201 



ally become a permanent part of the work to shield the great 

 woodlands from conflagrations. Numerous fires have been dis- 

 covered in their early stages by the aviators and have been re- 

 ported immediately to the forest rangers. It is believed that con- 

 siderable loss has been prevented by such early discovery. Lack 

 of suitable landing places in this rugged country has proved a 

 handicap in some instances and has caused a heliei in some quar- 

 ters that dirigible balloons will finally be found more suitable than 

 airplanes for forest flying. 



Division of Forestry 



Honolulu, Hawaii, Sept. 5, 1919. 



Board of Commissioners of Agriculture and Forestry, Honolulu. 



Gentlemen: — ^I respectfully submit the following routine report of the 

 Division of Forestry for the month of July, 1919: 



TREE PLANTING. 



During the month 2050 trees were planted out on forest reserves on 

 Oaliu, as follows: 329 koa on the Honolulu Watershed Reserve in Ma- 

 kiki, and 1621 red gum and 100 monkey pod trees at Mikilua, in the 

 Lualualei Forest Reserve. 



FOREST FIRE. 



On Sunday, July 6, at 3:30 p. m., a fire started in the grass near some 

 bee hives just above No. 5 pineapple field of the California Packing 

 Corporation at Lihue on the east slope of the Waianae Mountains, Oahu, 

 and on account of the very dry conditions spread up the slope and cov- 

 ered about 75 acres before it could be extinguished. The area burned 

 over w^as covered wdth grass and brush and a very few trees. The fire 

 was first discovered by Mr, A. W, Eames of Wfeihiawa, who, with Mr. 

 H. A. White, promptly set out with a gang of laborers from the pine- 

 apple fields. District Fire Warden A. A. Wilson followed with assist- 

 ance from the army at Castner under Major Ryder with the result that 

 the fire was completely under control before nightfall. The immediate 

 and voluntary response of these men and their efficient labor in extin- 

 guishing the fire so promptly are very greatly appreciated. A subse- 

 quent examination of the burned area disclosed the fact that the fire 

 must have been started by the smoking torch of some one who was 

 stealing honey, for the top of one hive had been removed and one frame 

 taken out. Unfortunately it has not been possible to obtain any clue 

 as to who this was. 



GRAZING AT HALONA. 



On July 10, I visited Halona valley in the Laulualei Forest Reserve 

 in company with Mr. L. L. McCandless to investigate grazing conditions 

 and have since made a special report on the subject. At the time of this 

 visit, 26 wild goats in the reserve were exterminated and complete utiliza- 

 tion made of all but two of them. 



