19 



Three species of Eucalyptus have so far been grown in Ha- 

 waii with signal success. Blue gum (E. globuhis), in general, 

 has been found to do excellently at elevations higher than 1,000 

 feet above sea level, reaching its best development and most 

 rapid growth at elevations between 3,000 and 4,500 feet, espe- 

 cially on the windward side. Red mahogany (E. resinifera) 

 has been found to grow well at elevations between 500 and 1,500 

 feet. Swamp mahogany (. robusta) grows well in almost any 

 place and thrives on poor soils and in windy situations, and un- 

 der conditions which few other eucalypts can endure. It pre- 

 fers, however, low, swampy land and ejevations below 2,000 

 feet. Lemon-scented gum (E. citriodora) also calls for mention 

 here. At Paauhau, in the Hamakua district on Hawaii, at an 

 elevation of 1,600 feet, lemon-scented gum 20 years old is doing 

 well, and it also thrives at lower elevations. 



Red mahogany (E. resinifera) is of the greatest commercial 

 value, and is one of the best all-around eucalypts that can be 

 grown. The other three species, though not of the highest value, 

 are very desirable trees, and the blue gum is particularly rapid 

 in rate of growth. No serious mistake can be made in planting 

 these trees. Experimental planting to ascertain the suitability 

 of other eucalypts to various conditions and localities is greatly 

 to be desired, but it would be wise to confine planting on a com- 

 mercial scale to the above species until results of the experi- 

 mental planting undertaken in the last five years become ap- 

 parent. 



To be of the greatest value, most of the experimental plant- 

 ing should be in pure groves that is, groves consisting of only 

 one species, of at least one acre each. Planting on a commer- 

 cial scale also should be pure rather than mixed, unless expert 

 knowledge is available to utilize the different site qualities for 

 different species of trees and to regulate the future reproduc- 

 tion of the forest. Mixed forests, on the whole, are desirable, 

 but they require more skilled management than forests of only 

 one species. 



NURSERY METHODS. 



Two methods of growing trees are in general practice: first, 

 growing the young trees in beds in the nursery and transplant- 

 ing them directly to the ground where they are to grow ; second, 

 growing the seedlings in flats or boxes and eventually transplant- 

 ing the trees in pots or bags of one kind- or another. In the first 

 case the soil is carefully prepared in beds in the nursery, the 

 beds being usually three to four feet wide and as long as desir- 



