香港政府
GIS 新聞處
DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 190
17
РАН 1
CRADLE FOR A GREENER COUNTRYSIDE
* * * *
TUCKED AWAY IN A REMOTE CORNER IN SHEUNG SHUI IS A SMALL NURSERY WHICH IN EFFECT IS THE CRADLE FOR A GREENER HONG KONG COUNTRYSIDE.
FOR IT IS HERE IN THE FOREST NURSERY OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT AT LIN TONG MEI THAT SOME 500,000 TREE SEEDLINGS ARE RAISED EVERY YEAR FOR PLANTING IN CATCHMENT AREAS AND FOREST PLANTATIONS.
BESIDES ADDING TO THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF HONG KONG, THE YOUNG SEEDLINGS ALSO PROVIDE A PRACTICAL MEANS OF PREVENTING SOIL EROSION.
THE SEEDLINGS IN THE NURSERY MAY BE DIVIDED INTO FORESTRY
O FORES STOCK AND ORNAMENTAL STOCK. THE SPECIES USED IN FORESTRY WORK ARE MAINLY ACACIA, A LOCAL SPECIES- AND SLASH PINE AND BRISBANE BOX TWO 'EXOTICS' ORIGINALLY IMPORTED FROM FLORIDA, U.S.A., AND FROM QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA.
THE ORNAMENTAL STOCK INCLUDES A NUMBER OF 'PECIES, SUCH AS FLAME OF THE FOREST, SPIDER TREE, TUNG OIL TRE, AND BAUHINIA WHOSE FLOWER IS PART OF HONG KONG'S CITY EMBLEM
ACCORDING TO MR. G.C. LAW, OFFICER-IN-CHARGE OF THE NURSERY, THE TIME FROM THE INITIAL SOWING OF THE SEED OR THE MAKING OF A CUTTING TO THE TIME THE TREE IS STRONG ENOUGH TO DE TRANSPLANTED ELSEWHERE, MAY VARY FROM EIGHT MONTHS IN THE CASE OF A SMALL SEEDLING TO MORE THAN TWO YEARS IN THE CASE OF A BIG SHADE TREE OF 10-12 FEET IN HEIGHT.
AFTER GERMINATION, OFTEN UNDER STRAW, THE YOUNG SEEDLINGS ARE SHADED, WATERED AND NURSED UNTIL THEY ARE ABOUT A MONTH OLD WHEN THEY ARE TRANSPLANTED INTO SMALL POLYTHENE BAGS FILLED WITH A MIXTURE OF SOIL, COMPOST AND FERTILIZER.
DURING THE NEXT SEVEN OR EIGHT MONTHS THE YOUNG TREE DEVELOPS IN ITS POLYTHENE DAG REACHING A HEIGHT OF ONE FOOT OR MORE. IT IS THEN BIG ENOUGH TO BE PLANTED OUT ON THE HILLSIDES.
MR. LAW SAID THE WEATHER POSED THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE NURSERY SINCE EXCESSIVE RAIN OR PROLONGED DROUGHT COULD DO A LOT OF HARM TO THE SEEDLINGS. HOWEVER, THIS PROBLEM COULD BE MINIMISED BY PROPER TENDING PROCEDURES.
Issued by Government Information Services, Beaconsfield House, Hong Kong. Tal: 6-233191
/OTHER FROBLEMS