Page:Tree Crops; A Permanent Agriculture (1929).pdf/68

 38 FACTS ABOUT CROP TREES

Its flowers furnish the most important source of pure honey known in the Territory. The bee-raisers of the Territory have shown an active interest in securing the rights of placing apiaries so as to utilize to the fullest extent the algaroba forests. The yield of honey is recognized as large and important and occurs at two seasons, there being two crops of flowers and pods annually.

"As a forage crop algaroba is of far greater financial value. The pods are everywhere recognized as one of the most important grain feeds of the islands and are greatly relished by all kinds of live stock, including chickens. The quantities of pods produced by the algaroba forests cannot be estimated even approximately, for a large proportion of the pods are allowed to fall on the ground and are eaten by cattle, hogs, and horses without being previously picked up. 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."

"It has been estimated that approximately 500,000 bags of the beans are annually picked up and stored, particularly for feeding horses and cattle. On two or three estates at least 15,000 bags of beans are annually stored for this purpose." ®

As to yield Mr. Wilcox said,* "It has been found that the yield per acre varies from two to ten tons. This yield varies vinegar." (Hawaiian Agricultural Experiment Station. Press Bulletin 26, p. 4. The Algaroba in Hawaii.)

"The algaroba bean industry is getting to be a very important one here in the Islands, the ground pods being regarded as equal to barley or oats for feeding purposes pound for pound. It is rather difficult to get any definite figures on the production as so many of the companies utilize their own grinding plants and feed the ground beans to their own stock. Thousands of head of stock in certain seasons of the year are allowed to eat the pods as they fall from the trees in the native pastures." (Letter from J. M. Westgate. Agronomist in charge. Agricultural Experiment Station. Honolulu. July 5, 1916.)

8"The business which has developed this year from the sale of algaroba bean meal amounts to about $350,000." (Letter signed E. V. Wilcox. Special Agent in charge. March 12, 1913.)

® Letter. March 12, 1913.