128 



protection forest. Forestry in Hawaii therefore is chiefly con- 

 cerned with forest protection. 



The feasibiHty of treating the native forest on the leeward side 

 of the island of Hawaii, where there are no permanently running 

 streams, as a supply or commercial forest, has been advocated 

 and attempts have been made to utilize the mature timber in 

 these forests by manufacturing it into ties and lumber and 

 placing it on the market. That these attempts have resulted in 

 failure is in my opinion fortunate, for although the plan of ex- 

 ploiting this forest included a scheme for immediate reforestation 

 after logging so as to keep a forest on the land, I believe that 

 our knowledge of the treatment of this forest so as to insure a 

 second crop either naturally or artificially is as yet so imperfect, 

 that it is far safer to preserve it in its original form. 



The practice of forestry in the three main types of forest 

 should therefore continue to be forest protection. Forest plant- 

 ing for the production of fuel wood and timber in the lower part 

 of the kukui type, as well as in the algaroba type, is proper, has 

 been going on for some time, and may be continued on selected 

 areas without detriment to the main purpose of this type, pro- 

 vided the land is continually kept in forest by coppice growth or 

 by replanting immediately following cutting. Forest planting 

 also for the production of lumber may be done in the mamani 

 type provided this same course is followed. 



HISTORY OF FOREST DESTRUCTION. 



But continued efiforts must be made in the work of forest pro- 

 tection to prevent the further destruction of deleterious agencies 

 which have wrought havoc in the native forest in the past and 

 to build up the forest and restore it to a condition of greatest 

 usefulness. 



These destructive agencies probably began with the sandal- 

 wood trade when the woods w^ere stripped of this valued tree but 

 the first serious damage began as far back as 1815 when cattle 

 became so abundant that they penetrated the accessible forests 

 and gradully worked their way year by year further back into 

 the native jungle. 



The susceptibility of the Hawaiian forest to injury by cattle 

 is too well known to need description here. The combination 

 of trees, undergrowth, vines and ferns is ideal for the conserva- 

 tion of water, but this combination is not able to stand up against 

 the onslaughts of cattle grazing. You must have either the in- 

 digenous forest intact or allow cattle in the forest until it dwin- 

 dles down finally to nothing but a waste of dead trees and Hilo 

 grass producing no steady supply of water. 



Goats have also done their share in this forest destruction. In- 

 sects have attacked the trees in their weakened condition, intro- 

 duced grasses have been spread by stock and have prevented the 

 forest from renewing itself by natural reproduction and what 

 damage has not been done by these agencies, has been accom- 



