49 



MeBryde, who for many years has been a most enthusiastic tree 

 planter. 



Federal Assistance in Tree Planting. 



With the close of the fiscal year, June 30, 1914, came the dis- 

 continuation of the allotments that had been made for six years 

 by the U. S. Forest Service for experimental tree planting in 

 Hawaii. Having before gradually diminished the amount, the 

 service was obliged this year entirely to discontinue this project 

 because of pressing demands in other directions requiring all its 

 appropriations, particularly for combatting forest fires. But the 

 attitude of the Forest Service in regard to this project is shown 

 by the following paragraph from a letter from Mr. Henry S. 

 Graves, Chief Forester of the United States, under the date of 

 May 7, 1913 : 



"Your report on the experimental planting indicates con- 

 clusively that you have obtained good results from this intensive 

 study of the possibilities of reforestation in portions of the 

 Hawaiian Islands. I feel that there is no question as to the wisdom 

 of your undertaking these experiments or of the Forest Service's 

 participating in them on the small scale which has been possible 

 for us. I wish very much that it might be possible for us to con- 

 tinue this cooperation on the same small scale as during the pre- 

 sent fiscal year." 



The amount allotted for 1912-13 was $500; for 1913-14, $188. 

 The greater part of this money was expended for labor in the Ex- 

 perimental Plantation of Eucalyptus in Nuuanu Valley, Oahu, 

 already referred to, in caring for the small trees until they became 

 established. 



The earlier work with the Federal funds was on the high 

 mountains on Hawaii and Maui, in the trial of temperate zone 

 trees, especially conifers. Arrangements are now pending whereby 

 such work can be resumed under Territorial auspices on the upper 

 slopes of Mt. Haleakala. But in view of the fact that the first 

 chapter of this investigation is now closed, it may not be out of 

 place to insert here a summary of the results obtained with Fed- 

 eral funds which I drew up for the Forest Service in February, 

 1!>14, as follows: 



"Returns from the planting on the high mountains have not 

 been as great as it was hoped would be the case. Through un- 

 avoidable changes of program due to the death in one case and 

 the unexpected departure in another of employees of neighboring 

 ranches who were cooperating in the work, the original planting 

 was handicapped, both through loss of material and through in- 

 ability to secure proper care in the raising of seedlings in local 

 nurseries. Further, climatic conditions at the higher plots on 



