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79. ALEURITES VERNICIA.-(Chinese Varnish and Wood-oil-tree.) A plantation of this on Mt. Parker is flourishing and has entirely met my anticipations. The young trees are of an average height of about 2 feet. The situation of the plantation is well sheltered and the soil is good and deep. Seeds, however, which were sown at the same time near Pokfulam in an equally sheltered position, but where the soil was shallow, and in which there was a large mixture of stones, have
pro- duced trees very inferior to those on Mt. Parker.
80. SOWING BROADCAST in Situ.-In 1883 and 1885 experiments were made of sowing seeds broadcast amongst grass in various places without any preparation of the soil. In two places the results have been very good, and the young trees are so promising that I intend to adopt the method on a larger scale on lands similar to those where the experiments succeeded. The cost has not yet been accurately ascertained, but it appears so small that I believe double the area of that accomplished by transplanting from nurseries can be operated on in an equally successful manner by the new method. The selection and demarcation of the lands suitable for the system will, however, require to be done carefully by European agency, and this, under the present organization of the staff, seems hardly possible with the great amount of other work which demands all available time.
81. BAMBOOS.-In 1885 an operation, which has not yet been reported, was commenced in the Bowrington Plantation of dividing large clumps of bamboos and transplanting them in one of the divisions with a view to the replacement with the bamboos of the pine trees which now exist there, and of the production of a supply of bamboo canes for the use of the department, and probably for sale. The soil and situation is well adapted for the bamboo, and if the whole of the enclosure be planted with bamboo there should in the course of a few years be an annual revenue from that source.
82. I hope to be able to introduce from the bamboo growing districts to the north-west of Canton, and from other places, many of the valuable kinds of bamboo which are of such inestimable use to the Chinese. These will be planted in the Bowrington Plantation, besides placing one specimen of each kind in the collection within the Botanic Gardens.
83. PHYLLANTHUS EMBLICA.-This is a small shrub, a member of the large order of Euphorbiacea, which bears an edible fruit, often an inch in diameter, of a very acid taste, somewhat resembling a hard smooth, round, green gooseberry, and which is apparently palatable to the natives. It is found growing wild scattered about various places in the Colony, not very high above sea-level.
84. The bark is a valuable tanning material, and is in much request by fishermen, so much so that we have great trouble in conserving the shrubs which exist. I am informed that the fishermen place a higher value on it as a tanning material than even on Mangrove bark.
85. I have procured a large quantity of seeds of this plant, and they will be sown in the nurseries with a view to rearing plants for making plantations with. It may be possible that plantations of it will in time be valuable.
86. CLEARING OFF BRUSHWOOD.-The brushwood in some plantations having become ranker than desirable near roads where it impeded free passage of currents of wind, and where it afforded too much cover, I arranged to have the most advanced plantations cleared of the undergrowth. The plantations through which the Peak road passes have been done.
87. Those near Kennedy Road are begun and the work there and in other plantations will be continued when more important works free men to enable them to do it.
88. The clearance of undergrowth will not only be done free of expense to the Government, but a revenue will be collected from it.
89. SPECIMENS FOR INDIAN AND COLONIAL EXHIBITION.-A collection of specimens of wood of different kinds of Hongkong trees was made and taken with me to England, where they were cut and polished, and afterwards named and set up in the Exhibition.
90. Specimens of a large number of articles made from bamboo and used in domestic economy were afterwards collected by the Acting Superintendent and forwarded to the Exhibition.
91. PLANTING OPERATIONS BY CONTRACTS.-These are done under five different contracts. They are:-1. Supplying Seeds, 2. Rearing Trees in Nurseries, 3. Making Tree Pits, 4. Planting Trees, and 5 Rearing Trees in Situ.
92. Prices paid vary somewhat one year with another. For instance the price paid for Seeds in 1885 was higher, with one exception, than at any other time. The contract just made is next to the lowest on record. The contract for 1885 for making Tree Pits was higher, than it was in the two previous years, while that just made is fixed at the same price as the previous one. The 1885 contract for Planting Trees while lower than in some previous ones was about fifty per cent. higher than the last contract for the same kind of work. The 1885 contract for Rearing Trees was lower than it was in the two previous years, but not so low as it was three years before, while it was a good deal higher than the one recently made.
93. Last year's tenders threw out the experienced men who had for several years given satisfac- tion in Rearing Trees. A new man entirely without experience in this work received a contract for all the trees which were wanted. Although the contract price is low, we are paying dearly for the contractor's inexperience as the trees are the most inferior which I remember.