The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-04-20
THE HAWAIIAN FORESTS
AND HOW TO SAVE THEM

the western end. Originally all the
eastern end well down to the central
plain, and the highest part OF the west
ern end, were heavily forested The
plain was park-irke, with scattering
groves of trees There is little at pres
ent even to indicate former conditions.
All the western end is bare. The trees
are gone from the plain, and also from
the western and southern slopes of the
mountains at the eastern end Only a
few thousand acres Of the highest south
slopes and the precipitous north slopes
of the mountain are now covered by
growing forest Stretching around the
living forest is wide belt of leafess
timber, which has died within the last
decade, but has not yet fallen
Each of the other islands exhibit just
the same conditions More marked ex-
amples of declining forests can scarce
1y be imagined than exist in the districts
of Hanlakua and Kohala in Hawaii,
and Kula in Maui, in which one may
pass through thousands of acres of
totally dead forest into equal areas in
a dying condition, and from these into
the small remnant that yet remains
thrifty.
No estimate can be given of the ratio
of the present forest TO that of CEN
fury ago. The former area is unknown,
and the present forests are SO inacces-
.sible and so irregular in shape that a
safe estimate cannot be made without
much further study. But it is certain
that the present area, which may not
be more than 20 per cent of the islands,
is but a small part of what existed at
that time. This result has been brought
about by perfectly evident causes work
ing unretarded, year by year.
CAUSES OF DECLINE.
The principal causes which have.
brought about the destruction of the
forests are stock, insects, grasses, fire
and clearing.
Stock.--Cattle were introduced into
the islands late in the 18th century
They were. turned out to run at large,
and strict laws prohibited their slaugh-
ter for a number of years. Under
these favorable conditions they had in
creased to such numbers by 1875 as to
be a menace to the forest. Their
slaughter was no longer forbidden, but
they continued to multiply rapidly. BY
1880 boiling plants had been put up in
several places for the extraction of tai
low, that being the only portion of the
animal having any value. hese plants
were in continuous use until the seven
ties, and indicate the great numbers of
cattle which must have existed during
that time. Only within the last few
years have cattle been reduced in NUM-
Der to conform to the demands of the
islands, and placed within fenced pad
docks. Numbers of wild cattle still
run at large in the various forests, al
though many have been driven ont or
shot. Mr.. A. w. Carter, manager of
the Parker Ranch on Hawaii, estimates
the number of wild cattle on Mau1la
Kea to be 10000.
That cattle did the first serious dam
age to the forest can scarcely be doubt
ed when one considers their great num-
bers and the extent of the forest AT
very early day they must have gone
through all the accessible parts. The
more inaccessible and impenetrable
parts remained intact till later, for cat
tie could only work around the edges
of these, entering a little further each