60. A stock of seeds of the Chinese tea-oil plant—Camellia drupifera—was obtained and 2,400 patches sown with them. The seedlings survived the trying dry season and promise to do well. If we can succeed in establishing this plant it should be of much value, its products being largely used by the Chinese. A number of plants which were reared in the garden and transferred to prepared ground on the hills have done remarkably well.
61. The coffin-wood tree—Persea nanmu—in the garden continues to thrive. It has now reached 13 feet in height. From it we have again propagated a number of plants by layering, 16 of which have been planted out on the hill. Those which were planted the year before are very healthy and have made good progress.
62. Acorns of Quercus bambusafolia and Q. Harlandii have again been sown interspersed with pine seeds. When sown on the hills the growth is a great deal slower than it is in the nurseries, but it is too soon to form an opinion on their ultimate success. The nursery-raised trees which have been transplanted are all making excellent progress.
63. The older plantations of pines which have become large enough to afford some shelter have received additions of two and three-year-old trees of Pride of India, Bischofia javanica, Mallotus paniculatus, oaks, and rose-apples. These have all succeeded and will eventually with their different forms and colours of foliage afford pleasant variety to the plantations.
64. About one hundred and forty young trees of the Chinese water-cedar—Glyptostrobus heterophyllus—were planted in the swampy ground at the circumference of the Race-course but during the last month or two buffalos got at and did much injury to some of them. A good many were also stolen immediately after they were planted.
65. In accordance with His Excellency the Governor's instructions, about 10,000 gum trees were reared for planting during this year. The result of the planting will be reported next year. They consist of about fourteen species, most of them natives of Queensland. These kinds were selected because they would be more likely to succeed than those which are natives of the colder and more southern climates. It is almost impossible to raise and carry young gum trees through the rainy season, therefore the seeds are not sown until towards the close of it, a time which also brings the trees to fitness for planting at the right season in March and April if the rains set in sufficiently early for the operation. I much regret that our correspondents in Australia were unable to procure seeds of the lemon-scented-gum—Eucalyptus citriodora—in sufficient time for sowing here.
66. The trees of the lemon-scented-gum which I gave the dimensions of in par. 27 of last year's report have continued to thrive, although the growth here cannot be compared with what it is in many other places. The trees are now 23 feet high and 13 inches in circumference of stem. They have gained five feet in height and three inches in circumference during the year.
67. Two of the Mount Gough and two of the Bowrington plantations were systematically thinned for the first time; 4,678 trees were felled and sold; they were sold as they stood, after having been marked, and the purchaser felled them and split the wood on the ground before it was resold for fuel.
68. All the woody creepers, which had begun to damage the trees, in the older plantations were cut during the dry season, and all of the troublesome creeper—Ipomoea tuberculata—which annually grows up and covers many of the trees and bamboo clumps in various parts of the Colony was cut and removed as far as possible. This plant becomes an exceedingly troublesome weed and every effort should be made to exterminate it in places where it can do any damage to trees.
69. The undergrowth in various places in the vicinity of houses has been thinned and reduced in height so as to provide a freer circulation of air and prevent an undue accumulation of decaying vegetable matter. This work was also done at the sides of the Peak Road and round the eastern side of the Happy Valley. At the latter place the thinning was much required to give room for the extension and development of individual trees of many interesting species in the wood which were rapidly being pushed out of existence by overcrowding. The finest wild camphor tree in the Colony which was completely hidden has thus been opened out to view. A large number of indigenous hollies will also now have a chance to become ornamental specimens.
70. During the year many clumps of bamboos which were planted about 15 years ago have flowered and afterwards, as customary after that effort of nature to reproduce itself, in the case of bamboos, died.
71. In the streets and roads there are upwards of 3,600 trees under the management of this department, besides the various rockeries and ferneries. The trees are standing generally at about 30 feet apart and consist chiefly of "banians" Ficus retusa. These trees if at a uniform distance of 30 feet apart would represent an avenue of 10 miles in length. The whole of these have to be pruned about twice a year to keep them within bounds from interfering with adjacent buildings and to permit unimpeded traffic underneath them. I regret to say that every year sees a considerable diminution in
60. A stock of seeds of the Chinese tea-oil plant-Camellia drupifera-was obtained and 2,400 patches sown with them. The seedlings survived the trying dry season and promise to do well. If we can succeed in establishing this plant it should be of much value, its products being largely used by the Chinese. A number of plants which were reared in the garden and transferred to prepared ground on the hills have done remarkably well.
