THE jHAWAIIAN 



rORESTER » AGRICULTURIST 



Vol. IV DECEMBER, 1907 No. 12 



One of the most important works before the economic botanist 

 in Hawaii is the compilation of a popular treatise upon the im- 

 ported' and native weed plants of Hawaii. The value of such a 

 work to the stock raiser, and to all cultivators of agricultural 

 crops would be very great, and we hope to see the matter, ere long, 

 taken in hand. Not only the useless and harmless weed invaders 

 of cultivated land require to be treated in such a work, but also all 

 poisonous and otherwise injurious plants. A botanical and a 

 popular description of each species, accompanied by a good illus- 

 tration, and also an account of the best means of eradicating it. 

 would form a most valuable addition to local agricultural litera- 

 ture. Much excellent work, of this nature, has lately appeared 

 in the agricultural periodical literature of the British Colonies and 

 in some cases admirable colored illustrations have accompanied 

 the descriptions of the important specimens. 



Many of the exotic weed plants of the Hawaiian Islands are 

 well known and need no introduction to the agriculturists. -How- 

 ever, it would come within the province of such a work as the one 

 suggested to endeavor to attract attention to the possible economic 

 value of plants which are now merely regarded as cumberers of 

 the ground. Of such plants the kolu (mimosa) deserves especial 

 mention. As is well known the blossoms of this plant afford a 

 most valuable perfume, and in southern France a large population 

 is engaged in the cultivation of the plant. In Hawaii, where the 

 mimosa grows so luxuriantly, there should be a future before the 

 grower of this plant for perfumery purposes, if the difficulties 

 of the labor of gathering the blossoms could be successfuUv met. 

 Probably a solution of the difficulty could be by the employment 

 of children. No more healthful and picturesque an industry 

 could be established near Honolulu than that of the cultivation 

 of mimosa for perfumery purposes. 



Among plants offering similar obstruction to the agriculturist 

 are the guava and the lantana, the methods of eradication of 

 which are similar to those required in the case of mimosa. In 

 the case of the lantana the possibilities of discovering an economic 

 use are slight, although it has been suggested that tannin may 

 be extracted from it, and we have also seen it reported that its 

 blossoms afford a perfumery useful for soap. The guava, how- 



