340 
Above the level of the Koa and Ohia forest, on the slope of 
Mauna Kea (elevation 13,825 feet), on the island of Hawaii, is 
found a nearly pure stand of another native Hawaiian tree, Ma- 
mani (SophorU chrysophylla) . This forest occurs in a belt lying 
between the elevations of 6,000 and 8,500 feet. The area of the 
Mamani forest on Mauna Kea is 63,500 acres. Mamani occurs 
elsewhere in the Territory but does not at the present time form 
what may be called forests. It is, however, spreading rapidly so 
that in future years it will play a much larger part than it does 
now. 
Mamani makes excellent fence posts, for which purpose the 
trees in the upper forest belt are cut for local use. Xo accurate 
figures as to the number cut are now available. Otherwise this 
type of forest is unimportant commercially. 
The Algaroba (Prosopis jidifiora) is the Mesquite of the South- 
west. This tree was introduced into the islands in 1837. It has 
now spread so as to cover between fifty thousand and sixty thou- 
sand acres below an elevation of 1,000 feet in the leeward districts 
of the larger islands of the group. It is spreading rapidly along 
the leeward coasts and is also gradually climbing to a higher ele- 
vation. 
The Algaroba forest is the largest single source of fuel supply 
in the Territory. It is estimated that over 3,000 cords are sold 
annually in Honolulu. The price varies from $12 to $14 a cord, 
delivered. 
The Algaroba forests are further of value because the pods 
make good stock feed and also because the tree is one of the 
important plants locally for bee food. It is estimated that for 
the calendar year 1907, the total amount invested in apiaries and 
other equipment for the manufacture of Algaroba honey was 
$125,000 and that the gross receipts for Algaroba honey products 
for the year were over $25,000. 
It has already been shown that the primary value of the Hawai- 
ian forest rests in the influence it exerts on the conservation of 
water and that the commercial aspect relatively takes second place. 
But in the leeward districts on the Island of Hawaii are consid- 
erable areas where owing to the great porosity of 1 he soil there 
are no permanently running streams. Here the main value of the 
forest rests in the wood and timber that it can be made to produce. 
The two Hawaiian woods of commercial importance are Koa and 
Ohia Lehua. Both are heavy, close-grained hardwoods. Koa is 
used for interior finish, furniture, cabinet work and veneering. 
It is now sold in the markets of the American mainland under the 
name "Hawaiian Mahogany." Ohia is valuable for railroad ties. 
The systematic lumbering of this class of Hawaiian forest began 
in October, 1907, when a contract for ninety million board feet 
of Ohia railroad tie material was made between a local company 
and the Santa Fe Railway. 
A tie mill with a dailv capacity of 2,500 ties has recently been 
