keeping quality of the meal Jis quite sufficient for the ordinary 
demands of the trade. When kept in sacks or open containers it 
retains its original odor and flavor, without change, for six or 
eight months, and the meal is no more subject to the attacks of 
insects than is any other grain feed. 
On account of the prevalence of weevils, which attack and 
destroy the seeds on the tree, or after the pods have fallen off, 
or have been stored in bins, it was thought desirable to attempt 
the introduction of parasites to control these weevils. The 
Bureau of Entomology of the United States Department of 
Agriculture very kindly consented to cooperate with this Sta- 
tion, and Dr. W. D. Hunter made several shipments of mesquite 
beans containing parasitized weevils from Texas. The parasites 
were bred from this material in large numbers by Mr. D. T. 
Fullaway of this Station, and were subsequently liberated on 
Maui and in several localities near Honolulu. It is too soon 
yet to speak of the success of this introduction, but if subsequent 
investigation shows that the parasites have not become estab- 
lished, further introductions from Texas will be made during the 
coming season. 
When it is considered that women and children pick up the 
beans and sell them for from $7.50 to $10.00 a ton, it is appar- 
ent that this feed has a much higher feeding value than its actual 
market price, particularly when compared with the high price 
which must be paid for imported feeds. The dairymen and 
ranchmen recognize the importance of feeding large quantities 
of the beans picked up for storage, in order to prevent the great 
loss which would occur if they were all left upon the ground. 
Wherever the belts of algaroba timber are large it has been found 
possible to maintain stock for a month or two of each season 
without any other forage than algaroba beans. Some of these 
belts, however, have been allowed to grow up much too dense. 
Under such conditions the individual trees remain too small and 
the yield of beans is less than would be the case if the trees were 
thinned out, so as to give a chance for each tree to spread to its 
