N 5 — 25. Public Playgrounds.—Tree planting was carried out in the following places:- Southorn Playground, Chinese Recreation Ground and Middle Road. These were in the nature of replacements. In regard to Middle Road, very great difficulty was again experienced in affording adequate protection to the trees and it was found necessary to replace 20 out of a total of 40 trees planted in this area.
26. Cheung Chau.-The roadside tree planting was further developed, a total of 610 trees being planted during the year, in various parts of the island.
27. Tai Po Kau Forestry Reserve. This reserve received additions of a planting nature to the extent of 6,823 plants. The following species were planted out- Pinus Khasya Royle, (6,000) Sterculia lanceolata Cav. (40) Mimosa bracatinga Hoehne (352) Quercus spp. (79) Adenanthera pavonina L. (30) Glyptostrobus heterophyllus Endl. (180) Pasania sp. (Kwai Lam Yui- 130) Artocarpus integrifolia L. (10) Rhodoleia Championi Hook. (2). At the same time the nursery beds were kept in condition and large numbers of seedlings of various species were raised. It is interesting to note that Pinus Khasya Royle, has so far been raised successfully and further developments will be awaited with interest.
28. Pinus Merkusii, Jungh, (Sumatra Pine)-Seeds of this pine received from the Principal Forest Officer, Federated Shan States during 1936 and planted in this reserve the same year, are making good progress. As in the case of Pinus Khasya Royle, its further progress will be watched with interest.
29. At the end of the year preparations were in progress to establish plants of Bambusa dolichomerithalla Hayata, in this reserve, with the idea of utilising to a greater extent the bamboos which are of reasonably easy growth in the Colony and which are of economic value.
30. Forest Guards Services.-The year under review produced probably the worst outbreak of forest offences that the Colony has ever experienced. The factors contributing to this state of affairs were (i) the unusually severe typhoon of September 2nd (ii) the influx of refugees due to Sino-Japanese hostilities and (iii) the high price of fuel resulting from a cessation of the usual firewood supplies from South China. Together, these factors produced a situation extremely difficult to control and which resulted in much illicit tree cutting and in wholesale cutting of undergrowth from the hillsides. The problem necessitated much vigilance on the part of the Forest Staff and though at the end of the year with Police co-operation, some progress had been made in controlling the situation, the cutting continued as a serious menace to the forests and hillsides.