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Oleandra Cumingii, J. Sm.-Discovered by Fleet Surgeon MATTHEW under a boulder on the north side of Mt. Parker. Previously recorded from Canton.

Polypodium parasiticum, Mett.-In a ravine above Taihang village. Found by Fleet Surgeon MATTHEW. A native of the Neilgherries and Ceylon.

Polypodium normale, Don.-Found by Fleet Surgeon MATTHEW on the hillside to the East of the Wongneicheung-Tytam road. A widely dispersed fern, being found in South China, North India, Malaya and South Africa.

Nephrodium tectum, Bedd.-Discovered by Fleet Surgeon MATTHEW in June.

FORESTRY.

Programme. The authorized programine for the annual planting and sowing of Pine trees in 1905 to 1906 was as follows::

New Territories-A commencement of a band of plantations between the 200 and 400 feet contour lines and extending both ways from the plantations already formed on the Taipo Road near Cheung Sha Wan. As amplified in the latter part of the year this scheme provides (to speak generally) for a continuous band of plantations round the North side of the harbour from Lyemun to Lai Chi Kok. Hongkong: replanting the barer parts of the hillside above the town of Victoria, and a continuation of the planting of the basins of the Tytam and

Pokfulam reservoirs.

There was more than the usual difficulty in getting the necessary work for this programmine done by the Chinese contractors and, in the end, the sowing of seed sites was so much delayed that about 50% failed. The loss thus sustained by the contractors has doubtless contributed to the uniform rise in the tenders for the same contract this year. It is probable therefore that the refusal of these tenders and the transfer of all the forestry work from the contractors to the department staff, as has now been done, will be an improvement both in efficiency and economy.

The above programme was finished by July, site-sowing being used in all places where shelter existed and the remainder of the pits being planted. The numbers of pits planted and sown respectively in each locality are shown in Tables III, IV and V.

Purchase of Chinese Plantations.-In pursuance of the New Territories planting programme detailed above, some progress has been made with the purchase of the Chinese plantations already growing on the Northern shores of the harbour. Thus 14,580 small pine trees near the village of Shek Li Pui were measured and purchased in December, while at the end of the year preparations were in progress for the assessment of the plantations to the North-east of Kowloon City.

East Point Nursery.It was necessary towards the end of the year to form a nursery for the raising of 300,000 pine seedlings for the planting programme of 1907/8 and choice was made of the flat marshy ground at the South of Victoria School, East Point, and of the adjacent hillsides. The draining and clearing of this ground for the purpose has constituted a great improvement to the neighbourhood. This is the first large forestry work undertaken by the department without the help of contractors and, in spite of the expenses of draining and terracing, considerable economy will, we have reason to hope, be secured when compared with the usual contract price of pine seedlings.

New Forestry Store.--The old Vaccine Institute was transferred to this department in June and converted into a Forestry Store, for which it is well suited. With the large increase in forestry work the old store has become overcrowded and the transfer of the greater part of the stores to the new quarters is a great improvement.

Nanmu, An attempt was made in 1903 to obtain seeds of this valuable timber tree (Machilus Nanmu) both for our own plantations and for the Cape Forestry Department. Finding that no seed could be obtained locally, the old tree in the Botanic Gardens was layered in the hope of getting rooted cuttings. Many had been obtained in this way before, but this time no success followed our efforts, probably because the tree is too old. Last year in response to a renewed request from the Cape. the Govern- ment officially addressed H. M. Consuls General at Yunnan Fu and Ching Kiang and the Commissioner of the C.I.M. Customs at Mengtze, with a view to obtaining seeds if possible from the regions in which the tree is wild.