448
DESTRUCTION OF TREE-TERNA
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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| June 12, 1895.
in some cases, but in most instances few or no | having had their large roots out when excara- | by weight, all caterpillars which might be sooda were ripened..
tions were made to obtain soil for filling in the brought in; at the same time printed notices in ground within the racecourse a few years ago. Chinese offering payment for caterpillars were The loss of these fine trees is very regrettable, posted all over the colony. Funds for disburse especially as the loss might have been avoided ment on account of the work were advanced to if soil had been obtained from some place, which the West Point, Pokfulam, Aberdeen, Shauki- was possible, where no trees of such value need war, and No. 2 Police Stations in Hongkong, have been sacrificed.
and to those of Yaumati and Hunghom in Kow- loon.
During the early period when the bubonic plague was prevalent the planta on the hills of a native tree-fern (Brainea insignia, Hook.) were esposed, to the risk of extermination by coolies who daily went to the hills to obtain supplies of ¿the; stems, for medicine for the use of plague patients. I was informed that a decoction of the stems; was made and used as a cooling bever
THINNING OF PLANTATIONS, &C., AND SALE OF
FORESTRY PRODUCTS.
The thinning of plantations has kept pace with the requirements of the standing trees. The number of trees removed was 31,415 as against 31,643 of the previous year. Of this sumber there were over a few hundreds of large old trees which were blown down by the October typhoon.
The revenue from forestry products was $770,22, an increase of nearly $200 on that of the year 1893.
PROTECTIVE SERVICE. -
ог
By the agency of the Forest Guards, 106 cases of offences in the nature of damages to destruction of trees were dealt with by the Magistrate; 94 convictions were obtained. Fines amounting to $145 were paid by 36 convicted persons. The highest fine was $25 and the lowost $1.
The number of trees surreptitiously cut down, of which it has been possible to obtain records, was 600, not a large number when it is compared with the quantity of trees under conservation, but it is a slight increase over those of the previous year.
JUNGLE FIRES.
The fires were only 36, not much over half the number of those in 1893, but the damages which resulted from wore six times as great as in that year.
The neighbourhood of Aberdeen was distin- guished by the greatest number and destructive- ness of fires, two only of which were responsible for the destruction of 21,000 trees.
Operations.commenced on May 24th, and on the 25th all the receiving stations were actively employed. In a short time there seemed no limit to the number of workers who could be obtained, whole families going to the hills to collect. At the busiest time there were probably over 1,000 people employod, and so, great was the quantity of caterpillars brought in that the work of weighing them and paying away money; which was done daily, became a very severe task, occupying the greater portions of the after- noons. As the caterpillars increased in size,- and therefore became easier to collect, the price offered was gradually reduced, and it was in.. work of collecting as the caterpillars became to like manner increased again in proportion to the
scarcer.
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.
Young pine trees on the hille all over the island, on Applichan island and in Kowlcon 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 com pleted a large staff of men was employed up to December 27th in placing and securing. trees in an upright position again. About 200,000 trees were thus set up at a cost of loose. Trees which had been on $3,000 for wages. 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.
About the 12th of June nearly all the cater- pillars had been collected, and as cocoons were forming the work of collecting them was then commenced and it was practically completed by the middle of July.
Communications were maintained daily by telephone or writing between the Gardens and This was the first really serious typhoon the police stations, instructions being issued as which had visited the colony since the affores required. and reports being sent in daily from the tation of the island had commenced. It was police stations, so that the Superintendent was predicted by some that violent storms would in constant touch with all the work which was ando all our work in re-clothing the hills. The going on. In addition, the Superintendent made result of the trial which the trees went through visits of inspection as frequently as his ab- in 1894 is sufficiently convincing that the theory sence from head quarters could be spared. The which was entertained by those people was un-head forester and one olerk were employed sound. Some damage is inevitable, here as in almost daily for two months in conveying sup- all countries, from the effects of storms, and plies of money to the stations, 95 advances having must always be allowed for.
been made in this manner.
THE CATERPILLAR PLAGUE OF 1894.
The Superintendent of the Botanical and Afforestation Department, in his annual report writes as follows concerning the plague of caterpillars (Eutricha punctata, Walk.) which visited the colony last year :-
Tytam Tuk was the next locality on the list of destructive fires; four occurred in one day; they were caused by shells (P) fired from field. Funs by the Volunteers while they were practis, ing 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 A report on this plagne has already been fur. the island. It will be many years, unfortunately, nished to the Government by my Assistant, Mr. before the places can be restored to their former Tutcher. It is therefore necessary now only to beauty. Similar practice should never be re-supplement that report, which was called for by posted during the dry season in any locality His Excellency the Governor, during my absence where there will be any danger of conflagrations, from the colony, shortly before the measures The spring and autumn Chinese ancestral which I organized for the extirpation of the pest worship at tombs, was well guarded as usual by a had been successfully terminated. large body of men being posted all over the island to subdueany fires which might arise, and in consequence of these precautions but little damage was done.
