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The following are the reports from various stations : — Ewebuen Nursery, near Naseby, Otago. (Area, 49 acres; altitude, 1,400 ft.) The rainfall during the year has been much heavier than last, the total being 2L78 in., which fell on 111 days, the maximum fall being 360 in. in January. This is B'4o in. in excess of last The highest reading of the thermometer was 84°, on the Bth March, and the lowest 2° (30° of frost), on the night of the 30th July. Frost occurred on 133 nights. The general growth of nursery stock has been very satisfactory, owing to the heavy rainfall. Seeds were sown as usual in October, also a second sowing in December, and both have germinated very well. . . . Of the trees lined out, Pinus ponderosa, Pinus Bethamiana, Pinus Austnaca, and Larix Europcea have made the most satisfactory growth. Pinus Laricio, being somewhat slower, will require to be left for another season before being transferred to the plantation for planting out permanently. The number of trees lined out was 470,960, at an average cost of 2s. lOd. per thousand; also 90,000 were lined in at an average cost of Is. 0-fd. per thousand. The number of trees sent to Government plantations was 157,050, their total value being £428 12s. 7d. ■'~!.. oc n .» The number of trees sent out to date amounts to 2,564,377, their total value being £6,047 18s. lOd. The number of trees in the nursery at the 31st March, 1909, was 1,584,340, and their value £2,627 4s. lOd. Details will be found on Schedules Ito 4. The average number of men employed was five (wages). Appended are the meteorological records for the year : —

Meteorological Returns.

Statement of Expenditure. £ s. d. Amount at 31st March, 1908 ... ... ... ... 9,538 1 7 Tree-growing ... ... • • • • • ■ • • • ■ ■ ■ 325 6 6 General maintenance and repairs ... ... ... ••• 174 7 2 Horse-feed, purchased and grown ... ... ... ... 40 11 6 Tree-seeds ... ■•■ ••• ••■ ••■ ■•■ 54 12 0 Tools, implements, &c. ... ■•■ ■•• ••• 2 12 0 Fuel 9 17 6 Travelling-expenses ... ■•• ••• ••• ••• 936 Miscellaneous works ... ... ... ••• ■•• 6 17 1 Proportion of Nurseryman's salary ... ... ... ... 126 0 0 Supervision ... ... ... ••• ••• ••• 24 6 8 £10,311 15 6

Month. Rainfall. Number of Days Rain fell. Maximum Temperature. Date. Minimum Temperature. Date. Number of Days on which Frost occurred. 1908. April ... May ... June ... July ... August September October November December 1909. Inohes. 1-60 1-18 1-60 3-50 1-30 0-76 1-21 0-63 2-60 10 11 16 11 4 5 11 6 10 Degrees. 71 64 58 44 50 65 81 81 75 1st 3rd 12th 20th 29th 28th 8th 27th 29th Degrees. 24 21 21 2 7 26 29 29 27 30th 27th 21st 30th 12th 24th 14th 10th 9th 12 21 22 29 30 5 5 4 3 January February March 3-60 1-03 2-77 14 3 10 81 80 84 22nd 27th 8th 33 28 30 1st 21st 14th "i 1 Totals 21-78 Ill 133