203 



my opinion, the land is much more valuable for forest, and with this in 

 view I have requested the surveyor to mark the forest area on the 

 ground and furnish me with a description of the area, to be used as 

 the basis for a new reserve, to be called the Manowaialee Forest Ke- 

 serve. 



• HONUAULA FOREST RESERVE. 



On July 19, I visited the Honuaula Forest Reserve on the southwest 

 slope of Hualalai, between the elevations of 5,400 and 6,360 feet, in 

 company with Mr. John Lind, manager of the John Maguire Estate 

 Ranch. This I found to be completely fenced in a stock-proof manner, 

 the fences on the upper sides being also sheep-proof, and with no ani- 

 mals in the reserve. The forest consists of splendid large koa trees, with 

 a stand of the smaller naio and mamani, and a heavy undergrowth of 

 akala bushes and luxuriant ferns. This is probably the best stand of 

 large koa trees left in Kona and the only stand which has not been de- 

 teriorated by cattle grazing. 



This reserve embraces 665 acres, all of which is government land. In 

 my opinion this forest area is valuable and has some beneficial eifect in 

 helping to condense the atmospheric moisture which drifts in every aft- 

 ernoon in the form of cloud banks. On account of the splendid stand of 

 koa trees of huge proportions, this forest, after all other koa forests in 

 Kona have, been destroyed by grazing, will also be of value for its 

 botanical and historical interest, just as the remaining redwood forests 

 in California are now esteemed and protected. 



Surrounding this reserve on three sides there are 5,197 acres of the 

 government land of Honuaula, which have been parcelled out in three 

 grazing leases issued by the Land Office. On these and on the fourth 

 side, which includes the private lands of Puaa 1st and Holualoa, the 

 forest has been severely injured by grazing and before long will en- 

 tirely disappear. 



WAIAHA SPRING RESERVE. 



On the same day I visited the Waiaha Spring Forest Reserve on 

 the same slope, between the elevations of 2,380 and 3,000 feet. This is 

 also fenced, and is a swampy country, supporting a stand of ohia trees 

 festooned with ieie vines, with a heavy undergrowth of amaumau ferns 

 ten feet high. No running stream was found on the area. Six head of 

 cattle were seen in this reserve, and the owner, Mr. Manuel Gomes, was 

 notified the following day to remove them and report the accomplish- 

 ment. This he did on July 25. 



WATER DEVELOPMENT. 



Near the Waiaha Spring Reserve, but higher up the slope, at an 

 elevation of 3,200 feet, and on the private land of Holualoa, the John 

 Maguire Estate has erected a battery of three redwood tanks with a 

 total capacity of 200,000 gallons of water. From these tanks water is 

 piped 10 miles to Huehue and 17 miles to Kiholo paddock of Puu W^aa- 

 waa Ranch, The tanks are fed from a small stream nearby which ema- 

 nates from a heavy forest of ohia, ieie and ferns. On the day of ob- 

 servation the tanks were full and running over, and Mr, Lind informed 

 me that during the year 1920 the stream ran constantly with the ex- 

 ception of 16 days. Cattle at present have access to the forest. To 

 assure a continuous flow of water in this stream, from 150 to 200 acres 

 of the private forest land surrounding it should be fenced and absolutely 

 protected from stock. This was recommended to the manager on the 

 ground, who heartily agreed with the idea. 



