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UNIV. „ 
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DEPOSITORY 
Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station, 
HONOLULU. 
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E. V. WILCOX, Special Agent in Charge 
PRESS BULLETIN NO. 26 
The Algaroba in Hawayf^-. 
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By E. V. WILCOX, 
Special Agent in Charge, Hawaii Agricultural Experiment" 
Station, United States Department of Agriculture. 
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INTRODUCTION OF THE ALGAROBA. 
The algaroba, or keawe (Prosopis juli flora), is commonly 
recognized as the most valuable tree which has thus far been in- 
troduced into the Territory of Hawaii. The accounts of its first 
introduction into the Territory are somewhat at variance. At 
the corner lot belonging to the Catholic Cathedral of Honolulu 
stands an algaroba tree which is supposed to be the first one in- 
troduced, and which bears a tablet stating that it was planted by 
Father Bachelot in 1837. In support of this tablet we find the 
following statement in an article on the "History of the Hawaii- 
an Missions," 1 referring to the second visit of Father Bachelot 
to Honolulu : "On his return from California he had planted 
in the Mission grounds four shoots of the algaroba tree, until 
then unknown in the Islands. Only one of these had taken root 
and was now growing fast. As the worn-down missionary left 
his mission house, never again to return to it, he looked upon the 
plant with moistened eyes and said as though prophetically: 
'Even as this young tree by Divine Providence will thrive and 
cover the whole of the island with its shade/ " etc. Essentially 
i Damien Institute, Vol. 12, 1903, No. 12, pages 190 and 191. 
