M 10
During the year several local residents interested in Botany have made use of the collections in connection with their studies.
A list of additions to the local flora is given in a supplement.
FORESTRY.
Formation of Pine Tree Plantations.-Over 27,000 one-year old pine tree seedlings were planted in 9 on the bare hills near the south face of the Beacon Hill tunnel and over 7,000 sites were sown with seeds.
On hills covered with grass in 9 and 95, 185 lb of Pine seed were sown broadcast and there are now thousands of seedlings to be seen in these areas.
In the Tytam catchment area 15,000 sites were sown with seeds and at Aberdeen 9,500 sites.
Broad-leaved Trees Planted. On the hills around the Cheung-shawan reservoir 1,000 Melaleuca and 1,000 Ficus were planted.
Over 3,000 trees were planted in the Tytam catchment area consisting principally of Melaleuca, Eucalyptus and Tristania.
Cure of Trees in Plantations.--Towards the end of January the caterpillar of Metanastria punctata, Walker, was discovered in large numbers on the young pine trees in the plantations on the south side of the Kowloon hills.
Arrangements were made to collect and pay for them by weight and the first collections were made on the 30th January.
From that date up to and including the 12th March, when very few caterpillars remained, collections were made almost daily.
Altogether over 19 tons by weight, estimated to contain upwards of 12,000,000 caterpillars, were collected and destroyed.
As the caterpillars when full-grown are from 23/4 inches to 3 inches long, if placed end to end they would have formed a line something like 500 miles in length.
They were weighed and paid for either by myself or Mr. Green and afterwards buried under the supervision of one of us near the plantations where they were collected.
Myself or Mr. Green had to devote at least half a day to this work during the six weeks that the collecting was in progress.
The prompt measures taken were eminently satisfactory as very few trees indeed were much damaged.
The Assistant Superintendent, who was frequently employed on the hills long after office hours, co-operated most loyally and heartily in the work.