61. The coffin-wood tree-Persea nanmu―in the garden continues to thrive. It has now reached 13 feet in height. From it we have again propagated a number of plants by layering, 16 of which have been planted out on the hill. Those which were planted the year before are very healthy and have made good progress.
62. Acorns of Quercus bambusafolia and Q. Harlandii have again been sown interspersed with pine seeds. When sown on the hills the growth is a great deal slower than it is in the nurseries, but it is too soon to form an opinion on their ultimate success. The nursery raised trees which have been transplanted are all making excellent progress.
63. The older plantations of pines which have become large enough to afford some shelter have received additions of two and three-year-old trees of Pride of India, Bischofia javanica, Mallotus paniculatus, oaks, and rose-apples. These have all succeeded and will eventually with their different forms and colours of foliage afford pleasant variety to the plantations.
64. About one hundred and forty young trees of the Chinese water-cedar---Glyptostrobus hetero- phyllus—were planted in the swampy ground at the circumference of the Race-course but during the last month or two buffalos got at and did much injury to some of them. A good many were also stolen immediately after they were planted.
65. In accordance with His Excellency the Governor's instructions, about 10,000 gum trees were reared for planting during this year. The result of the planting will be reported next year. They consist of about fourteen species most of them natives of Queensland. These kinds were selected because they would be more likely to succeed than those which are natives of the colder and more southern climates. It is almost impossible to raise and carry young gum trees through the rainy season, therefore the seeds are not sown until towards the close of it, a time which also brings the trees to fitness for planting at the right season in March and April if the rains set in sufficiently early for the operation. I much regret that our correspondents in Australia were unable to procure seeds of the lemon-scented-gum-Eucalyptus citriodora-in sufficient time for sowing here.
66. The trees of the lemon-scented-gum which I gave the dimensions of in par. 27 of last year's report have continued to thrive, although the growth here cannot be compared with what it is in many other places. The trees are now 23 feet high and 13 inches in circumference of stem. They have gained five feet in height and three inches in circumference during the year.
67. Two of the Mount Gough and two of the Bowrington plantations were systematically thinned for the first time; 4,678 trees were felled and sold; they were sold as they stood, after having been marked, and the purchaser felled them and split the wood on the ground before it was resold for fuel.
68. All the woody creepers, which had begun to damage the trees, in the older plantations were cut during the dry season, and all of the troublesome creeper-Ipomoea tuberculata which annually grows up and covers many of the trees and bamboo clumps in various parts of the Colony was cut and removed as far as possible. This plant becomes an exceedingly troublesome weed and every effort should be made to exterminate it in places where it can do any damage to trees.
69. The undergrowth in various places in the vicinity of houses has been thinned and reduced in height so as to provide a freer circulation of air and prevent an undue accumulation of decaying vegetable matter. This work was also done at the sides of the Peak Road and round the eastern side of the Happy Valley. At the latter place the thinning was much required to give room for the extension and development of individual trees of many interesting species in the wood which were rapidly being pushed out of existence by overcrowding. The finest wild camphor tree in the Colony which was completely hidden has thus been opened out to view. A large number of indigenous hollies will also now have a chance to become ornamental specimens.
70. During the year many clumps of bamboos which were planted about 15 years ago have flowered and afterwards, as customary after that effort of nature to reproduce itself, in the case of bamboos, died.
71. In the streets and roads there are upwards of 3,600 trees under the management of this department, besides the various rockeries and ferneries. The trees are standing generally at about 30 feet apart and consist chiefly of "banians" Ficus retusa. These trees if at an uniform distance of 30 feet apart would represent an avenue of 10 miles in length. The whole of these have to be pruned about twice a year to keep them within bounds from interfering with adjacent buildings and to permit unimpeded traffic underneath them. I regret to say that every year sees a considerable diminution in
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