280 



open government lands on the Honolulu watershed so that they 

 will produce the largest and most continuous supply of water 

 possible. It is only in times of drought, like the present, that 

 the value of pure water is fully realized, and this should be a 

 stimulus to the owner of private forest lands to plant up de- 

 pleted forest areas for the conservation of water. 



Division of Forestry 



Board of Commissioners of Agriculture and Forestry, Honolulu. 



Gentlemen : — I respectfully submit the following routine re- 

 port of the Division of Forestry for the month of September, 

 1917: 



FOREST FIRES. 



The dry weather continued during the month, and while there 

 have been several small grass fires which have been promptly ex- 

 tinguished, only two have been reported to this office which have 

 been of any consecjuence. One of these broke out on the land of 

 Piihonua, near Hilo, Hawaii, on August 28 and covered about 

 50 acres of open and scrub forest land. Laborers from the Hilo 

 Sugar Company and Hawaii Mill Company were promptly sent 

 out by Fire Warden John A. Scott and succeeded in getting the 

 fire under control after a few days of work. The other fire oc- 

 curred in Waikapu valley, Maui, on September 16 and burned 

 over 10 acres of waste land covered with pili grass and lantana. 

 It was extinguished within a few hours by men working under 

 Fire Warden Andrew Gross. Additional fire warning signs have 

 been posted by the wardens to remind the people to be careful 

 with the use of fire. 



FOREST FENCING. 



The work of fence construction on forest reserve boundaries 

 in the region of Piha, Flawaii, has been about one-half completed, 

 in spite of the lack of rain, which has made it necessary to pack 

 in water for the use of the laborers. 



In cooperation with this Division, Mr. F. G. Snow has com- 

 pleted about half a mile of fence along the boundaries of small 

 forest reserve sections along the Volcano road near Glenwood, 

 Hawaii, to protect the forest from wandering cattle. 



The fence along the forest boundary at Flauula, which is being 

 built by the local residents to keep their cattle from the native 

 forest, was inspected during the month and found to be about 

 one-half completed. The fence across three ridges and two val- 

 leys has been finished, with two valleys and two ridges remaining 

 to be fenced. The work of setting up permanent monuments 

 along this line at prominent points was also completed during the 

 month. 



