Sessional_Paper_1897 — Page 130

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Reports of Botanic Gardens, &c.

Board of Trustees of the Public Museum of the

City of Milwaukee, 1894-95.

Botanic Gardens, Bangalore, 1894-95.

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British Guiana, 1894-95. Durban, 1895.

and Forest Department, Straits

Settlements, 1895. Grenada, 1895.

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Missouri, 1896.

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Natal, 1895.

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Royal Calcutta, 1895-96. Station, Colony of Lagos, 1895. Department of Agriculture, Brisbane, 1894-95.

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Experiment Station. University of California,

for the year 1894-96.

Proceedings of the Agriculture Horticultural

Society of Madras, 1896.

Proceedings of Agriculture Horticultural of

Moulmein, 1896.

Progress and Condition of the Government Bota-

nical Garden, Saharanpur, 1896. Records, Experiment Station, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Vol. VI, No. 12. Vol. VII, Nos. 5, 6, 8-11. Vol. VIII, No. 1, 1896. Secretary of Agriculture Nova Scotia, 1895. Transactions of the Queensland Acclimatisation

Society, 1896.

Wheat Growing and Agriculture Generally in Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania, 1896.

FORESTRY.

PLANTING.

19. The Total number of trees of all kinds which were planted was 29,949. Plans were prepared for planting a larger number, but owing to the partial failure of some of the nurseries of the man who contracted to supply trees for planting the plans could not be completed.

20. A row of Camphor trees was planted along the side of the mountain road from Shaukiwan to Tytam Tuk. The length of this road is 3 miles.

21. Of the Japanese pine, Pinus Thunbergii, which succeeds better at higher and more exposed positions than where the ordinary pine thrives, about 2,000 were planted on the southern side of Wanchai Gap. About 1,000 of Pinus densiflora, another Japanese pine, was also planted in the same locality. Further supplies of the former were reared for planting this year.

22. An indigenous tree found in the Happy Valley and Little Hongkong woods which has furnished seeds for sowing during the last few years has been entered in the returns as Spondias Mangifera, which it was supposed to be both by others and myself who had seen the tree in fruit only. About 16 years ago I found the male flowers on a dioecious tree in the Happy Valley woods which were sufficient to create an interest in it as they showed it to be a tree not hitherto recorded. In the early part of last year I instituted a search for the female flowers of the same tree and was fortunate in discovering them for the first time on the tree which had been supposed to be Spondias Mangifera. These flowers proved that the tree was a species of Poupartia, a genus of which only two species were hitherto known, one of them in Mauritius and the other in Rodriguez. Complete specimens were sent to Kew for further examination and the tree was there named by Mr. HEMSLEY Poupartia Fordu. The fruit, which resembles the Hog Plum, is edible, and is sought for by the natives, but it is not very palatable to others. In the Little Hongkong woods the tree is very conspicuous in winter by reason of its leaves being deciduous and its exposed branches having a whitish appearance.

23. The planting statistics are given in Appendix B.

THINNING OF PLANTATIONS AND SALE OF PRODUCTS.

24. The total number of trees cut out was a little less than in the previous year, but the gross receipts for forestry products was about 14 per cent greater than in that year.

25. Appendix C gives the statistics.

PROTECTIVE SERVICE.

26. Trees cut and stolen amounted to 467, not quite half those of the previous year. The number of convictions obtained by the forest guards was 70, and the amount of fines paid was $118.50, the highest being $25, and the lowest 50 cts., the latter being double the amount of the lowest fine in 1895.

FIRES.

27. There were only 17 fires compared with 51 in the previous year; 11,760 trees were destroyed by them; 11,660 being destroyed by one fire at Tytam Tuk on December 27th.

28. The great prevalence of fires at Tytam Tuk and its distance from any station which can render assistance in extinguishing fires led me to recommend the permanent stationing of forest guards at Tytam Tuk during the dry season and placing it in electric signalling communication with the Stanley Police Station, which His Excellency the Governor has approved, so that assistance can be more quickly brought to bear in extinguishing fires in that neighbourhood.