SUNDAY, MAY 18, 1980
LIMITED BY THE AVAILABILITY OF SEEDLINGS AS WELL AS MANPOWER, ONLY 200 000 OF THEM WILL BE PLANTED THIS YEAR AT THE BURNT OUT AREAS. ANOTHER 100 000 SEEDLINGS WILL BE PLANTED ON HILLSIDES TO CONTROL EROSION AND FOR LANDSCAPING.
+WE ARE DEFINITELY NOT CATCHING UP WITH THE NUMBER OF TREES DAMAGED, BUT WE ARE DOING THE BEST UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES,+ A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID.
HE POINTED OUT THAT TREE PLANTING WAS NOT A SIMPLE PROCEDURE OF MERELY THROWING HANDFULS OF SEEDS ON THE GROUND AND LEAVING THE REST TO NATURE.
+IT IS A TEDIOUS TASK INVOLVING PROLONGED PERIODS OF PREPARATION AND AFTERCARE,+ HE SAID.
THE SEEDS HAVE FIRST TO BE COLLECTED AND SOWN IN SEEDBEDS. WHEN THEY HAVE GERMINATED, THEY ARE TRANSPLANTED TO POLYTHENE TUBES OF SOIL AND ARE TENDED FOR 10 MONTHS TO ONE YEAR UNTIL THEY ARE HARDY ENOUGH TO BE TAKEN OUT OF THE NURSERY AND PLANTED IN THE WILD.
EVERY YEAR, STARTING IN JANUARY, WORKERS CARRYING HEAVY PICKS AND SPADES TRUDGE UP THE HILLS AND DIG PITS IN PREPARATION FOR THE PLANTING SEASON. IN THE PAST, THE PITS WERE EVENLY SPACED IN ROWS. THEY ARE NOW ARRANGED ASYMMETRICALLY TO GIVE THE WOODLAND A MORE NATURAL APPEARANCE.
SHORTLY BEFORE THE RAINS COME, THE SEEDLINGS ARE PLACED IN THESE PITS ONE AT A TIME WITH A HELPING OF FERTILIZERS TO START THEM ON THEIR NEW LIFE. THEREAFTER, FERTILIZERS ARE APPLIED AT REGULAR INTERVALS. NEXT COMES A LONG PERIOD OF TENDING BEFORE THEY GROW TO THEIR FULL HEIGHT IF THEY ARE NOT BURNT DOWN BEFORE THIS.
+CARE IS ALSO TAKEN IN THE SELECTION OF TREES FOR PLANTING. WE ARE TURNING MORE AND MORE TO NATIVE SPECIES WHICH BLEND IN WITH THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT FAR MORE NATURALLY THAN THOSE ORIGINATING FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
ANOTHER MEASURE TO IMPROVE THE NATURAL LOOK OF OUR COUNTRYSIDE IS THE INTRODUCTION OF GREEN FIREBREAKS IN PLACE OF THE TRADITIONAL BARE ONES.
THESE ARE FORMED BY PLANTING FIRE-RESISTANT SPECIES OF VEGETATION CLOSELY TOGETHER TO FORM A BELT. IT TAKES MUCH LONGER TO BURN THROUGH AND SO GIVES THE FIREFIGHTERS TIME TO STOP THE FIRE FROM SPREADING. THEY ARE ATTRACTIVE AND EFFECTIVE AND DO NOT BRING ABOUT EROSION PROBLEMS.
+EVERY POSSIBLE MEANS IS BEING EXPLORED AND EVERY EFFORT IS MADE BY OUR STAFF TO PRESERVE THE CHARM AND NATURAL BEAUTY OF THE COUNTRYSIDE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
+
+HOWEVER, WE MUST HAVE THE BACKING OF A CARING PUBLIC WHO HAVE RESPECT FOR THE COUNTRY CODE AND FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONSERVATION OF OUR ENVIRONMENT,
HE STRESSED.
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