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One new fire barrier 14 miles in length was made in Plantation 70, below Matilda Hospital, Mount Kellet.
The total lengths of old barriers cleared before the dry season amounted to 184 miles in the New Territories, 17 miles in Hong- kong and 5 miles at Fan Ling.
Remoral of trees.
At Shing Mun large numbers of Pinus Massoniana and other native trees were removed at the request of the Public Works Department to allow of road-building and other works; in both Hongkong and Kowloon the sale of land for building lots has necessitated the removal of many thousands of trees
"
One very fine specimen of Bombux malabaricum had to be sacrificed at Jardine's Hill", Praya East, to allow of road improvements.
The usual removal of undergrowth as part of the campaign against malaria was conducted throughout the whole year, the total area cleared amounting to over 7,600,000 square feet while the total area cleared for survey purpose by P.W.D. 7,000,000 square feet.
Nurseries, Agriculture, &c.
In the 9A Nursery, Kowloon, six thousand young Camphor were raised and planted out and a large stock of “Jak" (Artocarpus integrifolia) and Water Pine (Glyptostrobus heterophyllus) now in the beds are available for planting at any time.
The whole of the beds in the Little Hongkong Nursery were sown with Camphor seeds and over 5,000 young trees raised in readiness for the replanting of the adjoining cleared area of Little Hongkong Forest.
At the Fan Ling Experimental Garden a crop of Perilla ocymoides grown from seed was tried and grew well but the yield of seed was very small and insufficient to crush for the determination of the quantity of oil present.
Young trees of Aleurites montana continue to do well and a large number are now ready for roadside planting, next year.
The first and second crops of rice were good and the Smooth Cayenne pine apples fruited well, the fruit is much heavier than that of the local species and of a superior flavour.
Some trees of "Buddha's Finger Citron" (Citrus Medica, var Cherocarpus) which were procured from Wat Nam in 1922 produced about 30 very large fruits.
Eleven thousand six hundred and sixty-one packages contain- ing 1,465,360 bulbs of Narcissus Tazetta were inspected and certified for export to the United States of America, Honolulu, Canada and the United Kingdom.
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(e.)—LAND GRANts and General VALUE OF LAND.
The net amount of premium received from sales of Crown Land exclusive of the New Territories for the year 1924 was $1,657,686.60 a decrease of $1,234,759.18 on the preceding year but $137,515 more than the average for the previous five years,
The principal items were $90,025 for Inland Lot No. 2462, $62,000 for Inland Lot No. 2366, $60,000 for Inland Lot No. 2479, $162,231 for Rural Building Lot No. 245, and $217,100 for Kowloon Inland Lot No. 1736.
In the New Territories the net amount received for premium was $245,130.76, the principal item being $16,400 for New Kowloon Inland Lot No. 570.
A considerable number of lots have been resumed in the course of the year in connection with the Town Planning and other development schemes, in many cases new lots have been granted in exchange for lots surrendered for the purpose of giving effect to the Town Planning Scheme.
The total area of land sold or granted during the year was 418 acres 3 roods 8 poles of which 410 acres I rood 83 poles were dealt with by the District Officers.
The total area of land resumed was 294 acres 3 roods 14 poles.
The number of deeds registered in the Land Office was 6,000, 837 less than the year 1923, which was a record year. The aggregate consideration set out in deeds registered in the Land Office was $184,103,616.75 as against $223,828,607.85 in 1923.
Considerable progress has been made with the Town Planning Scheme on the Eastern side of the Kowloon Peninsula and also in New Kowloon,
In the Northern District of the New Territories the demand for building sites and land generally continued to be brisk during the first half of the year and good prices were obtained, in the Southern District the demand for agricultural land everywhere was weak whilst for building land it continued strong. In both Districts the introduction of a condition of sale restricting alienation before fulfilment of the building covenant seems to have eliminated the speculator and given genuine buyers a better chance.
Development continues in some districts in the New Territories, another large area for brickworks at Castle Peak was sold early in the year and several lots were acquired for industrial purposes at Tsing Yi and Ts'un Wan.
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