Sheung Shui Vegetable Trial Station.
Before the war there was a small station at Sheung Shui of 4 acres devoted to rice, vegetables, a few fruit trees, tree seedlings for roadside planting and tung oil trees. In the sum- mer of 1946, this area, which lay derelict during the Japanese occupation, was reconditioned, and about two acres set aside for intensive vegetable trials. During 1946 and 1947 several hundred varieties of European and Chinese vegetables were grown under standard conditions of spacing, fertilizer, etc. The crops included tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, root crops, sunflowers and lupins in addition to leguminous cover crops, sweet potatoes, peanuts and sesame. A great quantity of data has been collected and it is now known which varieties of many important crops are most suited to the Colony. Seeds have been received from England, New Zealand, Southern Rhodesia, U.S.A.. Malaya and elsewhere. About 50 varieties of tomato were tested and over 8,000 lbs. of fruit harvested. The produce has been sold in the wholesale market or at wholesale prices to visitors.
Plants of the four best local varieties of banana have been set out and have fruited; an area has also been devoted to papaya.
The demonstration plots have been visited by many people including farmers and school children, and there is no doubt that they have proved a valuable object lesson.
Sheung Shui Pig Station.
A census carried out just before the war showed that there were about 40,000 pigs in the New Territories; one carried out immediately after the war showed but 8,000 including only nine boars. In 1946 the Agricultural Department obtained the use of Sir Robert Ho Tung's piggery at Sheung Shui. Repairs were effected and a stud established with crossbred boars obtained from the Dairy Farm. A small fee was charged to cover trans- port of the sow on the main road to the station and back and service by a boar selected by the owner of the sow. In 1947. monthly services varied between 40 in January and two in October. During the year 2,233 piglets were born to 212 sows served by the station's boars, an average of more than ten to a litter. Of these 47.1% were male and 52.9% female. There are now more and better boars in the Territories and the primary function of the station has been fulfilled. Breeding experiments are now being carried out on a small scale.
Kam Tin Experimental Station.
Situated in the heart of the New Territories in the centre of Pat Heung plain, north of Taimoshan, is an area which was purchased and levelled in 1936 to serve as an airfield. It consists of 277 acres with a regular slope of 1/60 from east to west. This
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