N 6
is hoped that a plant house will be erected during the current year) and (iii) clearing and drainage of valley areas. As a result of (i) the area was found to be 337 acres instead of 577 as stated when it was taken over. This has delayed its legal constitution as a forest reserve as it is intended that adjacent land shall be included to bring the area to a total of approximately one square mile.
27. Experiments with the local pine (Pinus Massoniana Lamb.) continued. These cover various methods of planting to obtain firstly, comparative data regarding in situ pit sowing and broadcasting and secondly, data regarding outturn in relation to the local "forest lot" system. Useful information was obtained and the experiments should provide data from which definite conclusions can be drawn. In view of the effect which the large "leased lot" area could have on firewood supplies for the local market and consequently on the economic life of the villages, the results of these experiments ought to be valuable at a later stage.
28. Not a great deal of planting was done during the year, the staff being kept busy in other directions. The following are the chief items of this nature:— Tung Oil (Aleurites montana Wils.) - 458 plants added to the plantation. Bambusa spp. - Bambusa dolichomerithalla Hayata 480; Bambusa tuldoides var. racemosissima - 100; Bambusa pallida Munro - 20. Further details regarding these are given below. Fruit Trees - a consignment of fruit trees from California presented by Professor Groff of Lingnam University, was planted out near the quarters, they consisted of Citrus and stone fruits. Also, 6 plants of the Pecan (Carya Pecan Engl. & Graebn.) were received. There were some failures but it is hoped later on to obtain material from the remainder for grafting on to local stocks. The decision to utilise a small part of this reserve for experiments with fruits has been mentioned under Agriculture.
29. The available information concerning the small Tung Oil (Aleurites montana Wils.) plantation planted up in 1926 has been collected together with a view to getting as complete data as possible. The area of the plot is roughly 21 acres and it carries 1216 trees. There was a fair crop of nuts and, along with samples from other areas in the New Territories, a consignment was forwarded to the Imperial Institute for analysis purposes. These plants are being treated as forest trees as distinct from those at the Sheung Shui experimental garden, which are being treated as an agricultural crop.
30. Protection of Plantations - The clearing of fire barriers and forestry paths was carried out before the commencement of the dry season. The total length of old fire barriers dealt with was 54 miles and that of forestry paths 54 miles. New fire barriers were made totalling 1452 yards. These were made at Mt. Cameron and Fanling reserve respectively.
31. Forest and Hill Fires - The number of fires dealt with during the year was 17. There were 8 on Hong Kong Island and 9 on the mainland. In order to obtain better control of fires which occur on Mt. Cameron new fire barriers have been cut. The usual distribution of handbills and posting of warning notices prior to the Ching Ming and Chung Yeung festivals was carried out. The vernacular press kindly gave prominence to notices requesting all visitors to cemeteries to take precautions against damage by fire.
graves and
32. Entomological Notes - Subsequent to the measures taken to deal with the severe attack of Ips sp. (Bark borer) no further attack of this pest has been recorded. This supports the opinion previously expressed that the attack was probably connected with a weakening of the trees by the severe typhoons of 1936 and 1937. Attacks by the Pine Caterpillar (Dendrolimus punctatus) were confined to small areas and were dealt with by hand picking.
- N 6
is hoped that a plant house will be erected during the current year) and (iii) clearing and drainage of valley areas. As a result of (i) the area was found to be 337 acres instead of 577 as stated when it was taken over. This has delayed its legal constitution as a forest reserve as it is intended that adjacent land shall be included to bring the area to a total of approximately one square mile.
were
27. Experiments with the local pine (Pinus Massoniana Lamb.) continued. These cover various methods of planting to obtain firstly, comparative data regarding in situ pit sowing and broadcasting and secondly, data regarding outturn in relation to the local "forest lot' system. Useful information was obtained and the experiments should provide data from which definite conclusions can be drawn. In view of the effect which the large "leased lot" area could have on firewood supplies for the local market and consequently on the economic- life of the villages, the results of these experiments ought to be valuable at a later stage.
28. Not a great deal of planting was done during the year, the staff being kept busy in other directions. The following are the chief items of this nature :— Tung Oil (Aleurites montana Wils.)-458 plants added to the plantation. Bambusa spp.-Bambusa dolichomerithalla Hayata 480; Bambusa tuidoides var. racemosissima -100; Bambusa pallida Munro-20. Further details regarding these are given below. Fruit Trees-a consignment of fruit trees from California presented by Professor Groff of Lingnam University, was planted out near the quarters, they consisted of Citrus and stone fruits. Also, 6 plants of the Pecan (Carya Pecan Engl. & Graebn.) were received. There were some failures but it is hoped later on to obtain material from the remainder for grafting on to local stocks. The decision to utilise a small part of this reserve for experiments with fruits has been mentioned under Agriculture.
29. The available information concerning the small Tung Oil (Aleurites montana Wils.) plantation planted up in 1926 has been collected together with a view to getting as complete data as possible. The area of the plot is roughly 21 acres and it carries 1216 trees. There was a fair crop of nuts and, along with samples from other areas in the New Territories, a consignment was forwarded to the Imperial Institute for analysis purposes. These plants are being treated as forest trees as distinct from those at the Sheung Shui experimental garden, which are being treated as an agricultural crop.
30. Protection of Plantations-The clearing of fire barriers and forestry paths was carried out before the commencement of the dry season. The total length of old fire barriers dealt with was 54 miles and that of forestry paths 54 miles. New fire barriers were made totalling 1452 yards. These were made at Mt. Cameron and Fanling reserve respectively.
31. Forest and Hill Fires-The number of fires dealt with during the year was 17. There were 8 on Hong Kong Island and 9 on the mainland. In order to obtain better control of fires which occur on Mt. Cameron new fire barriers have been cut. The usual distribution of handbills and posting of warning notices prior to the Ching Ming and Chung Yeung festivals was carried out. The vernacular press kindly gave prominence to notices requesting all visitors to cemeteries to take precautions against damage by fire.
graves and
32. Entomological Notes-Subsequent to the measures taken to deal with the severe attack of Ips sp. (Bark borer) no further attack of this pest has been recorded. This supports the opinion previously expressed that the attack was probably connected with a weakening of the trees by the severe typhoons of 1936 and 1937. Attacks by the Pine Caterpillar (Dendrolimus punctatus) were confined. to small areas and were dealt with by hand picking.
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