The San Francisco call., 1904-07-20
MEN azzahMAaEERS IN
THE FGlE.Z lie WORLD
MONEfH

are exceedingly important as furnish
ing a cover for the soil and abundant
food for stock. The mesquite pods
are eaten by cattle in summer, as they
fall to the ground from the trees, and
are gathered and fed dry all through
the year. Because Of these uses and
the wonderful powers of reproduction
and extension which the algaroba for
ests possess, they are a most valuable
asset of the islands.
The native forests are those of the
mountain slopes, and are all essen
TALLY Of tropical character. About
three-fourths Of the native forests are
composed of lehua. This tree is found
in regions Of heaviest rainfall and
under best conditions attains a
diameter Of four feet and a height of
100 feet. Commercially, except for fuel,
the wood has little value, for in dry
ing it checks and warps badly. Its
Importance is as a protective forest.
Its stand IS thin, but the most lux
uriant underground is always found
beneath it's small-crowned trees. In
deed, so luxuriant is this underground
OF ie-ie vine and similar climbers, fern
growth ranging from a few inches to
thirty feet in height, and MOSES, that
virgin forests Of lehua are often i'm
penetrable, dark jungles. Thus an
ideal condition is created for water
conservation.
The present forest area is about 20
per cent of the islands, small, frac-
tion Of what it was a hundred years
ago The destruction of the forests can
ing for agriculture, stock grazing and
grass encroachment Cattle were taken
to the islands in the eighteenth cen
tury and for years were protected by
rigid laws forbidding their slaughter.
BY 1915 they had so increased in num-
Der as TO become a menace. The anti
slaughter laws were repealed and grad
ually their number has been reduced
TO the needs of the islands. But their
work Of destruction has been accom-
pIshed. Much Of the underground Of
the native forests was or a succulent
character, peculiarly agreeable not only
to cattle, e,-but also to goats, pigs and
deer; all Of these preyed upon the for
est and year by year their trampling
and grazing showed more plainly in
forest areas wrecked and ruined The
encroaching grasses occupied the
ground and prevented reforestation. In
the rainy districts the Hilo grass and
in the drier sections Bermuda grass
was the offender. Between them they
occupy vast stretches Of country that
were once we'll forested.
Clearing for agricultural and home
stead purposes is responsible for very
1e Ja-4vs,1Tf1v,
best use to which the lands of the is
lands can be put is agriculture, no
fault can be found with such cutting,
provided it is not carried so far as 10
curtail the water supply on which
agriculture itself depends. The rain
fall Of the forested portion of the is
lands is from so TO 200 inches a year
and the native forests furnish the best
floor conditions for storing away this
water for future use. But when the
forest area is made smaller the storage
supply Of water is lessened. In addi-
tion, IL appears to be true in Hawaii
that forests influence the amount Of
moisture precipitated. Where the
mountains, with their cooling atmos-
phere, do not extend their elevations
above 5000 feet, forests are especially
needed The trade winds bring in fogs
and mists and the forests perform the
excellent function of changing these
to water and leading it to the ground
for storage. Thus continued forest
cutting means danger both to the
amount of water precipitated and to
the supply husbanded for the crops.
Both the principal crops, sugar and
rice, require much water for their sue
cessful growth. Already public opinion
in the islands has taken form in prac-
teal forest preservation work. Sugar
companies have established reserves
for local protection, the area in one
case being as large as $4,000 acres.
Tree planting has been done on a large
scale by a number of land owners.
The Government began tree planting
twenty-five years ago, with an appro-
priation of $4,000 A conclusive step
was taken when the last Legislature
provided for a forest policy and en-
tered upon determined work to protect
and utilize the forests to the best ad-
/ vantage. The first act to this end must
be the establishment of forest reserves
which should include practically all the
mountain forests. Fortunately the
Government owns most Of these for
ests, although at present they are
/ largely under lease to private individ-
uals, mainly to cattlemen. 1t is thought
! however, that an exchange of these
lands can be brought about. When the
reserves are established, a first neces-
sity will be the determination Of the
wild cattle and goats and the creation
Of ranger service to keep out fire and
stock.