169 



particularly sought for decks of ships, lasting for the latter pur- 

 pose twice as long as the deal of many other pines. It also gives 

 excellent results in bridge building and is good for the light 

 handles of many implements. In short, the wood of the Kauri 

 combines a larger number of good qualities 1n a high degree of 

 perfection than any other pine timber in. general use. 



The tree yields besides, the Kauri gum of commerce, which is 

 usually found as a fossil resin from six to seven feet below the 

 surface of the soil on ground formerly covered by Kauri forest 

 and not infrequently in swamps which covered buried forests. 

 The resin is found in irregularly-shaped pieces varying from a 

 few ounces to 100 pounds in weight. Gum digging is a standing 

 source of employment and the Auckland gimi fields are said to 

 have proved far more beneficial to the district than its gold fields. 

 Transparent pieces of the fossil gum are used as a substitute for 

 amber in the manufacture of mouthpieces for pipes and small orna- 

 ments and the ordinary kinds are chiefly used as a substitute for 

 copal and mastic in the manufacture of varnishes. 



The Kauri pine was introduced to Hawaii about 40 years ago 

 and individual trees have been brought in from time to time since 

 then and may be seen growing in many Honolulu yards and at 

 Lihue, Kauai. The only way in which additional Kauri pine seed- 

 lings have been available for planting in Hawaii has been to pick 

 up the fresh seed dropped from these scattered trees or to lift 

 from the ground the young seedlings which have sprouted from 

 seed thus dropped. By the former method several thousand Kauri 

 pine seedlings were secured about a year ago from one tree in the 

 Nuuanu Avenue grounds of Mrs. Mary E. Foster in Honolulu and 

 have been planted out in various localities. Over an acre in the 

 Waiahole Forest Reserve, Oahu, has been planted out with these 

 seedlings spaced 10 by 10 feet apart to test their growth for timber 

 under close growing conditions. 



Experiments are being conducted at the Government Nursery 

 in raising more of these trees from seed by the introduction of 

 fresh seed from New Zealand, so that more of the seedlings will 

 be available for general planting. 



For those in these islands who desire to plant in the moderately 

 moist regions a fairly rapidly growing tree whose timber is classed 

 very high, the Kauri pine is strongly recommended. 



Division of Forestry 



Honolulu, May 14, 1920. 

 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 April, 1920: 



