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Along with the adequate protection of the native forest, the 

 activities of the Division of Forestry should be carried on in ac- 

 cordance with the general program that has been in force for 

 the past several years. The growing and distributing of seed- 

 ling trees, free or at cost price, from the Government Nursery 

 at Honolulu and from sub-stations on the other islands ; the ex- 

 tension of this work through the establishment of additional sub- 

 nurseries in other districts ; the continuation of the policy of fur- 

 nishing advice and suggestions as to tree planting and other for- 

 est work; and the prosecution, for a while longer, of the cam- 

 paign of education as to the necessity and desirability of forest 

 work, until a larger proportion of the owners of fee simple land 

 that should be under forest cover take effective steps to make it 

 so; these are all lines of activity that should be continued; that 

 could to the advantage of the people of the Territory, very well 

 be expanded. 



In addition tree planting by private corporations should be 

 further encouraged, both as to the planting of stands of commer- 

 cially valuable trees for fuel, posts, etc., on waste areas near 

 plantation camps, and also as to spreading the Algaroba forests 

 along the sea coasts of the several islands. 



The forest fire danger in Hawaii is fortunately not great in 

 most districts, but for this very reason all the more care should 

 be taken to keep fire out of the forest altogether. New comers 

 to Hawaii have difficulty in appreciating how inflammable much 

 of the native vegetation is, even in the true wet forests. With 

 the increasing necessity for keeping our water sheds in the best 

 possible condition it is essential that no chances be taken with 

 fire. The recommendations made in earlier reports that an emer- 

 gency fund be provided for fighting forest fires on government 

 forest land is here repeated with added emphasis. The need is 

 more urgent now than ever before. From some source money 

 must be provided for this purpose. 



The practice of forestry in Hawaii is not a panacea for all the 

 difficulties that beset the Territory, but it is one of the essential 

 factors in the maintenance of our present economic prosperity. If 

 the people of Hawaii will but stop to think, the connection be- 

 tween forest protection and assured stream flow is so obvious 

 that it cannot escape even casual attention. Water is some- 

 thing that everyone must have. The only way in Hawaii of be- 

 ing sure of getting it in abundance is to keep the water sheds 

 covered with dense vegetation. While there is yet time, let us 

 then Save the Forests. 



Very respectfully, 



RALPH S. HOSMER, 



Superintendent of Forestry 

 and Chief Fire Warden. 



