The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-10-31
PINE TREES
FOR HAWAII
Experiment to Be
Tried Close to
KiIauea.

Yesterday was distribution day at the
Government Nursery on King street
under the new regime which permits of
weekly allotments only after careful
viseing or requests, and c. Jonathan
Austin, superintendent of the nursery.
with his assistant, was kept busy sup
plying the wants of those who wish to
improve their property free of cost
through Government beneficence.
When the nursery was under the con-
troll of Commissioner Wray Taylor, or
ders for plants We're given lavishly and
to a great extent without proper dis
elimination and for some time an elab-
crate abuse of the Governments gene
rosity was practiced. Then it was dis
covered that parties were in the habit
of getting as many as eight dozen
plants at time, principally small
/ house palms of the more valuable
species. These they would convey
home pot and nurse without expense
to themselves until they reached size
to command a ready market at from
fifty cents to a dollar. This fragrant
abuse of the system almost resulted in
1
especially when coupled with the fact
that almost the entire time of Mr.. Aus
tin was daily being taken up by peo-
pie with orders, many of whom re-
garded the piece of paper as an equiva-
lent to day to be spent at the nur-
sery asking advice and all conceivable
Information from the Superintendent.
| When the lapse of the Agricultural
Department brought its affairs under
the jurisdiction of the Superintendent
of Public Works, Mr.. Cooper decided
to systematic the distribution of free
plants. An application has to be made
:, to the Board of Agriculture set
! ting forth exactly what is required. In
the old dayS the orders frequently read:
| plants as selected" The name and
other particulars of the filled in request
which is also consulted to see when the
applicant may have made former re-
quest and what was secured at that
time In this way constant check
keeps the distribution within reason
able bounds.
| An order is limited to one dozen
house plants, one dozen trees suitable
for wind breaks and half a dozen fruit
trees. After being viseed the orders are
made for the requests, redeemab1e on
Fridays. This regulates the work of
the superintendent and gives his time
to other details of his work of more
yalue to the community.
y There is now f1ourishing in the nur-
1 sery colony of seeding pines, raised
from seed cones sent from California,
| the natural habitat of the species
selected for trial in Hawaii An at
tempt is to be made to plant these on
yond the ordinary arboreal limit. and
| it is thought that they will do well and
prove a valuable addition to Hawaii s
| list of imported trees.
The experiment will be started on the
island of Hawaii under the superin-
| tendence of o. T. Shipman of the Koa
Grove Ranch, one mile northwest of the
Volcano House. Mr.. Shipman, who
willingly pays the freight on the ship
| ment, will set out young pines on Koa
| Grove Ranch and also essay a planta-
| ton on the ten thousand foot level
| higher up the mountain. The shipment
| will be made within a few days.
The experiment will be tried also on
Oahu though Mr.. Austin is doubtful
| whether the balmy cline of this island,
| with its comparatively low attitudes,
will prove agreeable to the pines used
| as they are to more rugged surround
| ings