357 



and with the steady rise in price of the lumber needed for 

 various uses on the plantation, it needs no aro:ument to show 

 the advantage of a local supply, even thou^^h it meets only 

 a part of the demand. 



A number of the sug-ar plantations on each of the islands 

 have undertaken and are carrying on tree planting work, but 

 there are many areas of waste land that still wait to be made 

 productive. The offer of the Division of Forestry to assist in 

 this work, is a standing one ; the members of the staff are 

 ready at all times to undertake the work. 



PLANT INTRODUCTION. 



In the introduction of exotic plants the past year has seen 

 marked progress. Through the exchange of Hawaiian grown 

 seed of native and introduced plants, seed of many valuable 

 trees new to the islands has been received. This seed is being 

 started at the Government Nursery. In due course the trees 

 resulting will be planted out in suitable situations where they 

 can be carefully watched ; those that are found to be of value 

 will eventually be propagated and generally distributed. The 

 results of this work can but be of value to the Territory. 



Another item of considerable interest in this connection is 

 the inauguration of systematic experiments with temperate 

 zone trees — pines, spruces and firs — on the higher slopes of 

 Mauna Kea and Haleakala. This work is done with the 

 cooperation of the Federal Forest Service, from whose appro- 

 priation for this fiscal year an allotment of two thousand dol- 

 lars has been made for this purpose. 



RUBBER. 



The rubber industry of the Territory continues to develop 

 with every sign of promise. It is as yet too soon to regard 

 it as fully established but everything points to the time when 

 rubber will take its regular place as one of the important 

 ''allied industries." Perhaps the most notable event of the 

 year in connection with rubber was the successful conven- 

 tion held at Nahiku in October, 1907. — "the first rubber con- 

 vention ever held on American soil" as the papers had it — 

 when was organized the Hawaiian Rubber Growers' Associa- 

 tion, with the object of providing an organization which it is 

 hoped will benefit the rubber industry in somewhat the same 

 way that the Haw^aiian Sugar Planters' Association has 

 benefitted sugar. 



To sum up: The past year may well be considered one of 

 progress in forestry in Hawaii, for wliile the thines actually 

 accomplished may not in themselves be striking they never- 

 theless play an important part as units in the building up of 

 the structure on which we are all at work, the development 

 of the general prosperity of the Territory. 



