Sessional_Paper_1892 — Page 356

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Hooker's Icones Plantarum. Vol. XI. Parts II. and III. 1891, From Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Index Flora Sinensis. Vol. XXVI. Part 176. Journal of Botany, 1891. Purchased.

List of Medicines Exported from Hankow and

other Yangtsze Ports. Purchased. Manual of Forestry. Schlich. Vol. II.

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of Injurious Insects, Ormerod. Second

Edition. Purchased.

Ordinances of Hongkong. Vols. I. to IV. Port Catalogues of the Chinese Customs Collection

at Vienna Exhibition, 1893. Purchased. Proceedings of the Agri-Horticultural Society of

Madras, July to Dec., 1890, Jan.-June, 1891.

Report Agricultural Conference, Brisbane, 1891.

Botanic Gardens, Ceylon, 1890.

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Natal, 1890. Singapore, 1890. Trinidad, 1890.

of Agriculture Department, Capetown.

of Medical Department, Hongkong.

of Missouree Botanic Gardens for 1890.

On Progress and Condition of Govern- ment Botanic Gardens Saharanpur and Missouree for year ending 31st March, 1891.

Suggestions for Building a Cool Dairy, Depart- ment of Agriculture, Brisbane, No. 11, Sept., 1891.

Government House Grounds.

16. On the completion of the new annex to Government House advantage was taken of the opportunity when surroundings had to be put in order of re-arranging the whole of the ground up to Albert Road. New walks and drains were made around the new building and a new approach made to the stables so that the latter, by judicious planting, was screened from view as much as possible.

FORESTRY.

17. In past years when the Island was treeless except in a few restricted areas as the Happy Valley, Little Hongkong, and Tytam, and when consequently the choice of lands possessing fairly suitable conditions for tree growth was not so circumscribed as it now is large areas could be found where soil, water, and shelter-three important conditions which must exist where trees will flourish- were present, these circumstances enabled operations of tree planting being carried out on a large scale, but, as suitable lands have become scarcer by large portions being yearly brought within the planted areas it has become necessary to begin to gradually reduce the actual planting. Planting operations are regulated by water supplies which must exist for providing young trees with water as soon as they are planted. The time of year when the regular monsoon rains commence being too late for general forest-tree planting artificial watering must be resorted to when there are no showers to naturally moisten the ground. The lands within convenient distances of perennial streams having now been mostly planted the difficulty of carrying on planting operations is greater than ever, therefore it will be necessary to limit the work very much to such as can be done when early rains afford the desired moisture. I prefer to have general planting finished by the middle of May.

18. The development of plantations will, by their increasing demands for attention in thinning and protection, absorb any time of controlling officers which may be saved by a decrease in planting works, and they will need a slight increase of expenditure in protection, but this increase will be only a small sum compared with that saving which will be effected by the decrease in planting.

The revenue derived from thinnings of plantations will more than meet the increase for protection. 19. Natural regeneration, which costs nothing but its protection, is making considerable_progress now that it has been possible to exert a large controlling influence over the inhabitants who at one time were in the habit of cutting for firewood nearly everything which was worth carrying away. The natural regeneration which is going on is produced by offshoots from stumps of trees and shrubs formerly cut down, and from seeds naturally distributed.

20. Simultaneously with the filling up of treeless land, and increased difficulty of planting caused by want of water, nursery lands in which trees are reared are yearly becoming more sterile and in- capable, in spite of manuring and alternate cropping, of producing robust, healthy trees. The Govern- ment not possessing any nursery land except in one place in Hongkong and one at Kowloon it is necessary to acquire from squatters every year land in various parts of the Colony for nurseries. There being so very little cultivable land in the Island, and so little of it at all suitable for tree nurseries, or which can be rented, there has been no alternative but to use the same ground, after one or more season's rest, over and over again with the result, as I have said, of its having become almost too poor to produce vigorous trees.

21. It is rare for the Colony to escape in any year from typhoons which inflict more or less damage on trees, the year under review was not free in this respect, there being too typhoons, on July 19th and August 2nd and 3rd respectively, which laid low several large old trees, and damaged younger ones in streets and roads. On the hills some few thousands of pines and Tristaneas were forced completely over and laid on the ground, most of which were, however, saved by each being again fixed in the soil and provided with stakes, to keep them in place until new roots were formed.