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Schedule 5. —Trees, &c., received from other Nurseries, 1908-9.

B. G. Robinson, Nurseryman in Charge.

Rotorua Nursery. (Approximate area, 85 acres; approximate altitude, 1,000 ft.) The rainfall during the year was 52 - 10in., which fell on 165 days, the maximum fall being registered in March,, and totalled 8'42 in. The highest reading of the thermometer was 87°, on the Bth March, and the lowest 23°, on the 28th July and 2nd August. During last winter 6,659,000 trees were dealt with. Lifting lined-out trees and counting and bundling these for sending to the plantations cost Is. Bd. per thousand; sizing seedlings cost 2s. per thousand; lining out trees in nursery rows cost Is. Bd. per thousand; mossing trees (including gathering moss and flax and heeling in the mossed trees) cost lis. sd. per thousand. Trees sent out from the nursery during the year to plantations, public schools, &c, number 4,491,510, and their value was .£9,451 Is. 3d. (details of these may be seen on schedule 4 appended hereto); and since the inception of the nursery, 22,292,809 trees, valued at £46,460 ss. 9d., have been sent out. From seed, 4,395,500 trees, valued at £4,269, were raised during the year; and the number of trees raised since the inception of tha nursery is 30,662,309, valued at £57,873 os. 9d. Seed-sowing was commenced early in October, and completed towards the middle of November. This work was favoured with fairly good weather, and the results are satisfactory, except with redwood. Schedule 1 appended hereto gives the numbers and values of the trees raised from seed during the year. A comparison of this schedule with the previous year's one will show that the larchcrop from 672 lb. of seed is this year half a million less than the previous year from the same quantity of seed. This difference is undoubtedly due to the germinating quality of the seed. The growth made by the trees is good, and, as usual, about 25 per cent, will need to be removed for lining-out in the nursery. Pinus Laricio is a remarkably good crop, being in respect to germination about 100 per cent, better than last year's crop. The growth made by the young plants is better than usual. Pinus ponderosa and Pinus Benthamiana both germinated well and evenly, but the latter is evidently not true. The variety Benthamiana heretofore has always been quite distinct from the species, as a rule, making more growth, and being much lighter in colour. The seed of Benthamiana, too, is usually much larger than the seed of ponderosa, although both vary considerably, and sometimes are identical in size and general appearance. When seed-sowing was in progress it was noticed that the seeds of the two species in question were to all appearances identical, but this could not be proved until the young plants were compared. Pseudo-tsuga taxifolia (Oregon pine) is a fairly good crop, and will probably need to be transplanted next spring. Pinus Murrayana and Pinus radiata are both thick crops, and will be planted permanently next winter. Sequoia sempervirens (Californian redwood) is almost a complete failure, 2,000 plants being the result from 20 lb. of seed. During the past eight years only one decent crop of this species has been obtained, the failures each time being due to the poor quality of the seed. When it is considered that the seed costs close on £1 per pound, it is questionable whether it is worth while attempting to grow this tree at all. Thuja gigantea, Acacia decurrens, and Alnus glutinosa are each thick crops. Eucalyptus Stuartiana is an excellent crop. The seed was sown a fortnight earlier than usual, in order that a trial might be made of planting these trees without pieviously mossing them. If it is possible to gat them permanently planted by the middle of May next it is thought that they will then be sufficiently established to withstand the frost and cold weather usually experienced in July and August.

Received from Sent to Name of Tree, Ac. Number. Value per Thousand. Total Value. Starborough Nursery Uweburn Nursery Dusky Hill Plantation .. Conical Hills Plantation .. Tapanui Nursery [Pinus Larioio ( Larix Europsea Pinus Laricio Austriaca „ ponderosa Benthamiana Larix Europsea Pseudo-tsuga taxifolia .. Picea sitchensis 'yrus aucuparia.. i Larix Europsea Pinus .Laricio .. „ Austriaca „ ponderosa Sequoia sempervirens .. Cupressus majestigma .. „ Goveniana Thuja Orientalis 'Pseudo-tsuga taxifolia .. 'ools, &c. 175,000 50,000 200,000 73,000 3,150 1,470 72,650 550 100 200 32,000 17,000 6,000 5,000 1,200 150 150 200 500 £ s. d. 3 0 0 2 5 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 3 5 0 2 5 0 3 5 0 3 5 0 3 0 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 1 10 0 1 10 0 1 10 0 1 5 0 £ s. d. 525 0 0 112 10 0 600 0 0 219 0 0 9 9 0 4 15 6 163 9 3 1 15 9 0 6 6 0 12 0 32 0 0 17 0 0 6 0 0 5 0 0 4 16 0 0 4 6 0 4 6 0 6 0 0 12 6 15 11 8 Curow Nursery Itarborough Nursery Totals 638,320 1,718 13 2