LEGUMES AND OTHER FORAGE PLANTS 



constricted between the seeds. Both spiny and spineless forms 

 of this tree occur and some indication has been obtained in 

 Hawaii that the spineless condition is to a large extent heredi- 

 tary. 



Some idea of the ease with which this tree may be dis- 

 tributed may be gained by a brief consideration of its history 

 in Hawaii. The tree was first brought to Hawaii in 1828 and 

 the original tree still stands in the city of Honolulu. It has 

 been propagated almost entirely by seed and for the most part 

 without any attention to artificial distribution. The pods are 

 a favorite food of all kinds of live stock and the seeds have 

 been for the most part distributed through the agency of live 

 stock. The pods possess a firm, fibrous covering which in- 

 closes a sugary pulp of molasses-like consistency in the cen- 

 ter of which is embedded a row of seeds, each seed being 

 inclosed in an extremely hard case. These seed cases are not 

 digested by live stock but are merely softened somewhat by 

 the digestive juices. The seeds, therefore, pass through cattle, 

 horses, and pigs in excellent condition for germination. In 

 fact, it has been found that the best method of planting al- 

 garoba seed consists in feeding the whole pods to cattle 

 or horses and then planting the manure of these animals in 

 places where it is desired to extend the distribution of the 

 tree. In Hawaii, this tree shows by its distribution how effec- 

 tive a method of planting trees may be found in the natural 

 wandering of live stock upon the range. 



The tree thrives best at sea level in dry regions. Thus 

 far it has not borne crops at altitudes above 2,000 feet. More- 

 over, the algaroba does not do well on the windward or rainy 

 sides of the Pacific Islands. It will endure unusual droughts 

 of long extent. It is not uncommon to see prickly pears and 

 other drought-resistant plants wilt under the stress of severe 

 drought, while algaroba maintains its foliage in good condi- 

 tion and appears not to be greatly affected. Most of the 

 roots of this tree are shallow but a few of them run to great 



