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theory that it was brought in with imported grass seed is refuted 

 by the appearance of the disease in pastures where no imported 

 seed was ever planted. Another theory, that it may have been 

 introduced with imported bone meal, has also failed of proof 

 after exhaustive bacteriological experiments. In the meantime 

 everything is being done to control the disease in infected dis- 

 tricts and to prevent its spread to the Island of Hawaii. 



Division of Forestry 



Honolulu, Hawaii, September 5, 1917. 

 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 August, 1917: 



Forest Fires. 



Owing to the continued dry weather the danger of grass and 

 forest fires has increased and fire warning notices have been 

 posted by the District Fire Wardens and Rangers to remind the 

 people of the necessity of being careful with the use of fire. On 

 Oahu two small grass fires have occurred lately in the vicinity 

 of Maili ridge near Schofield Barracks, but have been promptly 

 extinguished by the army. 



On Hawaii the homesteaders on the land of Laupahoehoe have 

 been clearing land for cane and several times the forest has been 

 threatened by fires which have escaped. This prompted Mr. R. 

 A. Hutchinson, manager of the Laupahoehoe Sugar Company, 

 through Theo. H. Davies and Company to recommend the ap- 

 pointment of Mr. H. S. Rickard of Laupahoehoe as an Assistant 

 District Fire Warden to keep a special watch to prevent the 

 starting of forest fires in this region. To relieve the situation, 

 the President accordingly on August 24 issued such a commis- 

 sion, confirmation of which is hereby respectfully recommended. 



Forest Planting. 



The work on government lands in the forest reserve in upper 

 Manoa Valley consisted mainly in clearing around the koa trees 

 where weeds and grass had grown up. In addition to this 400 

 koa trees were planted out during the month. Several hun- 

 dred willow slips have been sent up Manoa for planting in a 

 swampy area near the forest boundary. 



Entomologist D. T. Fullaway kindly visited the planted trees 

 with me one day to inquire into the cause of the damage that 

 was noticed had been done to quite a number of the young koa 

 trees. It was found that soon after planting out the main stem 

 would be severed by a clean cut several inches above the ground. 

 A careful examination failed to show that the injury was caused 



