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hot glaring tropical summers. The trees which were planted and maintained at great cost and with much care have developed in spite of the disadvantages of crippled space for growth of head and roots into objects of beauty which cast agreeable shade affording relief from the burning sun and intense glare and heat which was experienced before the introduction of trees. Many trees have yearly to be sacri- ficed to make room for extensions of buildings which, however, in many cases, provide in themselves a partial substitute for the trees. It is only necessary to picture what some streets and roads without trees would be to insure the most careful guardianship of what has been attained in spite of considerable difficulties. There may be some disadvantages which follow in the wake of trees, but the immense advantages will be generally considered to far outweigh them.

50. In places where land may not be too valuable for such a purpose it would be very desirable for the sake of further extension of tree planting in roads if it were possible that future new ones could be made of sufficient width to allow the possibility of a moderate regular development of the heads of the trees on all sides, instead of, as at present, extension on the side next buildings being so much restricted. The result of this one sidedness is that as trees develop chiefly on one side they are gradually dragged down by the weight of the head from an upright position to one inclining over the roadway, the incline in time becoming so great that for safety limbs have to be cut off and ultimately, in many cases, entire trees have to be removed.

Nurseries.

51. The Government possesses land for only one tree nursery in Hongkong. The many nurseries throughout the island in which trees for the Government are annually reared by contract are obtained by the Contractor from squatters on payment of rent for the one year during which the trees are grown in the nurseries. After the trees are taken from the nurseries the squatters resume the cultivation of rice and vegetables in the ground. Although this alternation of crops restores fertility to the soil, it only does so to a partial extent, never apparently returning all which the trees have taken out of the soil. The very limited amount of cultivable land, and the still smaller portions which squatters are willing to let to the Contractor has rendered it necessary to use the same ground over and over again during some years, this continual cropping with trees, and the somewhat meagre fertilizing agents used by the squatters in the intervals, have begun to affect the quality of nursery trees. It is difficult to remedy this under existing arrangements whereby the Government holds so little cultivable land of its own.

52. The rearing of certain trees in pots has necessitated the use, in addition to the one Government nursery, being made, for nursery purposes, of a portion of the Bowrington plantation, marked on maps as "Public Gardens." This name, adopted twenty years ago, is misleading, as the land was never a public garden in any sense, but in the first instance was thickly planted with forest trees only and to within the last few years it has been nothing but a plantation.

Planting Statistics.

*

53. The numbers and kinds of trees planted, and the localities in which they were placed are given in the appendix and on the accompanying map. The numbers and localities have been given in former reports, but the map is furnished this year in addition in order to show approximately the positions of the plantations in compliance with instructions recently received. In the absence of suitable maps of the Colony and of facilities for laying down precise areas, which I have explained in another place, only roughly approximate indications on the map are practicable. The plots referred to are coloured vermillion and each one is marked with a letter of the alphabet, and the numbers of trees planted are marked by its side, corresponding letters and detailed figures being given in the table of statistics. This, although not so perfect as I could desire, will, I trust, meet that which is required. The statistics include trees planted in November and December, 1888, this being properly the beginning of the planting season of 1889.

Thinning Plantations and removal of Brushwood.

54. The thinning of plantations was confined to the few first months of the year, the usual work of the latter end of the season having been postponed to this year, therefore, the number of trees thin- ned was relatively small. At the present time something like 40,000 trees require removal for the benefit of the permanent ones.

55. Removal of brushwood or undergrowth has, as usual, been conducted throughout the year, this work now giving almost continuous employment to a gang of men. The work is generally per- formed not only at no expense to the Government but a small income is obtained derived from the sale of the brushwood. There are some exceptions to this such as where the undergrowth is not large enough to be of saleable value, in which cases the work is performed by the forestry staff in the inter- vals between other more important work.

56. Some alarm, which, from my experience, I cannot but regard as unnecessary, seems to have been allowed to have had some disturbing influence in some quarters in regard to what is called under- growth. The origin of the alarm may have been associated with dense undergrowth which exists in other countries under conditions widely differing from those prevailing in Hongkong, what little there

* Not printed.