Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-11
HAWAIIAN FORESTRY
Importance of Tree Preserve
ton in the Islands.
ON MOUNTAIN SLOPES
LUxURIANT VEGETATION IN RE-
GIONS OF THE GIANT LEHUA.
Only Five of the Eight in the Group
Important for This
Study.
ON MOUNTAIN SLOPES

4upOIIduC ZOE A0AS
Study.
An interesting paper has just been pre-
pared by the Department of Agriculture on
the forests of the Hawaiian Islands ana
their relationship to the agricultural pros
perity o: the new territory of the United
States. 1t says that in the Hawaiian lslanos
IL is now recognized that forest preservation
is matter Of great and immediate impor-
lance to the leading economic interests "a
the territory. The chief agricultural inter-
est of the islands is sugar growing In 1913
the exported sugar was valued at $2o,3lo'oo4.
or 90 rer cent of the total exports. Inc
supply of water on which successful cane
cultivation depends comes 10 large extent
from the forested higher slopes OF the
mountains, above the plantations.
But the situation is complicated by the
fact that cattle raising, which IN economic
Importance stands second only to the sugar
industry, depends largely On the use OF the
forest for range, and overgrazing has been
the principal cause of injury to the water
holding power Of the wooded area.
AS a preliminary to the formulation or
far-sighted policy in the interest OF the is
lands as q whole, tine tel-ilory a year ago
asked for an examination Of the wnoie ques-
ton on the ground by an agent OF the UNIT
ec States Department of Agriculture. Ihe
report OF Mr. William l.. Hall of the bureau
of forestry, who made the examination, IL
now beng printed as Bulletin NO. 80. Inc Inc
Forests Of Hawaii" Both from sclentihc
and practical standpoint It gives much IN
formation concerning these Hawaiian 1or-
ests and their uses.
Mesquite Abundant.
ONLY five Of the eight islands are large
enough to be important in forest study
In these there are two distinct KINDS OF
forest: one near sea level in the drier por-
lions Of the islands, the other In the regions
of heavy rainfall on the mountain slopes.
They never blend or even meet. The forest
of the level is made up exclusively OF
mesquite so prevalent in the dr1er sections
Of the southwestern part OF the Unlteo
States. In the Hawaiian Islands, however
it grows much denser, taller and straighter
than in the states, having changed It's hapit
of growth in response to altered condltio ms
1t is not native, but was introduced in 1S5!
by seed planted In Honolulu The tree stlil
stands in a healthy condition. having
diameter of two feet and height of nifty
feet. From it have sprung 10000 acres of
mesquite or, as there called algaroba for
ests, divided among the several islands. The
wood is chiefly valuable for fuel and fance
posts. The forests are exceedingly important
as furnishing a cover for the soil and album
dant food for stock. The mesquite pods are
eaten by cattle in summer as they fall to
the ground from the trees, and are gath
cred and fed dry all through the year. Be
cause of these uses and the wonderful
powers of reproduction and extension which
the algaroba forests possess, they are
most valuable asset of the islands.
The native forests are those of the noun
tain slopes, and are all essentially of a
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 height OF one
hundred feet. Commercially, except for
fuel the wood has little value. for in drying
it checks and warps badly Its Importance
Is aS protective forest. Its stand Is thin,
but the most luxuriant underground is al
ways found beneath its Small-crowned
trees Indeed, SO luxuriant is this under
growth of ie-ie vine and similar climbers,
thirty feet in height and MOSES, that viz
gin forests of lehua are often impenetrable,
dark jungles. Thus ideal condition is
created for water conservation.
Present Area Small.
The present forest area is about 20 per
cent of the islands-a small fraction of
what 1t was 100 years ago. The destruc-
ton of the forests can be traced to threa
chief causes: Clearing for agriculture,
stock grazing and grass encroachment.
Cattle were taken to the islands in the
eighteenth century, and for years were
protected by rigid laws forbidding their
slaughter. BY 1915 they had so increased
In number as to become a menace. The
anti-slaughter laws were repealed, and
gradually their number has been reduced
to the needs of the island. But their work
of destruction had been accomplished.
Much of the underground of the native
forests was of a succulent character pc
culiarly agreeable not only to cattle, but
also to goats, pigs and deer; all of these
their trampling and grazing showed more
plainly in forest areas wrecked and ruin
ed. 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
well forested.
Clearing for agricultural and home
stead purposes is responsible for very
much of forest destruction. Since the
best use to which the lands Of the islands
can be put is agriculture, no fault can be
found with such cutting, provided it is
not carried SC far as to curtail the water
supply on which agriculture itself de-
Ponds. The rainfall of the forested Dor
ton of the islands is from so to 200 inches
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 addition
r.
ests influence the amount of moisture
precipitated.
Needed in the Mountains.
Where the mountains with their cooling
atmosphere, 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 successful
growth Already public opinion in the is
lands has taken form In practical 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 large scale by "a number of land own
ers. The government began tree planting
twenty-five years ago. with an appropria-
ton of $4,000 A conclusive step was taken
when the last legislature provided for
forest policy, and entered upon determined
work to protect and utilize the forests to
the best advantage The first act to this
Iicbp