Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-03-02

forests. Congress is going'to help us
in that, too.
But our great natural resources is
the soil. To develop that we must
have more roads.
And we have great stretches Of arid
lands, the most valuable OF all lands
II we can get water on them. We
must reclaim these lands. There are
about 100000 acres of arid lands that
we can bring under cultivation, which
is now practically useless. This will
be the best land, for 1t is the most
fertile.
But 1t may be that in order to devel-
on these lands, we shall have to do
something in the way OF a hydro.
graphic survey. Congress is willing
to help states and territories in the
matter Of photographic surveys, II
they are willing to help themselves.
There is also need Of scientific ex.
pertinent and investigation in the way
of new crops and new plants. We
want something for the small pro-
Queer like the experiment station from
which the sugar planters profit to the
extent Of millions of dollars a year.
The general Government expects us
to do our part. Hawaii has generally
taken an advanced position. But we
need to do more. We need to spend
the least money for the actual ma.
chinery of government so that we will
have more to put into these other
things.
A Pressing Problem.
Conservation Is one Of the pressing
Ralph Hosmer. Hawaii is peculiarly
dependent on agriculture. We have n
wet and a dry side. But the rich man
is not necessarily ON the wet side OF
the islands. Much of the land on the
dry side IL capable OF yielding large
by irrigation and some of the rich plan.
tations are on the dry side.
The Hawaiian forest Is admirably
adapted as n protective cover on the
watersheds, the moss, ferns and shrubs
brakeing the force Of the water and
storing II up for dry seasons. But the
forest is easily damaged by fire. That
is why the forest reserve has been
created. II is probable that these re.
serves will be extended to take in
about three quarters Of a million acres.
Wherever there are streams the for.
ests should be protected.
The forest can also be put to other
uses. The waste lands can be made to
grow trees which are not native to Ha.
wall, for commercial use. This should
lead to the rcforestation of these
lands.
without the forests an assurance OF
| water cannot be maintained. and with.
out water the lands cannot be made to
| yield.
The essential need now is for study
of the forest by competent men. Some.
thing SHOULD be done by this Legisla.
ture to make this possible.
The kona Forests.
| Jared Smith was the next speaker,
talking on Conservation of Natural
Resources as Applied to Kona." He
described the forests of Kona, a strip
over 90 miles long and In places over
miles wide. The merchantable tim.
Der he estimated at about $50 900 900
board feet. Unless good care is taken
OF this property that belongs to the
people of these islands, there is dan.
ger that 1t may be DESTROYED by fire.
The forests should be preserved, es.
pecially for the purpose of conserving
the water. The rainfall of the region
Mr.. Smith estimated at about 100
inches year. This means about &c..
OOO,OO0O 900 gallons Of water for every
square mile. The amount that falls
every year in the Kona forests is about
400 billion gallons of water. Yet no ef
fort Is now made to conserve II. Not
one tenth OF one per cent is conserved
by the plantations. II is a money prop
osition, business proposition.
Jared Smith reminded his hearers
that the country is losing more than
the water. without the forests there
ensues destruction by food. Every
body had seen the sea Redeemed for
| miles by the soil washed OF from the
fields.
Forests as affecting rainfall was the