The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-05-16


a half dozen.
Preparations are being made t
plant the trees as soon as possible ate
arrival, and as many seeds and cut
tings OF every kind of tropical ant
semi-tropical fruits will be planted a
can be obtained. An effort will bt
made to procure cacao and nutmeg
seeds and plants from other coun
tries, as well as seeds of the mahogany
and teak and other timber trees
An invitation to the public to don
ate seeds to the bureau has been pub
lished in the Honolulu papers, and
seeds have been promised as soon as
they ripen. Much valuable assistance
can be rendered by the public in this
direction, as there are many economic
trees growing in these islands, seeds
OF which can only be procured from
foreign countries at great expense.
AT the government nursery on King
street the two Chinese laborers have
been replaced by three Japanese. The
additional help OF one more man is re-
quired by the extra labor involved in
manufacturing the compounds for
destroying blight, and in gathering
| seeds from the trees of those persons
who have kindly given permission to
let the gardener collect seeds from
their trees. 1t is very desirable that
| the list of persons who will give such
permission be increased, as many
seeds can be gathered in this manner
which would otherwise be lost. The
number of plants that will be avail
able in the future for free distribution
will depend entirely upon the amount
of seeds that can be procured. Seeds
from economic trees and plants are the
most desirable, as there is great lack
of such trees and plants on these ISL
ands.
Since the last meeting of the bu-
reau, application has been made
through the foreign Office to the state
department of the United States for
the bureau to be placed upon the list
of those who receive the consular re-
ports OF that department. Application
has also been made by your commits
sioner to the Hon. J. N. Rusk, secre-
tary of the United States department
of agriculture for this bureau to be al
lowed to receive the reports of his de-
partment as they appear from time TO
time. In addition to the above /
would recommend that the following
publications be subscribed for: The
Tropical Agriculturist the Indian
Forester.
Also that the following list of books
be purchased: Tea Culture and Pre-
paration, the Coffee Grub, the Coffee
Leaf Disease, the Coffee Tree and its
Enemies, All About the CocOanut |
Palm, Ali About India Rubber and
Gutta Percha, All About Spices, All |
About Tobacco, Ali About the Pal |
myra Palm, all about aloe and ramie |
fibre, dyes, drugs, etc.
The above list will form the nucleus
of small library from which much |
valuable information can be obtained |
of the greatest value to our agricul-
tural industries.
The attention of your commissioner |
has been strongly drawn to the rapid |
destruction of the forests in this coun-
try, and complaints are heard from
various districts of these islands which
prove that the same state of things
as regards the forests prevail in a
more or less degree through the group.
To illustrate this, and from the fact
that / may speak from experience,
gained by a residence of many years,
1 beg to mention the district of Hama
kua, Hawaii, as particularly exposed
to the disastrous effect Of the rapid
destruction of its forests with its pro-
lOnged drOUghts and occasional foods
which run to waste and ruin. Twenty
five years ago what was dense prim-
wal forest, is now open country with
thousands of dead trees lying in every
and tie complaint is heard
from the graZiers (whose cattle have
caused this destruction) that the
streams which formerly flowed all the
year round, now only flow during
rainstorm. Unless the cause of this
is checked, it is plainly
apparent that in time (and that not
far distant these islands will become
ienuded of its forests, and as they dis
appear so will our agriculture disap-
pear.
AS the forests of q country become
destroyed so will the rainfall become |
essened. The moisture bearing clouds
rs they pass over the land no longer
meet the cool strata of air that rises
rom n well forestred country and |
causes the clouds to distil into rain,
but instead encounters the heated air
hat ascends from the sun-baked earth |
ind pass on and give their moisture
% some more favored locality, or
waste it over the ocean. 1t is much
EASIER to prevent the destruction of
ne forests of country than to forest
t. The work of planting a forest is
ilow and expensive.
Much of the old forests Of this coun-
.ry would be in great measure re-
stored in few years by simply fenc-
ng aud keeping all animals from the \
and. As proof of this, would point
% the work done by the Pacific Sugar
Will Co., at Hamakua, which few
years ago fenced some thousands of
Icres of land upon which the forest
lad been nearly destroyed by cattle. l
Now they have a beautiful forest,
which if extended through the whole
district of Hamakua would do much
o prevent a recurrence of the severe
md prolonged drought which did so |
much damage to the plantations of i
hat district during the past year, and
which will undoubtedly repeat itself a
more frequently in the near future.
While the government provides home a
teads for small farmers under the :.
aw, the question of the destruction
# Our forests the mora to supaaI 70 ! q