The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-01-19


the species composing the native forests
are all representatives of the torrid zone,
and in these islands, which lie right at
the edge of the tropics find their limit
at the low altitude named.
CHARACTER OF THE FOREST.
The purely tropical character of the
forest is impressive. None OF the ia
miliar trees of the north temperate zone
are present. There are no oaks, naples,
pines, or spruces. There is one repre-
sentative each of Sopindus, Sophora, and
Xanthoxylum, and two or three of AGA
cha, all differing distinctly from their con-
geners in the United States. One tree,
+, Ohia Lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha)
gives character to perhaps three fourths
of the forest, covering the ground either
in pure stand or witt, small admixture
of Koa, Kolea, Kopiko, Kukui, Naio
and Pua
| Seldom does the Lehua form dense
stand The trees are far apart (see
| frontispiece), have small, thin crowns
and under varying conditions in the
forest grow from 40 to 100 feet high
In the best forests they often reach a
diameter of 4 feet, with clear length OF
az W 81 lCSt. llC LI<Sliud u IL
straight, but near the ground deeply
ribbed and frequently divided into sew
eral branches. Its wood is of reddish
color, heavy, and in drying checks and
warps so badly that it is of little use
except for fuel.
Though Lehua trees grow in thin
stand the normal Lehua forest on &C
count of the abundant and luxuriant
underground, is impenetrable, except
as one cuts his way with axe and knife
To begin with, many trees support
climbers. like the Ie-ie vine, which
grows into the crowns and may lace
together with rope-like stems the trees
of an entire forest. Then there is the
fern growth, marvellous in its variety
and luxuriance. With species which
range in height from few inches to
80 feet, grow both on trees and on
the ground, and run the whole scale OF
shade endurance, the ferns do much
toward making the virgin Hawaiian
forest the impenetrable, dark jungle
which it often is. In coves of extreme
wetness wild banana to some extent
supplants the ferns. Moses in places
cover the ground and tree trunks in a
layer several inches deep and grow in
great punches over foot thick on sus-
pended vines and dropping twigs, CIV
ing an appearance of weird drapery.
In such dark forest it seems anoma-
lous to find the Ohia. tree of pro-
nounced intolerance, reproducing itself
generation after generation. 1t does Sc
through its singular habit of gerininat-
ing on the trunks of standing or fallen
trees, and especially on the fibrous
trunks of the tree fern. which is admi-
rably suited to its needs. Only in these
places can it get the light it requires
As soon as it terminates it sends several
roots down to the ground, sometimes
through as much as 80 feet of space
When the host decays the tree is left
standing on its several roots, as before
described The natives have an adage
that the Amau (tree fern) is the mother
of the Lehua. On the drier mountain
slopes the Lehua in some districts relin-
quishes its predominant place to other
SPECIES, such as the Naio, Kolea, Kopiko
Koaia, and Koa.
Koa acacia koa), besides occurring
in mixture with Lehua. forms pure
stands over several extensive tracts in
Hawaii and Maui. This is usually a
spreading tree with short trunk, occur
ring in somewhat scattering stands
Sometimes it reaches diameter OF
feet and a height of Is feet. 1t gener-
ally has the characteristic fern under
growth. Koa is the one fairly abundant
tree of the Hawaiian forests which has
any economic value. 1t is highly
priced cabinet wood, has been so used
in the islands. and exported in limited
quantities. Considerable quantities OF
mature Koa yet remain in the Island
Of Hawaii.
Kukui (Aluries moluccana), hand
some tree with large silvery leaves
pointed like our California Sycamore
charactcrzes the bottoms and sides OF
gulches and streams to height of 2ooc
feet. II bears an oily nut which the
natives in olden times used for illumina-
ton. 1t has no commercial value now
Mamane (Sophora chrySophylla) is the
tree of the high mountains and useful
post timber. On the sides of Mauna
it is rapidly extending and seems to suf-
fer no injury from heavy grazing.
IMPORTANCE OF HAWAIIAN
FORESTS.
1t can not be claimed that these for
ests nave great commercial value. But
for protecting the mountain slopes, for
gathering and distributing useful sup
ply of water for irrigating purposes, they
have value which, in the opinion of
many, is difficult to overstate.
They lie directly above the canehelds,
in many places cover steep, even precipi-
tous slopes, receive from 30 to 200 or
more inches of rainfall per year, and are
OF such character as to hold in suspen-
sion a tremendous quantity of water.
The land which depends upon them
for regular supply of water produces,
in sugar and rice, crops of immense
value. In 1902 the sugar exported from
the islands amounted TO $23,o2a,3oo,
nearly 81 per cent of the total exports.
Sugar is the sustaining crop of the is
lands, Other industries flourish largely
because the sugar industry exists.
LARGE tracts suitable to sugar cane lie
out of use because there is no water