100
HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
The 1959 planting began in January and February but most of the work was done between April and July when there were exceptionally heavy rains. 1,729 acres of new plantations were formed in forest reserves and 637 in villagers' forestry lots, and 1,129 acres were replanted because of failures in the 1958 season. Total areas planted in forest reserves during the past five years
are:
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
Total
690 acres
1,065
55
1,272
2,127
1,729
29
6,903 acres
The forest reserves cover much the same ground as the Colony's water catchment areas. In the Tai Lam Forest Reserve afforesta- tion was continued in the remaining grass areas of the direct catchment area, where the forest labour force was supplemented by approximately 150 prisoners from Tai Lam Prison. A small extension to the Tai Po Kau Forest Reserve was made and planted. Over three quarters of the Pat Heung and Fu Shui Forest Reserves are now planted. These reserves together extend unbroken across the mountains of the Colony from Castle Peak in the west to Tai Po in the east and comprise in all about 13,000 acres.
Planting was also done in the Kowloon Hills Forest Reserve, the catchment of the Kowloon reservoir, and at Shap Long on Lantau Island. The work at Shap Long was done by prisoners from Chi Ma Wan Prison. The pits in which the trees are planted in this area are of a greater size than elsewhere, and growth rates have been better. Approximately four-fifths of this reserve are now planted.
In connexion with the establishment of a village for destitute refugees in the hills at Cheung Sha a forest reserve was laid out in the vicinity and a nursery started, employing villagers, to raise trees for planting in 1960.
Forest reserves are divided into compartments of 200 - 300 acres, and records and maps are prepared giving details of the areas of various species planted in each compartment. Track is