied in some way, either by increased industry and economy, or by importation from abroad, else the cultivation of our fields will be in vain. The whole subject of the economy of labor, by the improvements of our machinery, our implements, and otherwise, has occupied the attention of the Board of Managers to some extent, and yet little advance has been made in this line, beyond the exertions of individual members of the society. Horses and mules, ploughs and cultivators have, to a considerable extent, taken the place of the native and his hoe, and it is hoped that this reform will speedily become more general. |