The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-11-23

10 unB ocean, anu Inlb CuanRH
threatens to affect the plantations,
which depend for the Huming Of
cane upon the steady and uniform
flow OF the upper water to the sea.
However, the signal relation OF Hilo
to the other districts Of the island
make it a matter Of the greatest mo-
ment that the conditions Of rainfall
in the upper Hilo district shall not
be threatened, since If the rains in
that district should be affected, the
rains from the Hilo region moving
towards Hamakua might be reduced
to nothing.
/ moved TO Kohala from the Ha-
makua district over the Waimea
plains, and had opportunity to note
the further depletion of remnant
areas OF the original forest.
In Kohala district the abnormal
drought Of this year has SO intensi-
fed the consequences of the gradual
falling off in the rainfall that APP
pears to have been going on for
some time that care is required in
order to avoid an extreme view OF
the situation, / have, however, OBJ
served, and have been informed by
the best authority, that the forest
line upon the slopes declining to
Kohala town has been moved back
several miles, and within a period
not exceeding ten years. This de-
structon OF the front line OF the
forest, where may be seen dismantled
trees rotting on the ground and
dying bush, has been mainly caused
by mountain cattle, which were al
lowed to range down to the plan
tation lines. To-day the lower lands
are from want Of water, becoming
useless for grazing, and the best
pastures are upon the higher areas,
which few years ago were so dense
and thick with forest and brush
that bullock could hardly pene.
trate, These observations show
how extremely short-sighted and
ruinous is the absence OF system of
forest control which allows ranchers
to run their cattle down to the edge
OF the open lands. The consequences
OF the moving back OF the forest line
fall, first, upon the lower lands, in
reduced shade and rainfall. But
these consequences como almost as
quickly upon the ranches themselves;
because when the forest shade is
gone the pasture and water soon go,
and the cattle are moving up in
search of alter AVID food, and move
up the destruction with them.
On the lower lands, where popu-
latios appears to have been greater
in the past than it is now, there are
palpable indications OF q former
greater rainfall. There are gulcbed
valleys where the remnants OF ter
raced lands show that vegetation
had been carefully aud abundantly
grown, hut which, for some time,
have been forsakeu and dry, and the
flowing streams which fed these
lands are dried up and gone.
Unfortunately, the date which can
throw any precise light upon a
change Of rainfall are meagre, aud
extend back over only a few years
/ however, obtained register of the
rainfall in Multi, which covers the
years from 1884 up to the present.
Ii we divide these years into two
periods the results are found to be
as follows:
Average
Periods. Annual
Rainfall
1884 to 1890 inclusive. .. .62.2l inches
1891 to 1896 -. .4O30
The immediately beneficial results
OF shutting the cattle out by en-
closure OF an area running from the
plantation head lines several miles
back are beyond all question and
praise. have seen these results on
Hawaii, above Kukuihaele; and on
Maui on lands controlled by the
Haiku Sugar Co.; aud ] am inform
ed of similar results on Kauai on
lands lying above Lihue.
You remarked, Mr. President,
upon the tracts OF land in Kohala
known under the name Awini. The
situation of those lands was observ-
ed by me, but was unable to visit
them. / endeavored, however, to
get some idea of the difference in
rainfall upon the Awini forest lands,
and cleared lands lying at lower
level toward the sea. The data
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