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The First Algaroba and Royal Palm in Hawaii 



By C. S. JuDD, Superintendent of Forestry. 



The American Genetic Association of Washington, D. C, re- 

 cently awarded two prizes of $100 each for the location of the 

 largest nut-bearing and non-nut-bearing hardwood trees in the 

 United States. The contest required the submission of photo- 

 graphs and actual measurements, and resulted in the assembling 

 of much interesting data in regard to the largest trees of these 

 two classes. A valley oak in San Benito County, California, was 

 found to be the largest nut-bearing tree and a sycamore near 

 Worthington, Indiana, the largest hardwood tree of the other 

 class. 



I wish that there might be instituted in Haw^aii a similar con- 

 test for the purpose of determining the location and the history 

 of introduction of the first tree of the many species that have 

 been successfully raised in these Islands. At any rate, in order 

 to stimulate interest in this subject, which may induce others to 

 send in information of historical and botanical value concerning 

 introduced trees, it is the purpose of this article to describe briefly 

 the history of introduction and spread of two familiar trees in 

 Hawaii, one now of vast economic importance and the other 

 much prized for its ornamental value. 



The Algaroba. Frosopis juliflora, D. C. 



It may safely be said that no introduced tree has been of 

 greater benefit to the islands than the algaroba. one of the mes- 

 quites. or kiawe, as it is locally called. It is also known as the 

 honev locust, honey pod. cashaw, and July flower, and our name 

 for the tree of algaroba comes from "Al-kharrubah," the Spanish 

 name of the carob tree, or St. John's bread, the pods of which it 

 resembles in flavor. The native home of the algaroba is from 

 California to Texas and through parts of Mexico, Central and 

 South America, as far south as Buenos Ayres. 



While the history of its introduction to Haw^aii is not definite, 

 the conclusion seems to be that the first tree planted in the islands 

 was raised from seed brought by Father Bachelot when he started 

 out from Bordeaux in the early part of 1827 on his first trip to 

 the Islands, and that the seed came from the Jardin du Roi de 

 Paris and not from Mexico or Chile. This original tree was 

 planted by Father Bachelot in December, 1828, in the north cor- 

 ner of the Catholic Church yard in Honolulu. Certainly, no man 

 could have left a greater or more abiding monument, for the 

 algaroba now covers vast areas on the different islands of mostly 

 stony, arid, and precipitous land, which formerly was utterly 

 w^orthless for other purposes. 



