1904-1919
HONG KONG, 194.
11.
The sugar industry in the Colony during 1904 resulted in large profits to the two local refineries. Owing to the scarcity of supplies in consequence of the large deficiency in the European beet crop, prices gradually advanced throughout the year, without checking demand; the quantity of refined sugar consumed in China largely exceeding that of any previous year, whilst there was also a good demand from other markets.
Forty-one steam launches and other vessels with an aggregate tonnage of 7,290 were built during the year.
The other large industries in the Colony connected with repairing and docking ships and the manufacture of cement and rope, are in a prosperous condition.
(C.) FISHERIES.
A considerable proportion of the boat-population of Hong Kong supports itself by deep-sea fishing, in which pursuit a large number of junks are engaged. The villages of Aberdeen, Stanley, Shaukiwan, and many others in the New Territory are largely dependent upon this industry for their prosperity. Freshwater fish is imported from Canton and the West River. Rules for the regulation, control, and licensing of oyster fisheries in the New Territory were made during the year.
(D.) FORESTRY, BOTANICAL SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURE.
111,198 trees were planted in Hong Kong during the year including 105,645 pine and 1,978 camphor trees. It was proposed at the commencement of the year to introduce a scheme for felling and re-planting pine forests on the block system with a twenty-five years rotation. But as the scheme was looked upon with ill-favour by the public and as the opinion was expressed in well-informed quarters that a longer period of rotation was preferable, it was decided to suspend felling operations while the advice of the Indian Government was obtained. A scheme of issuing forestry licences in the New Territories was initiated in the hope of inducing the Chinese to adopt more economical methods in dealing with the considerable plantations of pine trees formed before the cession of the Territories, and with the object of tempting them to take up fresh areas of waste lands for further planting. The small area available for rice cultivation and the unfertility of the soil combine to prevent agriculture from becoming a prominent industry in the Colony. The low-lying land in the New Territories is probably utilised to nearly the fullest extent possible, and it is therefore from the profitable cultivation of the steep hill slopes that any increase in the productiveness of the Territories may be derived. In this connection the cultivation of pine apple and experiments that are being made with sisal hemp are of much interest.
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