The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-12-02

| easterly direction along the land o..
| Puukapu and the north side of Ka-
walnut branch of waipio Valley. cross
ing the head of Waimanu Valley to
the west side of Waipio Valley; thence
down along said west side of waipio
Valley to the sea; thence along the sea
| to the point of beginning
Very respectfully,
RALPH S. HOSMER
Superintendent of Forestry.
HILO RESERVE.
In the matter of the Hio forest re-
serve it was reported to the meeting
that Mr.. Loebenstein Gid not have all
the data in Honolulu necessary to de-
scribe the upper boundary and he has
returned to Hilo to secure the same.
Upon his return the line will be mark
ed on the map especially prepared to
show the Hilo reserve and 1t will then
be forwarded to the Governor with the
recommendation that he set aside all
the lands between the upper and low
er lines to be known in future as the
Hilo Forest Reserve.
SHEEP AND MAMANI.
Mr.. Holloway reported that he had
received letter from Land Commits
sioner Pratt in regard to a lease of
lands wanted near Humuula and Ka-
chi, on Hawaii, and the Board was
a. ked to make what reservations in
the matter 1t desired. Mr.. ]. F. Brown
stated that Mr.. Pratt was about to
leave for the mainland, December 6,
ha hnna6 ha ri h. hi
to act on the matter at the meeting
so that Mr.. Pratt could have time to
advertise the lands before his depar-
ture. He stated the land in question
was located at an elevation of about
5000 feet
Mr.. Hosmer stated that Kaohi ad-
joins Humuula on the south side of
Maunakea and was above the lava flow
in that section. He thought the land
could be used for grazing up to 5000
feet. Any one taking a lease should be
compelled to fence in the property at
the upper boundary to protect land
planted with forest trees from ravages
by cattle. He stated there was quite
a bunch of wild cattle roaming around
in that vicinity
there be inserted in all such leases a
clause that no sheep should be raised
In such places. So far as the Board
of Agriculture and Forestry was con-
eerned there was nothing against pub
lie interest in permitting cattle there
but he had strong objection to sheep
which would destroy forests. He want
eo to go on record as againt putting
any Of the mamani lands aside for
sheep raising.
Mr.. Giffard stated that as Mr.. Hos
mer had not placed his recommends
tion before the Board in writing he was
disinclined to vote on the proposition.
Mr.. Thursron said that the Board was
taking its first step in leasing such
lands, and for that reason it should act
slowly and only upon reports gained
from the superintendent of forestry.
Mr.. Hosmer stated that a certain Sec
tion above the ohia, koa and mamani
belt should properly be used for graz
ing purposes.
The matter was then referred to the
Committee on Forestry.
BISHOP ESTATE AND KOA.
A request was made by letter by F.
S. Dodge on behalf of the Bishop Estate
asking permission to have Superin-
tendent Hosmer go to Hawaii next
week to examine an extensive koa for
est back of the Volcano House and
make report on the same. 1t was re-
ported to the Board that the Estate
contemplated numbering some of the
mature koa trees and selling them to
parties in Hilo.
1t was suggested that this would
probably be unwise at present owing
to the fact that the Board was making
strenuous efforts to get as many pri-
vate forest lands into the reservation
as possible.
Mr.. Thurston thought it was a mat
ter of internal policy with the Bishop
Estate and that it would be better for
the Estate to have an expert forester's
opinion on the question than to go
ahead without it, no matter what the
Estate decided to do with the trees.
He said that it was probably the in
tention of the Estate to get a con-
servative report from Mr. Hosmer as
to just what should or should not be
done in the forest.
I'VE want to put our forests on a
commercial basis" said Mr.. Thurston.
1T is my opinion that mature koa
should be numbered under expert OBJ
servation rather than that it should rot
and go to ruin"
He added that there were miles and
miles of koa rotting between the Par
ker Ranch and Hamakua. There were
nf oil II