Sections of the Larceny Ordinance were amended and now empower a Magistrate to inflict a maximum penalty of a fine of $250 with the alternative of six months imprisonment for cutting, damaging or being in unlawful possession of trees; the heavier penalties have in many cases acted as a deterrent in cases where the offenders are villagers of long residence, but there is still the problem of the so-called unemployed casual labourer who on the majority of days during the year prefers to steal and sell timber in preference to seeking work; this class of man is most difficult to deal with, chiefly owing to the fact that the temporary inconvenience of a term of imprisonment is not regarded by him as a punishment.
A total sum of $500 was paid as compensation by contractors responsible for damage done to plantations, roadside trees and turf.
Frequent night patrols were carried out by the Supervisor and Forest Guards, many arrests were made, large quantities of timber recovered and many raiders intercepted and driven out of plantations.
Thefts of timber on very dark nights are now very frequent, chiefly as a result of the high prices of firewood and increased lawlessness in the more thickly populated districts; formerly the only night thefts were carried on during the brightest of moonlight nights.
Cases of theft of and damage to plants of the Chinese New Year Flower (Enkianthus quinqueflorus) were again very numerous in Hongkong and the New Territories, for 3 weeks prior to the date of Chinese New Year a close watch was maintained on long distance ferry launches, Yaumati Railway Station and many of the main roads leading from districts where the shrub grows freely; large quantities of the flower were seized and a number of persons charged and convicted.
Forestry Service Paths. All paths which required such treatment were cleared of undergrowth, a number were resurfaced and repaired generally.
Forestry Licences, New Territories.-Fees collected during the year amounted to $4,307.51 as against $3,365.31 in 1924.
NURSERIES, AGRICULTURE ETC.
Fan Ling Experimental Garden.-A large portion of this garden is now used as a nursery for raising young trees which are used for extension of planting at the sides of New Territory roads.
A crop of Perilla ocymoides was grown and the seed when gathered was forwarded to the Imperial Institute for analysis in order to determine the quantity of oil present.