79 



"It was moved and unanimously carried that the cooperative 

 work of this Board with the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Associa- 

 tion concerning the latter's desire to introduce fig wasps for the 

 fertilization of certain species of Ficiis trees be restricted to the 

 following: viz., those which fertilize only Ficus Benjamina, 

 elastica, macrophylla, religiosa and retiisa. Also that the Chief 

 Plant Inspector be instructed to restrict, in so far as he may, the 

 introduction of such wasps to those which fertilize the seed of 

 only these five species, and that the Entomologists now abroad 

 engaged in this work be at once informed as to the limitation 

 given above and that they be requested to study, when at all 

 possible, the habits of these wasps in the field before sending 

 material to Hawaiian Territory." 



C. S. J. 



HAWAIIAN FORESTS AND TRAILS. 



By C. S. JuDD, Superintendent of Forestry. 



The chief product of the native Hawaiian forest in the moun- 

 tainous sections of the islands, particularly on the windward 

 side, is water. These forests are valued not for the timber which 

 they produce but for the very appreciable influence, of a bene- 

 ficial nature, which they exert on the run ofif, not only by con- 

 serving the rainfall after it has left the moisture-bearing clouds 

 but also by preventing the scouring effects of a rapid run off, 

 commonly called erosion. 



The population in these islands will increase up to a certain 

 limit. There are those who assert that Honolulu will expand 

 very largely within the next twenty-five years and that the 

 residence section will be pushed out far beyond Kaimuki and 

 that before very long a suburban trolley line will be bringing 

 people into this city for their daily labors from as far ea^t as 

 Kuliouou. This expansion will take place until terminated by 

 some limitation. The limitation will not be the lack of land 

 area due to the complete occupation of the soil, for we can al- 

 ways build up into the sky, but it will be imposed upon the com- 

 munity by the amount of water available for its domestic uses. 



Periodically, at the height of the dry season, we read in the 

 papers of the need of a greater water supply. A commission 

 is appointed to report on the subject or an expert is employed 

 to discover a new supply of underground waters. Irrigation 

 hours are limited but the slogan "Something must be done" is 

 forgotten as soon as the rains come again and we are able once 

 more to fill the tub for our morning bath. 



As the population increases, however, the shoe will pinch all 



