422
JUNGLE FIRES.
43. The fires were only 36, not much over half the number of those in 1893, but the damages which resulted from them were six times as great as in that year.
44. The neighbourhood of Aberdeen was distinguished by the greatest number and destructiveness of fires, two only of which were responsible for the destruction of 21,000 trees.
45. Tytam Tuk was the next locality on the list of destructive fires, four occurred in one day; they were caused by shells (?) fired from field-guns by the Volunteers while they were practising on January 3rd. About 3,000 well-grown trees were destroyed by these fires in what was one of the prettiest pieces of woodland scenery in the island. It will be many years, unfortunately, before the places can be restored to their former beauty. Similar practice should never be repeated during the dry season in any locality where there will be any danger of conflagrations.
46. The spring and autumn Chinese ancestral worship at tombs was well guarded as usual by a large body of men being posted all over the island to subdue any fires which might arise, and in consequence of these precautions but little damage was done.
The posting of notices cautioning worshippers to be careful in the use of fire has had a very good effect in educating the people, who seem willing to exercise care as requested.
47. The total number of trees destroyed by fire was 26,886.
TYPHOONS.
48. The trees of the Colony since the September typhoon of 1874 have never suffered so severely as they did from the typhoon in October of 1894.
49. On the morning of October 7th many of the streets and roads were blocked by fallen trees of small and large dimensions. Trees which had withstood the storms of 44 years were prostrated. No less than 76 trees were thus destroyed. The forestry staff, assisted by a large number of coolies, was distributed and set to work to clear the roads sufficiently for traffic, and before night no road was left entirely blocked. The entire removal of the fallen trees occupied several weeks.
For the work of clearing streets and roads I was fortunately able to obtain at once, by special arrangement, the services of 10 trained wood-cutters from the contractor who had the annual contract for thinning plantations.
50. The trees on the hills east and west of the Happy Valley suffered very severely when the wind swept down from the gap to the south of Wongneichung village. Pine trees of all sizes up to 43 years old and 6 feet in circumference of stem were strewed over the ground in all directions, especially on the eastern bill, but most of the largest ones came down in consequence of having had their large roots cut when excavations were made to obtain soil for filling in the ground within the Race Course a few years ago.
The loss of these fine trees is very regrettable, especially as the loss might have been avoided if soil had been obtained from some place, which was possible, where no trees of such value need have been sacrificed.
51. Branches of Araucaria Cunninghamii were found at the Kowloon Docks, and as there are no trees at Kowloon from which these could have been deposited at the docks there is circumstantial proof that they were wrenched off large trees which were destroyed by the typhoon at East Point and carried by the wind, when the full force of the typhoon was blowing, across the harbour, a distance of just 2 miles.
52. Young pine trees on the hills all over the island, on Applichau island and in Kowloon were bent over when the soil was saturated with the storm rain, and they were unable to recover their upright positions when the storm had passed. As soon as the clearing of the roads was completed a large staff of men was employed up to December 27th in placing and securing these trees in an upright position again. About 200,000 trees were thus set up at a cost of close on $300 for wages. Trees which had been planted upwards of six years suffered very little except in some places where the force of the wind was concentrated, as in gaps between two hills and on exposed breasts of hills, in which places leaves were almost destroyed.
53. This was the first really serious typhoon which had visited the Colony since the afforestation of the island had commenced. It was predicted by some that violent storms would undo all our work in re-clothing the hills. The result of the trial which the trees went through in 1894 is sufficiently convincing that the theory which was entertained by those people was unsound. Some damage is inevitable, here as in all countries, from the effects of storms, and must always be allowed for.
PLAGUE OF CATERPILLARS.
*(EUTRICHA PUNCTATA, WALK.)
54. A report on this plague has already been furnished to the Government by my Assistant, Mr. TUTCHER. It is therefore necessary now only to supplement that report, which was called for by His Excellency the Governor, during my absence from the Colony, shortly before the measures which I organized for the extirpation of the pest had been successfully terminated.
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* In the Kew Bulletin for November 1891 where the Hongkong Caterpillar Plague is referred to. the moth is referred to as Metanastria punctata, Walk. I presume that the generic name Metaustria has been adopted instead of Eutricha, which was given to me by Dr. GÜNTHER, Keeper of the Department of Zoology of the South Kensington Museum, when specimens which I sent to him were identified.
The Bulletin also states that the species is apparently not known out of South China, but is not remote, according to Mr. W, F. H. BLANDFORD, F.E.S., from the European Gastropacha pini.