Sessional_Paper_1902 — Page 652

Botanical and Afforestation Department.

Mr. FORD, the Superintendent of the Botanical and Afforestation Department, has furnished me 'ith the following details concerning the work done by his Department in the New Territory during he past year.

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Tree planting has been continued round the Police Stations, and some twenty thousand miscel- us trees have been planted along the sides of the new road between Cheung Sha Wan gap and

Tin.

With a view of discovering a more economical mode of raising plants than that of sowing the ; in nurseries and afterwards transplanting the seedlings, experiments have been made by sowing -

e hills in situ. About 98,000 trees were reared in this way near the new road.

With the tion of 5,000 camphor shoots, they were all pine seeds. The pines are doing well but the hors are almost a failure. However, further experiments are to be marte this year, which should

whether it is possible to grow camphor trees on the hills so as to be a commercial success. During the past 3 months, about 4 miles of fire barriers, 15 feet wide, have been made to protect . trees along the sides of the new road and around Chinese graves.

Grass turfing, to the extent of 16,000 square yards, has been done to cover loose soil near Police tions; in future it would perhaps be better for work of this sort to be undertaken by the Public rks Department in connection with the erection of new buildings.

Harbour Department.

A station in Deep Bay, on board the Police steam-launch, was opened in November, 1901. There are now four stations in the New Territory.

During the year 1901, 6,703 Licences, Clearances, Permits, etc., were issued to Junks at Cheung խ;

u; 4,117 at Tai 0; 3,411 at Tái Pó and 531 at Deep Bay. These figures shew an increase of

as compared with those of last year.

The revenue collected by the Harbour Office Department from the New Territory during 1901 $9,222.30; in 1900, the revenue was $8,390.75.

Public Works Department.

attach a Report (Appendix No. 3) from the Director of Public Works shewing the work done 3 Department during the year.

he work of erecting and draining permanent Police Stations and of constructing telephonie unication between various parts of the New Territory has been steadily pushed forward. The Station at Sai Kung, begun in 1900, was completed at a cost of $13.650.60. The station at Shui has also been completed, and the one at Tai O in the Island of Lan Tao has been aced.

new road to Tái Pó, the total length of which when finished will be about 18 miles, has been d for 13 miles and good progress has been made with the remaining section.

→ amount spent on the new road during the year was $74,648.86.

Education.

ittle has been done as yet for the promotion of Education in the New Territory, but it is hoped efore long. Anglo-Chinese and Vernacular Schools will be startel at Un Long and Sheung

Medical Department.

attach a Report (Appendix No. 4) from Mr. Ho NAI HOP, the Medical Officer in the New ory.

Ho resided at Tái Pó and attended 2,096 cases during the year. This shews a large increas ber of cases attended during the previous year; no doubt, most of the inhabitants havin mselves of Mr. Ho's services. There has been a great improvement in the health of the Eur

ed in the New Territory. The number of cases of malarial fever shews a large decreas e of admissions to Hospital of such cases dropped from 90% in 1900 to 52.5 % in 190

o doubt, to the prophylactic measures adopted, and to the destruction of the breediTM hopheles mosquito, I append a Report (Appendix No. 5) from Dr. ATKINSON, Medical Officer, giving statistics on the subject of malaria in the New Territory.