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Expenditure. £ s d Amount at 31st March. 1907 ... ... . 8,283 1 8 Pitting— 259,375 grubber-pits ... ... ... ... 259 7 6 85.267 scuffled spots ... ... ... . ... 52.12 3 'lYee-plariting (370,200) ... .. ... ... ... 212 811 Clearing ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 431 Cartage of trees ... ... ... ... .. . . 10 0 0 General upkeep of plantation ... ... ... ... 158 4 3 „ repairs ... ... ... ... ... ... 11 2 6 Horse-feed purchased and grown ... ... ... ... 10 0 0 Fencing ... ... ... ... ... ... 339 0 3 Tools, implements, &c. ... ... ... ... ... 138 5 6 Miscellaneous works ... ... ... ... ... 14 16 0 Salaries— • Supervision of free labour ... ... ... ... 150 0 0 Nurseryman's proportion of, and travelling-expenses ... 21 0 0 Supervision ... ... ... ... ... ... 22 16 0 £9,686 17 11 H. HoMb:, Assistant Forester. R. G. Rohinson, Nurseryman in Charge. Waitahuna Plantation, Otaoo. (Dredged area. 11 acres; altitude, 331 ft. J This district has not been exempt from the unusually dry season experienced generally throughout the South Island, but, the property being only a few feet above the level of the adjacent river, mi abundance of moisture was available for tree-growing, and it is questionable if more satisfactory results could be obtained during any ordinary wet season. A sufficient number of trees not being in hand last season to plant the whole area, 3,700, as per Schedule 4, were railed from Tapanui Nursery, and planted in pits already prepared, at 12s. lfd. per thousand. The planting of this dredged land lias been so far purely of an experimental nature, and of the twelve varieties of trees included in the test, it is obvious that certain classes will thrive amazingly well under the conditions. Of the deciduous trees, English birch, larch, and alder appear to have maintained steady progress since planting, and many of the latter variety have attained a height of fully 5 ft. in two seasons. The pines are also satisfactory on the whole, although Pinus Atutriaea and /'. muricata show up most prominently, and are quite as stroug and healthy-looking as those grown under favourable conditions at other plantations. There is no doubt that good results may also lie achieved from the planting of the spruces, although their customary slow growth dining the hist few years, and consequent expense in keeping gorse and broom in check, would prohibit extensive planting of tins species of tree. No reason can Jbe advanced why tree-planting on abandoned dredged areas should not lie carried on with excellent results: but if such work is undertaken, it would certainly be more economical to commence operations before gorse and other growths have obtained such a hold of properties, as the suppression of same involves a fairly heavy expenditure, and each succeeding year the scrub becomes more dense and consequently more difficult to eradicate. An expenditure of £4 2s. 6d. was incurred in grubbing out gorse, which springs up in thousands after the parent stock has been removed, and tends to create irreparable injury to the tender leaders of young trees. The expenditure for the year amounted to £13 15s. 10d., giving occasional employment to one man, and total expenditure to date is £168 10s. 3d. Expenditure. £ 8 . d. Amount at 31st March, 1907 ... ... ... ... 154 14 5 Tree-plan ting (3,700) ... ... ... ... ... 2 5 0 General upkeep of plantation ... ... ... ... 426 Miscellaneous works . . ... ... ... ... 0 11 10 Nurseryman's proportion of salary, and travelling-expenses ... 3 16 6 Supervision ... ... ... ... ... ... 300 £168 10 3 R. (>. Robinson, Nurseryman in Charge.

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