The posting of notices osutioning worshippers 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.
The total number of trees destroyed by fire tas 28,886.
TYPHOONS,
The trees of the colony since the September typhoon of 1874 have never suffered so severelá as they did from the typhoon in October of 1894, 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 rond was left entirely blocked. The entire removal of the fallen trees occupied several weeks.
•
In the beginning of March I observed the cater pillar of this moth on trees at North Point. but it existed only in very small numbers on a few trees. I kept it under very careful observation and found towards the end of April that it had appeared in many other localities, but there did not then seem any reason to suppose that it was necessary to adopt more special means for its destruction than in the previous two years. However, in May its extremely rapid increase in numbers and in size demonstrated an usual visitation, and on May 15th I reported to the Government its presence and advised that immediate steps should be taken to destroy it. My recommendations met with His Excellency the Governor's approval, and I was at once provided with all the means and assistance which I had represented was necessary to carry out the work, and a careful organization was quickly completed.
The Government was kept constantly in- formed of the progress of the work.
Mr. Tutcher rendered efficient and willing service in assisting to carry ont the arrangements which were planned for the extirpation of the plague, and in supervising the completion of the work which remained to be done (chiefly the collection of cocoons) at the time when the Superintendent was satisfied that the work was 8 nearly complete that he could go on vacation leave, which he had postponed while his presence was required to conduct the work.
Statistios of the work were carefully kept, and these enabled Mr. Tutcher, together with useful observations which he had made when inspecting plantations, to draw up the report which he sub- mitted on the 10th of July,
This year the caterpillar re-appeared in April, but not in greater numbers than half a dozen coolies, who are still daily employed, have been able to destroy as fast as discovered. In the discovery of caterpillars the forest guards ars employed to inspect trees, and to report daily, while they are engaged in their ordinary work.
The caterpillars were in myriads on nearly all the pine trees of the colony, but they were much more numerous in certain places. These were Aberdeen New Road, Deep Water Bay, Cause- way Bay, Quarry Bay. and Mt. Parker in Hong kong, and near Yaumati in Kowloon. The trees in those places were almost entirely denuded of their leaves. Many trees, which had been thus denuded and which were growing on unusually barren and dry soil, eventually died, but other trees made new, but weak, growth when the rains arrived; now, all are making new shoots of in- creased vigour, which promise complete recovery from the attack.
The work to be accomplished was so extensive
After the work of collecting had been in opera- that it was necessary to secure suxilliary sid This, fortunately, existed at the various police tion some time and the trees were getting cleared, stations throughout the island and Kowloon, and I took the precaution of posting men along the this assistance was, on application, placed at once boundary which divides British Kowloon from For the work of clearing streets and roads. I at my disposal, with the sanction of the Govern-Chinese territory in order to intercept people who, was fortunately able to obtain at once, by specialment, by Mr. May, Captain Superintendent of might be tempted to bring in caterpillars from China for payment at our stations. This was arrangement, the services of 40 trained wood- Police. outters from the contractor who had the anunal
found to be a necessary precaution, as, in a few contract for thinning plantations.
days, what was expected took place, and many people were turned back who were in possession of loads of caterpillars.
The first steps taken were to employ a portion of the permanent staff of the department to The trees on the hills east and west of the collect caterpillars, in order to ascertain what Happy Valley suffered very severely when the would be a fair price to offer for them and then wind swept down from the gap to the south of to communicate the information to the labour- Wongnaichung village. Pine trees of all sizesing classes in the town and villages that all who "P
» to 43 years old and 6 feet in circumference of were inclined for the work would be employed to stem were strewed over the ground in all direc-pollect caterpillars. tions, especially on, the eastern hill, but most of Instructions were sent to the officers in charge the largest ones came down in consequence of 1'of certain polios stations to receive and pay for,
The exact quantity of caterpillars collected was 60,579 cafties (36 tons 1 cwt, 0 gr. 20lbs.) and of cocoons 5,617 catties (3 tons 6 owt. 3 qrs. 13lbs.) and the total cost of the work, exclusive of wages of members of the permanent staff whò were employed, was $4,889.95.