PRIMARY PRODUCTION AND MARKETING
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injured or allowed to dry out before planting, which must be done without delay. Using this type of plant results are likely to be very variable, depending on the weather, and, if a long spell of dry weather follows planting, the result may be a total loss. In recent years a larger proportion of plants has been raised in containers-tubes made of metal, roofing felt or plastic film--since, although this method is initially more expensive, the results are far more reliable and not so much influenced by the weather. In this way it is possible to continue planting right through the spring and summer, using bare-rooted plants in the wet weather and tubed plants in the drier periods. In addition to plants for afforestation, trees are raised for amenity planting and for sale to the public at very low prices.
A scheme of assistance to village forestry has been evolved, the final object of which is to teach the villagers how to plant and manage their forestry lots profitably. Model Plantations have been formed which show quite clearly the results which can be achieved, and these planta- tions have been useful in arousing the interest of the villagers and as demonstration areas. The Forestry Division also offers financial and technical assistance to form trial planta- tions in the village lots. Trees take a long time to grow and it is not always easy to convince the villagers that forestry will be profitable. Interest in the scheme is spreading steadily, if somewhat slowly, and it will be a number of years before the work now being done will begin to produce results. In 1957 approximately 380 acres of trial plantations were planted with assistance in 40 different village lots, mostly in the Sai Kung and Castle Peak areas. Closely connected with the Forestry Lot Scheme is the Tree Planting Day campaign. This is held annually in April to encour- age more tree planting by schools, public bodies and private individuals, and to make the general public 'forestry con- scious' since protection of the plantations would be almost impossible without public understanding and co-operation.
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