111. F-A plantation bordering the Liümún Pass composed of trees which were three years old when planted. It is in a very satisfactory condition.
112. G.-Bordering the Shau-ki Wan Road on the east of the North Point Battery. The winds here are exceedingly trying, but most of the trees, except in very exposed places, are doing well.
113. H. I. J. K. & L.-All at Kowloon, the four former in the valleys on the north-east of the rifle range, and the latter north-west of the Hung-hòm Police Station. These were all sown in situ, and a fair percentage succeeded well.
114. M. On the rough bare hills behind the Kowloon Docks. All planted trees which are thriving well.
1883.-Coloured Yellow.
115. A.-A patch above the Pok-fu Lam Road Quarries in perfect order.
116. B.-A perfect plantation made on the south side of the new Christian Chinese Cemetery near Mount Davis.
117. C.-Sown in situ at about 1,300 feet altitude on the west of Victoria Peak. All have succeeded well.
118. D. On the upper side of the Peak Road commencing at 500 feet altitude and extending to the Gap. All have done well.
119. E. The upper regions of Mount Gough, the Magazine Valley and the Wan-tsai Mountain. The success of the plantation is perfect.
120. F.-Bordering 60 feet wide on each side of the Mount Gough Road. Portions of the road are subject to high winds, which retard the trees in those places, but all are alive and most of them doing well.
121. G.-A considerable area sown in situ to the north of Aberdeen. A good number were washed out by heavy rains, but the remainder look promising.
122. H.-The greater part of the area of the Wan-tsai Road Valley. All of these trees have succeeded.
123. I.-Behind the Buddhist Temple at Causeway Bay. This is a very favourable place for trees, being so well sheltered, and those planted have all succeeded.
124. J.—A kind of plateau on the Black Mountain. The plantation is perfect.
125. K.-A large piece of the hills on the east of Deep Water Bay. The in situ sown trees so far look favourable, but a good number of gaps should be made up next year.
126. L.-I regard this, the largest of in situ sowings, as one of our greatest successes under this system, the seedlings look very healthy and strong and all seem to have grown. It is situated on the north of Mount Parker, commencing near the Sugar Works and extending round to the eastern side of the mountain.
127. The planting of trees is done with probably not more than five per cent of losses. However, to secure this success the most careful daily direction and supervision of the operations is necessary. The selection of sites for plantations is very much dependent on the places which can be secured for nurseries, these are very few and often at great distances apart, and the plantations must be near the nurseries in order to minimise the carrying distances both for ecomony, and to insure the trees being as short a time as possible out of the ground.
128. Sowing in situ is done at less than one third of the cost of planting, therefore even if there are fifty per cent of failures in this system there is still a considerable gain over planting. In situ sowing only succeeds perfectly where the soil is good, where there is a rather luxuriant growth of grass to shelter the tender plants, and where the aspect is not too much exposed to the sun. The in situ work which has been done may be regarded on the whole as a decided success, but the best of the sites have already been taken up, therefore future operations must be of less extent than past ones, while planting must be extended.
129. A large number of trees reared in nurseries have each year been used to fill up vacancies in the in situ sowings of the previous year.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
CHARLES FORD, Superintendent, Botanical and Afforestation
Department.
The Honourable FREDERICK STEWART, LL.D.,
Acting Colonial Secretary,
&c.,
&c.,
&c.