The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-10-02

~
with pests, as well as animals which
have the reputation OF preying upon
young and ripening fruits and other
products.
This action was taken at a meeting
of the Board held Yesterday afternoon
the recommendation being made by
Alexander Craw. the eminent entomolo-
gist. now attached to the staff OF the
Board.
The Board also adopted the report OF
Superintendent OF Forestry Hosmer re-
lative to the upper line of the proposed
Hilo forest reserve.
Superintendent of Forestry Hosmer's
report on the proposed upper boundary
of the Hilo Forest Reserve was pre-
5ented as follows:
October 18th. 1904.
Committee on Forestry, Board of Agri-
culture and Forestry, Honolulu.
Gentlemen Il have the honor to sub
init herewith report, with recommen-
dations, on the upper boundary OF the
proposed forest reserve i'll the Hilo Dis
trict. Island of Hawaii.
During the last week of August
made careful examination of the up
per edge OF the forest from the 1881
lava flow to the Hamakua boundary,
going over the ground i'll person and
supplementing the information so gain
ed by interviews with various persons
familiar with the locality and the con-
ditions existing therein.
In this connection | would acknowl-
edge my obligation to the managers of
the several plantations in the Hilo Dis
t,,, NJ / TO, Of
and especially to MIR. w. II. Shipman,
ton and for other assistance given
me.
The general reasons which underlie
the establishment of the Hilo Forest
Reserve have already been discussed in
my report on the lower boundary. In
brief they are that this reserve is needed
to protect the water sheds of the
streams throughout the district, on
which the plantations, and to some ex-
tent the other industries, present and
prospective, along the coast depend for
their most satisfactory development
This protection can be best afforded by
the setting apart of the belt of forest
along the slope of Mauna Kea, which
receives the heavy rainfall and in which
the streams head. The object of the re-
serve is to prevent excessive run-off
equalize the flow in the streams and
protect the slopes against erosion.
1t was pointed out in my former re-
port that the trade winds bring in
bank of moisture laden clouds, which
pile up against the side of Mauna Kea
between the elevations of approximately
1000 and 6ooo feet From the evidence
available it appears that the precipita-
ton is heaviest between the elevations
of 5000 and $500 feet, and that from
the latter point up to an elevation of
about $500 feet there are only light
rains and scattering showers. Higher
than this on the slope and in the saddle
between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea,
the trade winds die out, much as they
do in Kau, just beyond the Volcano
House. The point is somewhere be-
tween Pun 90 and Kalaieha-the latter
place seldom having rain from trade
wind clouds. while conversely, during
the times of Kona winds, the rains that
fall at kalaieha do not reach Puu 90.
On the main slope of Mauna Kea
above approximately the 65oo foot level,
the rains are said to come principally
with northerly winds. The storms are
usually short ones but precipitation is
very heavy while it lasts. rapidly filling
the ordinarily dry. stream beds so that
the fords become impossible. When the
rain is over however, the streams fall
just as quickly, the water rushing down
the mountain and swelling the volume
of the permanent stream below. When
more rainfall and stream-how records
come to be kept it will be interesting to
see how much the lower parts of the
streams are influenced by these sudden
down pours far up on the mountain.
Under existing conditions little can
be done to regulate the flow OF the tor
rents resulting from the storms Just
described. The open mamani forest
now growing on the steep. upper slopes
has no appreciable effect on the run-off,
while the establishment OF cover OF
vegetation sufficiently dense to make
any material difference in the discharge
II the streams is practically ont OF the
question ne chief interest in water
thus centers i'll the lower
'orest.
The upper line OF permanent running
water in the streams seems 10 be near
he upper edge OF the belt OF heavy pre-
'ipitation, although the dense forest
lboye must exercise considerable in
luence in absorbing the light rain and
helping 10 feed the springs from which
he upper brooks come.
The dense forest now extends up 10
m elevation OF a little over 6ooo feet
Goa and ohia lehua are the predominat-
ng trees With them are associated
;olea, pilo olapa naio, and some other
rccs oi minor importance, and the
Icnse mass oi ferns. bnekcn. and other
characteristic Of the lla-
yalan forest
Between ihe upper edge Of the dense
Oresi and 'he boundary oi the land u
iumuula there is nn the lands from
'lhanm ~ llon0hinu, strip oi land
M which lhe forest has been wholly nr
d part destroyed through brr. gfa1ng
nd insect injuries Willie most n fIls
lmapc hls ncrurpd in frrcm yrafs i
uf lahie fhli ihr drHsr forest never