230 
Islands have an extremely rich and varied flora, there are few 
native trees of commercial value. Few native trees average more 
than 10 to 12 inches in diameter or more than 50 feet in height, 
and the clear merchantable length of such trees is too small to 
be of any practical use for lumber. A dozen or more different 
species of native trees are used locally for various purposes, but 
the ohia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) and the koa (Acacia 
koa) are the only two timber trees in the Territory which, because 
of their size and abundance, have any commercial importance. 
Of these two species, koa is primarily a cabinet wood, leaving 
ohia lehua as the only all-around native timber tree ; and there 
is not enough of this tree to affect the situation materially. With 
few exceptions the chief use of the native forests is to conserve 
the water supply and regulate the stream flow, and their impor- 
tance as a source of timber supply, except in a few restricted dis- 
tricts, is entirely negligible. 
''The timber supply of the continental United States at the pres- 
ent rate of consumption can not last for a long time. As the 
supply of timber diminishes, export lumber from the United States 
may be expected to reach practically prohibitive prices for many 
uses. The trees native to the continental United States are all 
of comparatively slow growth. The more valuable pines and 
hardwoods require not less than 75 to 100 years to form trees big 
enough for lumber. It takes at least 30 to 35 years to grow tie 
timber, and even this rate of growth is restricted to only a few 
species. The rapid-growing Eucalyptus can be grown in the 
continental United States on only comparatively small areas in 
central and southern California, Arizona, southern * Texas, and 
southern Florida. 
''The Territory of Hawaii can not, therefore, depend indefinitely 
on the rest of the United States for its supply of lumber. Neither 
can it depend to any large extent on foreign countries. On the 
contrary, located as the islands are, and with a climate favorable 
to rapid growth, Hawaii, in course of time, should be able to ex- 
port to the United States an ever-increasing supply of hardwood. 
"Fuel wood of a low grade can be grown in Hawaii in five or 
six years, but trees of this age have very little value. Trees suit- 
able for fence posts, railroad ties, and lumber, as well as for the 
better grades of firewood, require a much longer period to mature. 
Even the more rapid-growing species of eucalyptus and iron- 
woods, although growing faster than most hardwoods, require a 
number of years to reach a size which renders them fit for use 
as timber trees. The mistake in the past has been that trees were 
cut which were too young. Systematic tree planting in Hawaii 
can not, therefore, begin too soon, for the earlier the forests are 
established the less hardship will be experienced when the supply 
of timber becomes less abundant. 
'Tn short, an increasing supply of inexpensive lumber is essen- 
tial to the proper growth and development of the Hawaiian 
