16 
sections of Kau and Kona, all on the Island of Hawani.. Of 
these in particular-a word may be said and will suffice for a 
few similar arcas in certain other districts or sections on other 
Islands. 
Tt has been contended that our indigenous forests not essen- 
tially needed for water conservation, might well be used for 
other purposes, such as agriculture, lumbering, ete. | This is 
quite true insofar as agriculture is coneerned, provided that 
these areas after being cleared are found to contain soil in such 
chemical condition as will permit of intensive cultivation. This 
condition can better be ascertained and a policy arrived at as 
to whether it is right or wrong to clear off these forests, by first 
opening up an experimental area and testing the cultivable con- 
ditions of the soil. 
To have done this on portions of the upper Olaa lands would 
have decided the question as to their adaptability for growing 
coffee. It is well known that after sacrificing thousands upon 
thousands of indigenous forest trees in the upper Olaa section 
it was found that the land was not suitable for the crops in- 
tended to be placed thereon by the homesteaders. Had the Gov- 
ernment first experimented with the upper Olaa lands and found 
out that they could not be made of good economic use for coffee, 
not only would very many thousands of dollars have been saved 
to the many homesteaders who took up the lands in large areas, 
but tens of thousands of trees might have been spared the axe 
or been left to die of themselves because of the disturbance to 
their natural surroundings. 
Fortunately for some of the homesteaders a corporation un- 
dertook, also at some loss to itself, as well as to those who 
planted these upper forest lands, to grow sugar cane on some 
of the areas cleared. This Company may, later on, by adapting 
certain varieties. of cane to the land, redeem much which has 
been so far apparently wasted. Should success attain the efforts 
of these planters an unnecessary loss of sections of a large forest 
area will have been averted. Today may be seen in itera upper 
areas thousands of acres, of what 15 vears or so 
impenetrable forest, now covered with de 
a thick growth of Hilo grass. 
As to the lumbering proposition, it mav be said that althongl 
heroic efforts have been put forth to make it pay, it h 8 = 
fav failed. This is perfectly natural in view of fhe cng 
forests on these islands adaptable to the full growth of mar- 
ago was an 
ad or dying trees and 
