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Guards encountered considerable difficulty in two or three cases in bringing persons arrested for Forestry Offences to the Police Stations as the residents of the villages which the Forest Guards had to pass came out in force and released the prisoners.
80. Revenue Felling.-About 70 acres were felled at 6E, Aberdeen, and about 140 acres at 7D, Aberdeen, under the tree felling contract. The original contractor was unable to carry on the work and the contract was transferred to his sureties to carry on the felling up to the end of October, after which date no other plantations were to be felled.
81. The total amount of revenue derived from timber felling was $4,694.90.
82. Grass-cutting.-The cattle dealers at Kennedy Town petitioned the Government for permission to cut grass on the hillsides for their cattle, and they were informed that they would be granted permits to cut grass in certain areas on payment of an annual fee. No application on these conditions has been received.
83. The villagers of Aberdeen made a request for permission to cut grass for their own use and localities were pointed out to them where they could get the necessary supplies.
84. Planting and Care of Roadside Trees.-Between 800 and 900 trees were planted on roads and on banks near roads in Hong Kong and Kowloon. These comprised Camphors, Albizzias, Celtis, Bainans, and a large proportion of flowering trees such as Erythrina, Bauhinia, Cassia and Poinciana.
85. The amount spent on trimming, planting and general upkeep of the above was $1,132.32. On account of the frequency with which young trees were blown over during the year more attention than usual had to be given them.
86. Shataukok-Castle Peak Road.-Planting was carried out on both sides of this road and between 4,000 and 5,000 trees were used. The cost of planting was $195.60. The trees used were Melaleuca, Tristania and Ficus infectoria.
87. Nurseries, Agriculture and Economic Planting.-The Lucerne referred to in last year's report did not prove any more satisfactory than that experimented with on previous occasions.
88. The huskless oats, also mentioned in the 1910 report, grew well and produced a good crop of oats and straw in the Kanghau Nursery but a poor crop of oats in the Sukunpo Nursery. Seeds of these oats were given to the Dairy Farm Co. for trial.
89. Mr. C. V. Piper, Fodder Expert of the United States Department of Agriculture, passed through Hongkong on his way to Manila, and presented to this Department several kinds of grass