235 



Forest Fires. The volunteer District Fire Wardens have con- 

 tinued to do effective service in suppressing forest and grass fires 

 throughout the Territory. During 1915 there were eight of such 

 fires, but only one of them, at Kapahi, Kauai, did any appre- 

 ciable damage to the native forest. During late August and early 

 September the prolonged dry season and strong winds made the 

 fire situation in the region of Schofield Barracks, Oahu, rather 

 critical. There were five fires on the east slope of the Waianae 

 Mountains at about this time, and troops from the barracks and 

 laborers from the pineapple fields did splendid work in finally 

 extinguishing them. None of these fires burned for more than 

 five days. 



Neiv Forest Reserves. Although the larger tracts of forest 

 lands belonging to the Territory have been placed in forest re- 

 serves, and now total 546,222 acres, there still remain some small- 

 er areas of land more suitable for forest than for any other pur- 

 poses, which should be set apart as forest reserves. Several of 

 these have been investigated during the year, and as soon as 

 technical descriptions have been received from the Government 

 Surveyor thev will be recommended as new reserves to be set 

 apart by the Governor. 



FOREST EXTENSION. 



\ 



Tree Distrihution. The Division of Forestry has continued to 

 encourage tree planting in the Territory by raising and distribut- 

 ing tree-seedlings at cost. Where the planting is of a public 

 nature the trees are supplied without charge. Under this arrange- 

 ment, a total of almost a quarter of a million trees were dis- 

 tributed for planting during the year 1915 from the government 

 nursery at Honolulu and from the subnurseries at Hilo, Hawaii, 

 and Homestead, Kauai. The actual number of trees so dis- 

 tributed was 247,432, which is 50,000 more than in 1914. Of this 

 amount 62 per cent, was received by sugar plantation and ranch 

 companies interested in tree planting, and almost half of the 

 trees consisted of swamp mahogany. Eucalyptus robusta, which 

 indicates the present popularity of this fast growing Australian 

 gum tree. Of this number of trees, 21,248 were distributed for 

 planting on Arbor Day, which was fittingly celebrated on Novem- 

 ber 19. This number has been exceeded only on two previous 

 Arbor Days. On this occasion 1,350 school children called at the 

 government nursery and each took one tree away for planting. 



Most of the seed for propagating these trees was collected 

 locally by two seed boys, who are kept constantly on the job. 

 An instance of the economy of this method of securing seed is 

 shown by the gathering on Tantalus from one tree in one day 

 of 13^ pounds of seed of the lemon-scented ^um, which formerly 

 had to be purchased from California for $32.00 per pound. 



Tree Planting. From reports that have reached this office, a 



