The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-08-18

I y
lso4, During that time I. personally
went over the ground. following a.
closely as possible the lower edge o
the existing forest. from the Laupa
hoehoe gulch to the 1881 lava f.ow-
back OF Hilo town. The examination
was made in company with the man.
ayers OF The several sugar plantation:
along the way: each manager accom-.
panying me over his own land. Other
gentlemen, also, were interviewed am
much information in regard to loca
conditions throughout the district wa,
Iobtained.
| PRIMARY OBJECT OF HII.o RE-
SERVE.
The reserve in the Hilo district Is
needed primarily to protect the head
waters of the streams, which pIav SO
important a part in the success of the
various plantations. From Laupahoe-
noe to H1lo are many running streams
!, Whlcn thanks to the heavy and nearly
continuous rainfall in the forests above
may De regarded as permanent, al
though of course subject to fuctuation.
/ On these streams the plansa tions de-
pend for water with Which to ffume
their cane to the mill Their impor-
lance is consequently very great and
the necessity of safeguarding them is
apparent.
From its location of topography. the
Hilo district is fortunately situated to
receive an ample supply of water The
trade winds bring the moisture laden
clouds and pile them up against the
slope of Mauna Kea, In a great bank,
from which the precipitation is heavy
and very nearly continuous. This cloud
stratum covers a belt, extending from
an elevation of approximately 1000 feet
to one of about 5000 feet; these limits
of course varying on different days and
with the slight changes. in the direc-
ton OF the trade Winds The lower
edge probably fuctuates more than the
upper, as the cloud mass frequently
creepss down the slope. causing heavy
precipitation as far as the sea. But
the greater part of the moisture from
the clouds is dropped higher up-some-
where between the elevations of $500
and 1000 feet
The precipitation is heaviest at the
eastern end of the district and gradu-
ally diminishes to the westward, until
in the Hamakua district, permanently
running streams are no longer found
The Hilo-Hamakua boundary is in this
way natural as we'll as an artificial
line The reason for this change of
conditions is that beyond the northern
end of the Hilo district, the bulk of
Mauna Kea no longer stands in the
path of the trade winds, which accord
ingly. go over the shoulder of the
mountain carrying their clouds to the
lands beyond.
From quite another cause the 1881
lava flow marks the limit of flowing
streams to the eastward for beyond
this point toward Puma. the porous
character of the rock and soil allows
all the water to sink Immediately into
the ground to appear again only near
the coast
At the western end of the Hilo dis
trict, the land rises much more alb
ruptly from the sea than at the east
ern-the same elevation being reached
about four miles back of Laupahoehoe
which, back of Hilo, lies ten miles from
the shore.
OBJECT SOLELY CONSERVATION
Whatever may be the influence of
the forest on the precipitation else
where in the islands, the question in
the Hilo district is solely one of con-
servation and utilization of the water,
which reaches the ground. There is
naturally great fiuctuation in the size
of the streams, and during times of
drought, the beds of many of them
are almost, if not entirely, dry. The
presence of the forest tends to regulate
and maintain the flow. and to make
available for later use. the water which
would q2ickly run away from denud-
ed slopes.
While the heaviest precipitation. as
has been said, occurs somewhere above
the 1000 foot contour line. the bene-
fetal effect of the forest extends much
lower down the slope. But after a time. |
other factors come into the case MAX |
ing it necessary to establish a limit
above which the land should remain
in forest and below which it may be
cleared for the various industries, with
out detriment to the general welfare
of all concerned.
POINTS TO BE CONSIDERED.
In deciding upon the location of the
lines of a permanent forest reserve it
is necessary to consider future as well /,
as present needs. A number of con- /
have thus to be taken into i
among which are the benefits /
to be derived and the uses to which I
the land would be put if cleared. The /
former have already been discussed. |
Of the latter. in the Hilo district there
are practically only two; the further |
extension of the cane fields and the
opening of tracts for settlement.
At present, with the exception of
what is raised on the homestead clear
lngs. cane is the only crop grown sys-
at the higher elevations.
The upper line of the cane. fields varies
with each plantation. At THE western
md of the district. owing to the steep
ar grade, the cane runs up to about
1900 feet. On the plantations IN the
Of n II |