GEOGRAPHY
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yearly average of 85 inches). In order to husband and conserve water reserves to meet the demands both of an ever increasing population and of agriculture and industry, it has been necessary to apply restrictions during dry seasons for some part of every year since 1934.
VEGETATION
Hong Kong lies in the frost-free Double Cropping Rice Zone of East Asia. While rice remains the major crop of the New Territories, by area, its production and value otherwise are sur- passed by market garden cropping. Where there is adequate water two crops of rice are grown each year. The first crop is sown into the nurseries in early March, transplanted in April and harvested in June and July. Second crop seedlings are nursed in June for planting out by the end of July and the crop is harvested during October and early November.
Market garden cropping, including the cultivation of cut-flowers for the urban and suburban markets, is becoming increasingly important; vegetables are grown throughout the year, but most particularly during the cooler months which form the main vegetable season. Production is very intensive and in certain areas as many as eight crops a year are grown.
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The upland areas, which are predominantly grass covered and in several places severely eroded, tend to have highly leached acid soils. Land utilization of these areas is principally through afforestation, which has been vigorously pursued since 1945.
In favourable locations on upland areas fruit production is developing and orchards of wampei, longan, lemon, orange, tangerine, Japanese apricot, litchi and guava are increasing in number and size. Pineapple planting has recently assumed increased importance, particularly in certain off-shore islands. On marginal land, between valley bottoms and upland, bananas can grow well. There is only one tea plantation of any note, situated on a plateau at approximately 1,800 feet on Lantau Island. Chapter 7 tells much more about fruit production in the Colony.
POPULATION
More than ninety eight per cent of the entire population is Chinese. The census taken in 1931 showed the population to be