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planted from nurseries in which they have been reared. Under the most favourable conditions plan- tations raised by sowing in situ are perfect, some of the older ones being without a break in their uniformity and never having been filled up.

Cryptomeria japonica.

42. About fourteen thousand of these were procured from Japan for planting in the catchwater area of the Pokfulam Reservoir. This was done, with the approval of the Sanitary Board, in order to vary the uniform gramineous vegetation of the hills for aesthetic effect, the Cryptomeria on account of its persistent leaves being considered the least likely to pollute the water with decaying vegetation. Many of the trees, some months after they were planted, were attacked and killed by white ants which completely destroyed the bark of the stems below ground. The same thing occurred to a few hundred trees planted for experiment in another locality near Aberdeen. The trees which were not attacked by termetes have established themselves and grown well. This is a tree which should in common with most trees be planted before its annual growth begins, but which is unfortunately, also like other trees, in the dry season before the rains are of much benefit to them, and consequently the difficulty of planting the tree extensively is great by reason of scarcity of accessible water for artificial watering.

Camphors.

43. An experiment was tried of planting seedlings five months old when they were about four to six inches high so that they could be planted during June in the rain season and so diminish the cost of planting which attends older trees. The planting would be successful if the continuance of rain at short intervals for a month were assured, but the irregularity of showers leaves intervals of too much dryness which is prejudicial to tender seedlings where they cannot be artificially supplied with water. Of those, however, which were well established, a large number were attacked with Cassytha filiformis, a lauraceous parasite in the form of long thread-like stems which infests and lives upon living grass and other vegetation. In places, especially on the southern side of the island with dry, poor soil and hot aspects the parasite is very abundant amongst grass. It attached itself to the deli- cate sterns of the camphors and extracted all the plants' juices for its own nutriment, the camphors having had to succumb to its oppressive neighbour.

44. The camphor in good soil, which however is a very rare commodity here, will thrive well in moderately sheltered situations up to an altitude of about 500 feet. The degree of altitude in this, as in some other cases in Hongkong, at which trees discontinue to thrive is not regulated by temperature (as might be supposed by the reference to altitude) as by exposure to concentrated and accumulated winds, decreased fertility and depth of soil, and diminution of water in suspension in the soil.

Tristanea conferta.

45. About seventeen thousand were reared from seeds in pots and planted out in the Western District. They were planted at a higher elevation than the older trees which have done so well on lands bordering the eastern end of the city. The higher elevation will probably not be so favourable to growth as the lower one, but during the past year the trees have averaged about 2 feet in new vertical growth, lateral branches having also been developed to a small extent. The tree, like its congener the Eucalyptus, both natives of Australia, has a habit of unusually great vertical development, but its aspect is more pleasing and its foliage, denser than the gum trees. The older trees have again yielded a good supply of seeds, which have been sown and have produced 25,000 seedlings.

Road Planting.

46. As soon as the formation of Lower Richmond Road was sufficiently advanced it was planted along its whole length with trees on one side, the road not being wide enough to permit of two rows being planted. Upper Richmond Road was planted in 1888. The planting of these two new roads has completed the planting of all the roads in that locality which are suitable for the introduction of trees.

47. Steps have also been taken for the planting of such of the new roads at Kowloon as it was considered advisable should be done this year.

48. Kowloon is now provided fairly well with trees, taking into consideration those in private grounds, those in Robinson Road-which I hope may be completed as soon as there is an opportunity -and those which this department has planted on the lands south and north of the rifle butts, and which have with their development so greatly changed the once sterile and treeless aspect of the hills to a scene of greater verdant beauty.

49. As a rule the older roads and streets of the Colony in or immediately adjacent to the city were not, apparently, laid out with consideration being given to the requirements of trees which were subsequently introduced when the inhabitants found how intolerable was the absence of trees in our