Appendix N.
REPORT ON THE BOTANICAL AND FORESTRY DEPARTMENT FOR THE YEAR 1916.
GENERAL REMARKS.
The rainfall for January was the highest on record since 1907, and that for March the lowest since the same year.
The mean temperature for March was between two and three degrees below the average according to the Observatory records.
Trees of Ficus infectoria which usually shed their leaves in February did not do so until the middle of April.
The Pine tree caterpillar, Metanastria punctata, Walk., was discovered in large numbers in nearly all the plantations in Hong-kong and Kowloon in February, but, presumably, owing to the long-continued cold weather they were unable to feed properly and very few developed into chrysalides.
The month of April was very dry which necessitated much watering in the gardens and in young plantations.
In June 32.97 inches of rain fell, which is the highest fall for this month in the period of 24 years of which statistics have been kept in this Department.
On the 2nd June about 500 of the young trees alongside the New Territories roads were more or less damaged by wind but few of them were destroyed.
The third quarter was particularly free from typhoons, and partly due to this the rainfall only amounted to 20.93 inches.
The fourth quarter was the driest on record in the Department, the rainfall being only .92 of an inch.
The absence of rain at the end of the year rendered vegetation on the hills excessively inflammable and many fires occurred.
GARDENS AND GROUNDS.
Botanic Gardens.-The autumn of 1915 and the first month of 1916 were very wet consequently winter-flowering annuals were not up to their usual standard.
Roses flowered exceptionally well, in fact, they have never been better.
Clerodendron splendens made a very fine show in the New Garden at the end of the year.
Several plants of Bougainvillea spectabilis lateritia were obtained from the Botanic Gardens, Singapore, at the request of His Excellency the Governor. Two were planted in the Old Garden where they have made very good progress.
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