The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-10-04
tn levy FOREST FIRE
EXPENSES AGAINST LfSSEES

hand.
In general the regulations to be rec
commended will follow the outline given
below. Unless such regulations are
made a part of the contract L cannot
recommend that numbering be under
taken in Kona or kau.
The main points to be observed IN
drawing up a numbering contract art:
% The protection of the forest from
fire during and Immediately after the
logging operations. The Importance OF
this matter is so sef-ev1dent that 1t
hardly needs to be emphasized. Inc
contractor should be required to eXer
else all reasonable care IN the use OF
fire and should forest fire start on
the tract from any cause during tne
term of his contract he should be OBJ
liged to turn out his men to fight II.
(2) The protection of the area from
cattle after numbering to secure repro
duction. The central idea OF forest
management being the perpetuatlon OF
the forest it is essential that steps be
taken to secure the replacement OF the
trees removed by logging. In most
eases new stand of koa can be Sc
cured through natural reproduction.
The opening up of the forest that forms
a necessary part of the logging of the
mature trees insures in most cases ex-
ceIlent conditions for koa reproduc-
ton But as cattle are particularly
fond of the Young koa it is essential
that they be excluded from the tract
after numbering, at any rate until the
trees grew large enough to protect
themselves. AS the benefits arising
from this provision revert wholly to the
owner of the land it seems to me that
if the contractor is required to build
the fence he should receive consider
alton for the work. But that the fence
be built / regard as an essential fea-
ture of the forest regulations.
go A restriction as to the size OF
the trees cut. The idea of utilization
under forestry methods is to take out
the mature trees only, leaving the
younger ones to make up subsequent
crops On the Keauhou tract the mini
mann diameter at which koa trees
should be cut, was fixed at "a inches,
diameter breast high a 12 feet above
the ground). Possibly in Kona small
Ter minimum diameter, say down to Is
inches. might be used. This cannot be
fixed off hand but as the present con-
dition of the koa industry hardly justi-
fes the logging at a profit of the
smaller trees there should be little
| trouble in arriving at a diameter limit
mutually satisfactory to the contractor
and to the forester.
(4) Prevention of Waste. So far
as possible all merchantable material
should be removed from the forest and
turned to account. This includes as
complete utilization of the felled tree
as may be and the application of APP
proved methods and machinery to the
various branches of the work. Just
how closely the work can be done de-
ponds on the local conditions that gov
ern the cost of logging but the con-
tractor should be required to do his
work in systematic and careful way.
AS it is as much to his advantage as
to that of the owner of the land to do
so there should be no trouble on this
score
(5) Protection of small trees during
numbering and removal of tops. The
exercise of reasonable care should be
required in the logging that small trees
be not necessarily damaged and that
other avoidable injury to the forest be
prevented. The question of the remov-
al of the tops depends largely upon
| how much of the tree can be got out
and sold. Where large top must be
order to lessen sthe danger from fire
and to get rid of the slash obstructing
the young growth, that it be so cut
that all the main limbs be brought in
contact with the ground. just how far
it is feasible to enforce such a regu-
lation, without working hardship on
the contractor, can only be told after
| an examination of each tract
With regard to the Hilo district my
feeling is that except for the koa on
the kaumana and Ponahawai lots back
OF H1lo town-which / see no objection
to numbering under an arrangement
generally similar to that recommended
for kona-iumbering operations should
not be undertaken until careful study
OF the district with this special subject
IN view has been made. There are
doubtless certain places which could
| be logged under proper restrictions
without detriment to the general well
fare of the district, but in other sit
nations, such for instance as the por-
ton of Piihonua from which comes the
water supply of Hilo town, the forest
should only be opened up, if at all,
after careful study has been made
on the ground.
Very respectfully,
hALfH =. HOSM Err
superintendent of Forestry.
Mr. Holloway presented a communi-
cation from B. e. Wilson signing him.
self as secretary of the American-Ha-
waiian Mahogany Lumber Company, a
California corporation requesting the
privilege of numbering koa in the dis
trict of Kona, offering S. stumpage.
superintendent Hosmer's report will
form part of the reply to him.
ALLIGATOR PEAR BLIGHT.
Mr. Giffard, for the division of en-
tomology, stated that Prof. Koebele
was at present in Mexico and for many
months had been collecting parasites to
prey upon certain pests in the islands.
He has paid particular attention to
the hornfly and alligator pear scale
parasites and forwarded here enemeies
to both, which have been set free in