December 16, 1905 



Pandanvis odoratissimas, is used by the 

 natives lor thatcliing tlieir huts. 

 Opuntia tuna, one of the cochi- 

 neal-feeding species, is found growing 

 lo a very large size, especially on the 

 lower levels of the islands. The fruit 

 is not unpleasing, though somewhai 

 difflciilt to handle on account of its 

 prickles. Two kinds are recognized, 

 one bearing white, and the other red 

 flowers. The leaves of the latter are 

 eaten by cattle for the water thoy 

 contain. 



The night-blooming cereus, Cereus 

 tr'iangularis, is entirely at home upon 

 the islands. It is grown extensively 

 on stone fences, giving the semblance 

 of an evergreen hedge. It blooms 

 every three or four weeks throughout 

 the summer. AL the Oahu College, 

 just outside of Honolulu, is a hedge 

 over two hundred yards in length, on 

 which tho^usands of blooms may be 

 seen at any time. The Century plant, 

 Agave Americana, may be consid- 

 ered thoroughly naturalized. Refer- 

 ence has already been made to the 

 ])aucity of the native flora, both in 

 genera and species. Its affinities are 

 Polynesian, Andean, and Californian. 

 The complete isolation of the islands 

 has given a peculiar flora containing 

 a larger proportion of endemic plants 

 than any other country. 



Hillebrand, in his flora of the 

 Hawaiian Islands, describes eight hun- 

 dred and forty-four species of phanero- 

 gamic plants, distributed over three 

 hundred and fifty-flve genera, and one 

 hundred and fifty-five vascular crypto- 

 .garaic plants, distributed over thirty 

 genera, making a total of nine hundred 

 and ninety-nine species and three hun- 

 dred and eighty-five genera. Of these, 

 it is believed that one hundred and 

 fifteen species have been introduced 

 since the discovery of the islands by 

 Captain Cook. These are included in 

 one hundred and one genera, twenty- 

 two of which contain indigenous 

 species. They include cultivated plants 

 and trees, escapes from cultivation and 

 accidental introduction, which, never- 

 theless are well established. The num- 

 ber has been increased since the pub- 

 lication of Hillebrand's Botany, and 

 will continue with each recurring year. 

 Besides the above, the native Hawaiians 

 are believed to have introduced in pre- 

 historic times at least twenty-four 

 .species. 



Deducting both those introduced by 

 tlie natives and by white men since 

 1779, there will remain eight hun- 

 dred and sixty species distributed over 

 two hundred and sixty-five genera, as 

 original inhabitants. 



The islands not only vary among 

 themselves as to character of the flora, 

 Init eai-.h individual island varies in 



HORTIC U LTU RE. 



flora in proportion to altitude. There- 

 fore the flora of the country may be 

 divided into .groups occupying different 

 forms of elevation: (1) The lower 

 zone — the open country covered with 

 grass only after rains, with isolated 

 trees reiiresented by few genera. (2) 

 The lower forest zone, extending to a 

 height of two thousand feet above the 

 .sea. The Kakai (oil tree) grows ex- 

 clusively in the belt. (.3) The middls 

 forest zone, which lies within the re- 

 gion of the clovids, and develops trees 

 and jungle in luxuriance; here the tree 

 fern grows, attaining enormous dimen- 

 sions. This zone extends to six thou- 

 sand feet. f4) The upper forest zone, 

 reaching nine thousand feet above sea 

 level, is characterized by stunted trees; 

 here strawberries and the Ohela berry 

 (Gaccenium) flourish. (5) Special 

 groups of bog flora found on the high 

 tablelands of Kacii and West Maui; 

 here mosses, sedges and tussock-like 

 grasses prevail. These zones are not 

 fixed, but vary considerably with their 

 exposure, rising higher under the lee- 

 ward than on the windward side of the 

 islands. 



