The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-02-01
PRIESTS INVALUABLE
GIFT TO HAWAII
Introduction of AIgaroba From Cali
fornia a Blessing Of Untold VAL
ue-NeW Uses Discovered

Almost every visitor to Honolulu
has probably had his attention called
TO a gnarled and twisted old tree,
with top broken or cut away some
feet above the ground. which stands
partly upon the sidewalk and partly
within the grounds of the Roman Cath
olic cathedral on Fort street. Few
blocks from the waterfront. A
square wooden sign nailed to the
rough trunk, just below the mass or
struggling. decrepit branches which
cast poor shade over the dusty
street. bears the following inscription.
in gold letters;
FIRST ALGBROBA TREE
of the HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
Imported and Planted in 1897
BY FATHER BACHELOT.
Founder of the r c. Mission.
Father Bastelot, the pioneer French
priest who established the Catholic
mission in Honolulu in 1927. probably
had but little Idea OF the service which
he was rendering the Hawaiian Is
lands when on his return from trip
to California ten years later he
brought with him the little algaroba
seeding and planted 1t In the cor
ner of the mission grounds. then in
the outskirts Of the village OF Honolu-
lu. But from that one tree have all
the islands of the group become heav-
ily foreSted with one of the most val
liable of all the trees at present in
the territory 1t has clothed in ver-
dure thousands OF acres which from
lack of water were utterly barren.
The algaroba (pfosonis juliflora) Is
a native of the arid southwestern Sec
ton Of the United States, where 1t is
generally known as mesquite. al
though differing from the mesquite OF
Texas and New Mevico. In Hawaii
it seems to have found even more
congenial conditions than In its native
habitat. and the trees often attain
height of fifty or sixty feet, and
girth OF six feet or more. Besides
the value of the hard. durable wood
for building purposes, fence posts. and
fuel, 1t has much greater value as
a feed for stock, and 1t is for this pur-
pose that 1t Is most valued In Hawaii.
Cattle and horses eat the foliage read
lily. as we'll as the sweet seed pods.
and thousands of head Of cattle have
no other feed the year round. The
large honey industry OF the islands
has been made possible largely from
the splendid pasturage the bees find
in the algaroba blossoms.
AT the present time the economic
value of the algaroba Is attracting
much attention. 1t is predicted that
within a short time the very abundant
seed pods Of the tree will supply
considerable part OF the horse and cat
tie feed which is now imported in the
form of barley. corn, oats, etc. These
pods contain by weight almost fifty
percent of sugar. which causes 1t to
be greedily eaten by stock. while tho
seeds are rich in protein, having about
the same food value as flax seed.
Heretofore but small part of these
seeds has been available for food ow-
ing to the hard covering which resists
digestion unless it Is broken. The
pods could not be ground owing to
their mucilaginous character which
caused the cumming up OF ordinary
milling machinery. A Honolulu In
yentor has just devised very sim
pie machine which has proven ad-
mirnbly adapted for the work, how
ever. and It is probable that 1t will
soon come into very general use, Dr.
E. v. Wilcox. director of the u. s.
agricultural experiment station, es.
Inmates that land In algaroba should
produce not less than 500 per aero
In feed. basing the price OF the pro
duct at about half Of the cost Of I'M
ported forage.
Experiments in making alcohol from
the aIgaroba pods. show that 1t VIII
yield about 500 pounds of alcohol per
ton; while the food value Of the seeds :