£_—fr

20

During the months August to December (inclusive) this district experienced the driest season for a number of years, the rainfall for those months being only 5*99 in., as compared with.an average of Io\4shi,.for the corresponding months of the five previous years. An idea of the dryness of the season may be gathered from the fact that in the shrubberies and shelter-belts surrounding the nursery quite a number of trees and shrubs which were planted five years ago, and were fully 6 ft. high, have died. The losses are principally Chammcyparis Lawsoniana, Cryptonwria elegans, Retinospora ericoides, Melicytus lanceolatus, and Pinus radiata. y \. The year cannot be said to have been a good one for tree-growing ; still, under the adverse weather conditions experienced, nursery stock has done remarkably well. Seed-sowing was commenced on the 3rd October, and finished on the Bth of the same month. "Watering" had to be done almost continually every evening from immediately after sowing until about the middle of January. The crop as a whole is good; P. ponderosa, P. and P. ■ strobus were much slower in germinating than the other species sown, and are rather thin. The work of transplanting was commenced on the Ist August and completed on the 21st September, the number of trees lined out being 1,055,000, over an area of 1\ acres, at a cost of 2s. 6£d. per thousand. Trees made but little growth during the three monthsafter being transplanted, and some of the species—viz., Abies Douglasii, A. Menziesii, P. strobus, and P. Torreyana —suffered" from the very drying_wind prevailing at that time, fully two-thirds of those dying ofi. In October and November larch were attacked in several places by the grass-grub (Odontria Zealandia), about 25 per cent, being destroyed by this insect. All other species have done well, and have grown remarkably the past two months. --, ■ . ' - : . ~ - - ■..-, ;- . ... ~ ■■■--. — Jtis estimated that about 500,000 trees will be available for plantation purposes for the .coining season. '~ J.• During the year 1,292,175 trees, valued at £2,329 Bs.j9d. were sent to the r following* nurseries, plantations, &c. : Dumgree Pantation, 561,175 ; Kurow Nursery, 541,500 ; Tapanui Nursery, 84,000 ; Mackenzie County Council, 100,000 ;- Nelson Agricultural and Pastoral Association, 2,000 ; Wellington Tree-planting and Scenery Society, 500 ; Agricultural Department, Wellington, 3,000. (For. details, see Schedule 4.) ' "The total number of trees sent out since the initiation of the nursery is 1,923,850, valued at. £4,099 13s. 6d. The estimated number of trees raised during the year i5'750,500, valued at £714. The number of trees of all ages in the nursery at 31st March was 1,357,700, valued at £2,054 11s. (See Schedules 1-3.) The total number raised since the initiation of nursery is 3,281,550, valued at £6,154 4s. 6d. : The expenditure for the year was £1,107 10s. 7d., and the total,.to the 3.lst March; . 1-907, £7,630 19s. sd. The value of trees, improvements, &c, for the year is £2,423 2s. 5d., and the total to the 31st March, 9s. 2d. Five acres of new ground is being prepared for lining-out purposes ; this has been partly formed, and will be used the coming season. This addition will give sufficient lining-out ground to allow that a j.yeaivmay intervene between each crop of trees. ] - r Horse-feed (oaten sheaf) estimated at 30 tons was grown during the year, valued at £90 ; and hay and chaff to the value of £57 sent to other nurseries. As more land is required for horse-paddock accommodation and for growing horse-feed it is proposed to resume about 45 acres adjoining the nursery. A small plantation of gums situated close to the railway-line was destroyed by fire. ThegumH were immediately cut back, and nearly all have put up fresh shoots. The daily average number of men employed during the year was eight. The following is a record of rainfall and temperature for the year : —

Month. 1906, . April... May ... ... June ... r - .... July ... August September October November .... December 1907. January February March . ... ii Number j : Rainfall. oE Days Rain fell. I Ii : Inches, j ; 1-05 8 ... ! 2-43 i 8 ... ; 1-37 8 2-31 i6 098 5 2-21 13 ... ... 0-41 3 ■ ... ... 2-29 10 010 4 ... ' 1-53 9 J ..-. 2-91 7 3-69 i 11 : I Highest Reading D . of Ther- Uate ' i mometer. i I Degrees. 82 21st' 74 2nd 70 i 20th, 22nd 63 5th 73 20th 79 29th 84 28th, 30th 85 22nd 95 18ch 95 1st 79 - 4th, 17th, and 20th 78 10th Lowest ] mometer. j Degrees, i 29 11th 25 4th 23 11th, 25th 21 • 28th 23 7th I 27 16th 28 2nd 31 9th 35 14th 33 28th 41 7th, 26th 38 25th Totals ... 21-28 102 11 |.