66 



cords, or at the rate of 58 cords per acre. At Waianae, Oahu, 

 algaroba cuttings in which the wood was utihzed down to two 

 inches yielded on an average of 36 cords per acre, while at Ma- 

 kaha, on the same island, a tract of 152 acres, parts of which were 

 without trees, yielded 1462 cords, or an average of 9.50 cords per 

 acre. The yield in cordwood will naturally vary according to the 

 size of the trees and the manner in which the land is stocked. 



As for the age and size of the older algaroba trees, inquiry of 

 an old resident of Honolulu has elicited the information that the 

 grove of algaroba trees at the entrance to the Punahou grounds, 

 which suffered severely in the recent storm, originated after 

 1848, because before that date the school boys raised summer 

 squashes and string beans on the very same land. These trees 

 now, after a period of about 70 years, range from 24 to 41 inches 

 in diameter and from 65 to 85 feet in height. 



Forest fencing, tree planting, several forms of forest protec- 

 tion, and protection of bird life constituted the main field activ- 

 ities of the Division of Forestry during January, as will be seen 

 by the report of the Superintendent of Forestry in this issue. 



The apple is the king of fruits in value of crop as well as in the 

 estimation of apple lovers. For the apple crop of 1918 a value of 

 $230,000,000 has been estimated, or nearly three-eighths of the 

 value of all fruits. 



ALIEN PLANT ENEMIES AS STOWAWAYS. 



For a long time a great many ships coming from Europe into 

 the port of New York have been dumping earth ballast along the 

 shores of East River, Hudson River, and elsewhere around the 

 bay. This is a source of risk of the entry of undesirable plants 

 and plant pests, in the opinion of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture, and an inquiry has been started to determine the 

 extent of this risk and to provide safeguards against it. There is 

 a possibility of the introduction of soil-infecting diseases, injuri- 

 ous nematodes, and hibernating insects, any of which, unless pre- 

 ventive measures were taken, might spread over the country or 

 considerable parts of it. 



THE AIRPLANE IN AGRICULTURE. 



In connection with scouting and other survey work in Texas, 

 the United States Department of Agriculture is putting the air- 

 plane to its first practical application in agriculture. A try-out 

 of this method of survey was made last year along the Trinity 

 River and resulted in the discovery of several outlaw cotton 

 fields in heavy timber, which had previously escaped detection. 

 This year the airplane is to be used more extensively. It has 

 been found a valuable aid in pink boll-worm work, as it makes 

 .possible the easy mapping, by means of photographs, of the quar- 

 antined terri'tofy, "arid facilitates the inspection work in forested 