The size and characteristics of the 

 plants ^ary in accordance with their 

 environment. Heat, dryness of the air, 

 and a scanty soil (especially in decom- 

 posed lava I check vitality, dwarf the 

 plants, and sometimes impose new 

 properties. A short period of growth 

 follows an occasional rainfall, and 

 then a long repose with eftfn t to sus- 

 tain life. 



These varying conditions, acting 

 through a series of years, have tho 

 power of modifying pre-existing qual- 

 ities and impressing new ones, thus 

 producing variations from the normal 

 types. 



Varieties change ultimately to 

 species, and species perhaps to genera. 

 Hence the large numbers of endemic 

 plants on the islands. 



The family of gymnospercus (pine, 

 cypress, cedar, etc.) is not represented 

 in Hawaii; this is accounted for on the 

 gi'oimd that the islands were formed 

 .subsequent to the .geological age in 

 which the gymnospercus were uni- 

 versally distributed. 



A striking peculiarity of Hawaiian 

 trees is their lack of height. Only the 

 cocoanut exceeds one hundred feet. 

 .Ainother peculiarity of the Hawaiian 

 flora is lliat nearly all native plants 



THE POSTAL PROGRESS LEAGUE. 

 To the Readers of HORTICUI^TURE: 



I'ricnds: — Tho Postal Progress 

 League asks your aid in securing the 

 enactments of two pieces of Ugisla- 

 tion by Congress this winter: — (1) 

 The consolidation of the 3rd and 4th 

 class mail matter at the 3rd class rate, 

 Ic. per each 2 oz., as long recommended 

 b.v the Post-Office Department. This 

 will reduce the rate on merchandise 

 fifty per cent. 



(2) The establishment of a rural 

 parcels post that will enable the farni- 

 pcst wagon to do the general trans- 

 port business on the rural route and so 

 save the rural public the trouble and 

 expense of hitching up their teams 

 when they have occasion to do an 

 errand. 



This will save to the Government at 

 least .$15,000,000 a year and will, we 

 believe, add fully $100,000,000 a year 

 to the wealth of the 4,000,000 families 

 on our rural routes. Our proposition is 

 for the enactment of a bill carrying 

 parcels from a half pound to 200 pounds 

 at rates, Ic. for an 8 oz. parcel, 2c. for 

 a pound, 5c. on parcels over a pound to 

 11 pounds, 10c. on parcels over 11 lbs. 

 to 30 lbs., 15c. on parcels over 30 to 60 

 lbs., 20c. on parcels over 60 to 100 lbs., 

 25c. on parcels over 100 to 200 lbs. 



In short we propose that the public 

 post-wagon shall do what the private 

 farm-post wagon was acustomed to do 

 in ihe olden time when the folk along 

 tlic mail route were their own post- 

 men. 



Congressmen will want votes next 

 fall. Let them know that their re- 

 election next fall will depend on their 

 votes in behalf of postal advancement 

 this- winter. 



Sincerely yours, 

 .TAMES L. COWLES. Sec. 



PERSONAL. 



Anton Schultheis of College Point, 

 has been critically ill for the past two 

 weeks, but is now convalescent. 



F. Lautenschlager, representing 

 Kroeschell Bros., in New York, has 

 returned to his home in Chicago for 

 I he liolidays. 



.'\rthur L. Brandegee of Berlin, 

 C(nin., was married on Dec. 7 to Miss 

 Giace Lord of Northampton. On their 

 return from their trip they will make 

 I heir home in Farmington. 



Dear HORTICULTURE 

 You have made good! 

 more! Send another 



ant some 

 ear! "Stuff" lu- 

 ll . 



.lohn Coombs of Hartford, Conn., 

 who for many years has been located 

 in the Universalisl building on Main 

 street, has refused offers for his two 

 years' lease from the Travelers In- 

 surance Company, who have purchased 

 the property. As a result the contem- 

 plated improvements must stop until 

 .\Ir. Coombs' lease expires. 



