ISLAND DEPENDENCIES 



ISLAND DEPENDENCIES 1699 



careful methods of hand poUination are not practised, 

 the use of introduced seeds of the best improved varie- 

 ties is found essential to best results. The avocado 

 (Persea gratissima) has been introduced since the 

 estabhshment of American government on the island 

 and the remarkable vigor and heavy yields of a few 

 trees indicate a bright future for this new fruit. Pine- 

 apples, small in size and of fair quaUty, are found in 

 neglected plantings. The United States Department 

 of Agriculture has introduced plants of the Smooth 

 Cayenne pineapple, which promises great improvement 

 over the native variety. The sapodilla {Achras Sapola), 

 the cashew (Anacardium occidentale), the carambola 

 {Ai'errhoa Carambola), the Otaheite apple {Eugenia 

 malaccensis), the guava (Psidium Guajava), and the 

 tamarind (Tamaritulus indica), are all hsted in the 

 catalogue of island fruits. 



■ A discussion on vegetable-gardening in Guam must 

 essentially treat of possibihties rather than of achieve- 

 ments. Gardening is practised to a very limited extent 

 and in accordance with the most antiquated methods. 

 Among the most common temperate-zone vegetables, 

 tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, sweet corn, and garden 

 peas are not successful. Beans in wide variety of tj-pes, 

 radishes, lettuce, okra, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, 

 musknielons, and watermelons are all successfully 

 produced. Important rootcrops, handled more as 

 field than garden products, are yams, taro, and sweet 

 potatoes. The most important food staple cultivated 

 on the island is maize. Rice was formerly grown exten- 

 sively, but now nearl}' all the rice consumed on the 

 island is imported. Tobacco is also successfully culti- 

 vated by the natives. Peanuts are common and are 

 grown entirely from vine cuttings. The difficulty of 

 preserving the vitality of many of the common garden 

 seeds in the warm humid climate of Guam is one of the 

 principal causes of the present indifferent attitude 

 shown by the native farmer toward the cultivation of 

 the vegetable-garden. 



A few species of valuable tropical hardwoods are 

 found in the forests of Guam but owing to extravagant 

 and wasteful cuttings, the better grades of timber are 

 becoming comparatively scarce. Among the most 

 important of these species, Afzelia bijuga, known in 

 Guam as "ifit," is extensivelj' used for general construc- 

 tion purposes and as a cabinet-wood. Calophyllum 



A systematic flora of the island has recently been 

 published by E. D. Merrill (".\n Enumeration of the 

 Plants of Guam," Philippine Journ. Science, Vol. IX, 

 1914). Merrill points out the affinity of tlie Guam 

 flora with that of the Malayan region, practically all 

 the indigenous genera being of wide Indo-Malayan 

 distribution. The nearest a[)proach to an endemic 

 genus is Saffordiella, which also is found on the island 

 of Yap. Among the new orchids described by Ames are 

 species of Bulbophyllum, Liparis, Eulophia, Phraetia, 

 Coelogyne, Saccolobium, and Dendrobium. Among the 

 conspicuous forest trees, Merrill describes several 

 banyans, the sacred nunus of the natives, Ficus marian- 

 nensis and F. Saffordii; the yoga, Elsocarpus joga, a 

 lofty tree with buttressed trunk and clusters of bluish 

 grape-like fruit; a new almendra, or talisai, Terminalia 

 Saffordii, with edible almond-like fruit; and several 

 species of Eugenia. He also describes several new 

 shrubs, among them, Macaranga Thompsonii and 

 Phyllanthus Saffordii, belonging to the Euphorbiacete; 

 Greuria mariannensis, closely allied to the Polynesian 

 G. malococca; a number of RubiaceiE, including species 

 of Hedjotis, Morinda, Oldenlandia, Psychotria, and 

 Tarenna; and Discocahjx mcgacarpa, a plant with 

 erect habit, glossy green leaves, and bright red berries. 



For further information on the horticultiu'e of Guam, 

 see "The Useful Plants of Guam," by Safford, and the 

 Annual Reports of the Guam Agricultural Experiment 

 Station. j. b. Thompson. 



Tutuila. 



The most important island of American Samoa (Fig. 

 1990) is situated about 4,200 miles southwest of San 

 Francisco in latitude 14° 20' south and longitude about 

 170° 40' west of Greenwich. Although smaller than the 

 German islands, Savaii and Upolu, lying to the west- 

 ward, it is more important strategically on account of 

 its remarkable natural land-locked harbor, Pago-Pago, 

 the precipitous walls of which afford safety to an entire 

 squadron even during the violent hurricanes which 

 sometimes sweep the group. Tutuila has an area of 

 about 54 square miles, with a population of nearly 

 4,000 inhabitants. Like other islands of the group, it 

 is volcanic with barrier coral reefs surrounding it. The 

 forest-clad mountains rise to a height of about 3,000 

 feet. Several other neighboring islands belonging to 



3/" Pac^o Pa<]° 

 OP 



1990. Tutuila. 



inophyUum, generally designated as "palo maria," is 

 usually employed in cabinet-work and the construc- 

 tion of cart wheels. Claoxylon marianum, the "i)anao" 

 of the Chamorro, is specially valued for flooring pur- 

 poses. Heriliera litloralis, called "ufa," is iitilized in 

 making plow-beams, while Ochrocarpos obomlis and 

 Premtia Gaydichaudii, known respectively as "chopag" 

 and "ahgao" are extensively employed in the con- 

 struction of buildings. 



the United States have a combined area of not more 

 than 2.5 square miles ami a population of 2, (MX) inhabi- 

 tants. The group known as Manua, lying a degree to 

 the eastward of Tutuila, is composed of the small 

 islands Tau, Ofu, and Olosenga, the first formed like a 

 great mole-hill, the other two rising precipitously from 

 the sea. Rose Island, lying 70 miles to the eastward, is a 

 typical coral atoll almost circular in shape. 

 The islands are swept almost continually by the 



