ENG-1958 — Page 126

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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT

weather; indeed, if a long spell of dry weather follows planting, all the plants may be lost. In recent years more plants have been raised in containers-tubes made of metal, roofing felt or plastic film-since, although this method is initially more expensive, the results are far more reliable and not so much influenced by the weather. In this way it is possible to continue planting right through the spring and summer, using bare-rooted plants in the wet weather and tubed plants in the drier periods. In addition to plants for afforestation, trees are raised for amenity planting and for sale to the public at very low prices.

A scheme of assistance to village forestry has been evolved, the final object of which is to teach the villagers how to plant and manage their forestry lots profitably. Model plantations have been formed which show quite clearly the results which can be achieved, and these plantations have been useful in arousing the interest of the villagers and as demonstration areas. The Forestry Division also offers financial and technical assistance to form trial planta- tions in the village lots. Trees take a long time to grow and it is not always easy to convince the villagers that forestry will be profitable. Interest in the scheme is spreading steadily, if somewhat slowly, and it will be a number of years before the work now being done will begin to produce results. In 1958 the scheme was extended to all five forest districts and 617 acres of trial planta- tions were planted with departmental assistance in village lots. Small plantations were started on a number of the islands adjacent to Lantau-on Cheung Chau and Peng Chau for example-and it is hoped that these will become public forests for the benefit of the local communities. Closely connected with the Forestry Lot Scheme is the Tree Planting Day campaign. This is held annually in April to encourage more tree planting by schools, public bodies and private individuals, and to make the general public 'forestry conscious' since protection of the plantations would be almost impossible without public understanding and co-operation.

During the dry season from October to March there is a constant threat of fire in the plantations and elaborate fire precautions are put into effect. Fire-lookouts which have been established on strategic hill-tops in the plantation areas are connected by field telephone to fire control points, where men, equipment and trans- port stand by during particularly dangerous periods. A system