XN000022-1976-04-16 — Page 1

KE GIS 新聞處

DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN

TREE PLANTING FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT

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OVER ONE-SEVENTH OF HONG KONG'S FORESTRY PLANTATIONS WAS AFFECTED BY HILL FIRES IN THE LAST DRY SEASON.

TO REPLANT THE 483,000 TREES DAMAGED, MORE THAN $2.4 MILLION FROM PUBLIC FUNDS WOULD BE NEEDED FOR TREE SEEDLINGS, LABOUR AND FERTILISERS, NOT COUNTING THE SUBSEQUENT COSTS OF TENDING THE YOUNG TREES TILL THEY ARE TALL ENOUGH TO PROVIDE SHELTER AND EFFECTIVE COVER FOR THE SOIL.

IF ONLY THOSE PEOPLE, PROBABLY PICNICKERS AND VILLAGERS WHO CAUSED THE 116 FORESTRY FIRES LAST WINTER HAD KNOWN HOW LONG IT TAKES TO NURSE THE TREE SEEDLINGS AND HOW PATIENTLY FORESTRY STAFF OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT CARED FOR THE GROWING TREES, THEY WOULD HAVE SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT THROWING AWAY LIGHTED CIGARETTE ENDS, BUILDING BARBECUE FIRES IN NON-PERMITTED AREAS, OR USING FIRE IN CLEARING THEIR LAND.

+PREPARATIONS FOR THE PLANTING ON THE HILLS START EARLY IN JANUARY EVERY YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT'S FORESTRY OFFICER, MR. K.C. JU, SAID.

+FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. WORKERS, TRUDGING OVER THE PLANTATIONS WITH THEIR PICKS AND SPADES, DIG EVENLY SPACED PITS FOR THE SEEDLINGS TO BE PLANTED LATER.+

+BECAUSE OF THE HARDNESS OF THE SOIL AND THE TERRAIN, EACH OF THEM CAN DIG ONLY ABOUT THIRTY OR FORTY PITS EACH WORKING DAY,

+THEN, TOWARDS THE END OF APRIL, THEY WAIT FOR THE RAIN. MAKING USE OF THE OPPORTUNITY IMMEDIATELY AFTER A DOWNPOUR OR BEFORE AN EXPECTED SHOWER, THE WORKERS START OUT AGAIN TO PUT THE SEEDLINGS IN PLACE IN THE PITS ALREADY DUG THERE. IT IS IMPRACTICABLE TO WATER LARGE STRETCHES OF GROUND UP IN THE HILLS. PLANTING DEPENDS VERY MUCH UPON THE WEATHER,+ MR. IU ADDED.

BECAUSE OF THE BARREN NATURE OF MOST OF HONG KONG'S SOIL, FERTILISERS ARE APPLIED AT THE TIME OF PLANTING. A SECOND APPLICATION OF FERTILISER IS USED AT THE END OF THE RAINS AND A THIRD THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

+YET EVEN BEFORE THE PITS ARE DUG, MORE FUNDAMENTAL WORK HAS TO BE DONE SOME TEN MONTHS EARLIER, + MR. IU CONTINUED, THE PLANTING STOCK OF SEEDLINGS HAS TO BE RAISED IN THE FORESTRY NURSERY+.

IN A TWENTY-SEVEN-ACRE EXPERIMENTAL FARM TUCKED AWAY AT TAI LUNG. SHEUNG SHUI. THE DEPARTMENT MANAGES A FOREST NURSERY WHICH PRODUCES APPROXIMATELY 500,000 SEEDLINGS AND SAPLINGS EVERY YEAR.

/+EXCEPT

Issued by Government Information Services, Beaconsfield House, Hong Kong. Tel: 5-233191

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