Sessional_Paper_1897 — Page 131

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29. I have again to thank the Police for valuable assistance in extinguishing grass fires. 30. The statistics of grass fires are given in Appendix D.

TYPHOON.

31. The typhoon of July 29th destroyed many large trees in the streets and roads, and a very great number of young trees on the hills were forced into prostrate positions which employed an average of 27 coolies per day until the 5th of November, about three months, to place them upright again. The cost of this work was $402.26.

The violence of the storm was so great that the leaves on pine trees on very exposed slopes and ridges were killed, and a great quantity of trees of as much as ten years old died from the loss of their leaves.

CATERPILLARS.

32. This pest--Eutricha punctata-again appeared and operations for its destruction were carried on from February 27th to July 8th, during which time 15 tons 16 cwt. 2 qrs. of caterpillars were destroyed at a cost of $736.46.

The island of Hongkong was almost free of caterpillars, the pest having been driven back to the peninsula of Kowloon on the mainland. It appears likely that the continuance of caterpillars at Kowloon was partly caused by the flight of the moth from Chinese territory, where the Chinese take no steps for its destruction.

What few caterpillars, cocoons, &c., remained after operations were suspended on July 8th were apparently completely destroyed by the typhoon of July 29th, as I have not seen a single insect in of its stages since that date. From this experience we may learn that the devastation wrought by violent storms has its good, as well as its bad, side.

any

I continued making observations on the destructive action of parasites on the eggs of the moth, larvæ, and pupæ, and found that the parasites-wasps and flies-were more abundant, especially on the eggs, than in the previous year. The balance between the pest and its parasitic enemies seems to have been now restored and there appears a fair promise of the caterpillar not becoming epidemic again, at least during the present year.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient Servant,

Honourable J. H. STEWART LOCKHART,

&c.,

Colonial Secretary,

&c.,

&c.

CHARLES FORD, Superintendent,

Botanical and Afforestation

Department.