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essary in many districts to reforest in order to conserve the 

 rainfall for purposes of irrigation ; and 



"Whereas, certain trees of the genus Ficus are considered 

 suitable for purposes of reforestation, and should give results 

 in an appreciably short time providing means are found to 

 insure their spread by natural agencies ; 



"Therefore, Be It Resolved by the Board of Agriculture 

 that the plan proposed by the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' 

 Experiment Station to investigate the role of chalcid flies 

 commonly known as fig wasps in the fertilization of the seed 

 of certain species of Ficus with the intent of introducing one 

 or miore species of the said fig wasps into the Hawaiian 

 Islands is, after due consideration of the views and opinions 

 of the various naturalists consulted and heard from, ap- 

 proved, and the Chief Plant Inspector is hereby authorized 

 and directed to permit the introduction of said insects under 

 the usual guarantees as to safety from harmful conse- 

 quences." 



At that time, the "certain trees of the genus Ficus' and the 

 "certain species of Ficus," as set forth in the above resolution, 

 were not defined by the Board and it is the purpose of this letter 

 to present my decision, as Superintendent of Forestry in direct 

 charge of government lands in the forest reserves of the Terri- 

 tory, as to what species of Ficus the introduction of fertilizing 

 wasps should be limited to for the present and to ask your final 

 approval of this list. 



After conferring with representatives of the Honolulu Sugar 

 Planters' Association, I believe that for the present the intro- 

 duction of wasps should be limited to those which fertilize the 

 following five species of trees : 



1. Ficus Benjamina. Benjamin fig. 



2. Ficus elastica. Indian caoutchouc. 



3. Ficus macrophylla. ]\Ioreton Bay fig. 



4. Ficus religiosa. Peepul tree. 



5. Ficus retusa. Chinese banyan. 



Good specimens of these five dififerent kinds of trees are grow- 

 ing in these islands and in the interests of our native forests it 

 is believed that the experiment of introducing wasps so as to 

 bring about the production locally of fertile seed should be 

 limited for the present to these five trees. 



The Benjamin fig from India and the Alalay Peninsula is quite 

 similar to the Chinese banyan of Alalasia but has more pendulous 

 branches and yellow fruit. 



The Indian caoutchouc is the familiar rubber tree, of New 

 England bay wdndow fame, from India and tropical Asia and 

 produces commercial rubber. 



The Moreton Bay fig comes from Australia and seems to be 

 closely allied to the Lord Howe Island fig (F. cohnuiiaris) , of 



