71 



CORRESPONDENCE, 



Editor Hawaiian Forester and Ag-riculturist 



I have read with interest the article "Paspalum, the Monopo- 

 list," copied from the Sydney Morning Herald, in your February 

 number, which accords this grass the credit that it has well 

 earned, rather grudingly, and after the years of trial when it has 

 never been found wanting as the pasture grass par excellence. 

 It seems to me, judging from a limited experience with this 

 grass at Wahiawa, when I introduced it in 1899, that our colo- 

 nial cousin of the Herald is "making a mountain out of a mole 

 hill." While this Paspalum (Dilatatum) has the propensity, by 

 mere hardiness and adaptability, to hold its own against less valu- 

 able grasses, it has none of the dangerous aggressiveness of some 

 of the grasses imported to these Islands, and no one need fear 

 getting too much of it, for its value to the stockmen who want 

 a good sod-producing pasture, can not be over-estimated. 



Even the wild Paspalum which covers all our uplands here on 

 the Islands is easily killed by cultivation, and I can see no reason 

 from my experience, why the new one which is attracting so 

 much attention, will be more difficult to keep in subjection on 

 cultivated lands, for it only spreads from seed, and extension of 

 crown, where it is pastured; does not send out runners like Ber- 

 muda, Para and other grasses. I would say to all who want a 

 good pasture grass, don't be afraid of Paspalum Dilatatum. 



Yours truly, 



BYRON O. CLARK. 

 Honolulu, March 25, IQ07. 



HAWAIIAN COFFEE. 



*'To assist and extend the cultivation of coffee in Hav^aii 

 data has been secured relative to the method of cultivation, 

 planting, topping, shading, fermentation, growing, and mar- 

 keting of the coffee trees and coffee bean, besides an investi- 

 gation of the diseases and insect pests of coffee. The culti- 

 vation of coft'ee is now on a sound financial basis in this Ter- 

 ritory. All who are now engaged in the production of coffee 

 are doing so at a very slie.ht margin of profit. However, any 

 considerable extension of the industry depends on aid given 

 by the National Government, either through a duty on coft'ee 

 brought into the United States from foreign countries or by 

 a direct bounty to be paid on all coffee produced in the United 

 States by the labor of American citizens. There are 300,000 



