27

C.—lβ

In the early part of the year a eamp was formed for convalescent consumptive patients from Cambridge Sanatorium, who were given employment planting trees at Bs. per thousand, and ck .ring at £1 per acre. The average daily number of men employed from this camp for the past ten months was 7-15, and their total earnings amounted to £444 ss. Bd. The erection of buildings and other works in connection with the new prison camp at Green Lake (Rotokakahi) are being rapidly pushed on, and it is. expected that everything will be completed by the end of May. The past season, as regards the general growth of trees throughout the plantation, has been a very good one, and all the trees planted this season have done fairly well with the exception of redwood, a large number of which were killed outright by frost soon after they were planted. Larch were also affected by frosts which occurred in October and November, but have since recovered, and have made very good growth. On the whole, the pines have done very well, although there are slightly more failures than usual amongst all species, chiefly owing to the dry weather at the time of planting. Three species of eucalypti were planted, and all have done well, E. Stuartiana especially havrng made splendid growth, with very few failures amongst them. Acacia melanoxylon has also made good growth, but all former plantings of this species have become affected by blight, from which it will take them some time to recover. Preparations are in hand for planting about two million trees during the coming season. Details of expenditure are appended. D.J. Buchanan, Assistant Forester. H. A. Goudie, Nurseryman in Charge. Statement of Expenditure. Amount at the 31st March, 1908 ... ... ... ...13,541 13 5 Pitting ■•• ■•• ••• ■•• ... ... ... 19 2 Tree-planting ... ... ... ... ... 422 14 1 Clearing ... ... ... ... ... ... 1)663 j x Cartage of trees ... ... ... ... ... ... 58 16 11 General upkeep of plantation ... ... ... ... 460 16 8 repairs ... ... ... ... ... ... 82 611 Horse-feed purchased and grown ... ... ... ... 105 15 1 Formation ... ... ... ... ... 268 4 3 Buildings, shifting prison camp ... ... ... ... 95 7 0 Tools, implements, &c. ... ... ... ... ... 49 6 1 Miscellaneous works ... ... ... ... ... 210 Salaries— Supervision of prison labour ... ... ... ... 160 0 0 free labour ... ... ... ... 141 16 8 Nurseryman's proportion of ... ... ... ... 42 15 6 Supervision ... ... ... ... ... 2468 £18,150 0 6

Puhipuhi Plantation. (Area, 10,000 acres; altitude, 1,000ft.) With the exception of February, there has been a uniform rainfall through the year. For 169 days the total rainfall was 7L4sin. The heaviest fall was during March, B'9B in. being recorded for sixteen days. Maximum temperature, 87°; minimum temperature, 24°. There were 536,443 trees received from the nursery; from this number 35,500 were used in planting up blanks, due to total failure of Pseudo-tsuga taxifolia as noted in last year's report. 30,915 were utilised to replace blanks in 1906-7 planting, the new area occupied for the season being 387 acres. 1,488,238 trees have been planted out to date, on 1,512 acres. The average cost of tree-planting was lis. sd. per thousand, as against lis. Bd. for the previous year. Cartage on trees cost £58 16s. 4d. 470,950 spade and grubber pits were made, at an average cost of 16s. 4d. per thousand. No pits are available for next season's planting. 139 acres of standing dead timber and ti-tree was felled by hand-labour and contract, and cost at the rate of 4s. 4d. per acre; and 294 acres of fern land was burnt off, at Is. sd. per acre. About 100 acres is gravelly, and in places sour, the remaining area ranging from fair to good. The chain wide fire-break formed last year has made a fair protection against fire; the chief drawback is getting cattle when they are most required. The settlers, naturally, will not put in stock until there is plenty of feed, consequently the fern is not destroyed as quickly as could be desired to make an efficient fire-break. 285 chains of boundary fire-break was cleared of fern and timber, at an average width of half a chain; of this, 65 chains was ploughed. 3,010 chains of boundary-fence line was scuffled with spades 3 ft. wide on each side of the fence. There was 220 chains of fencing purchased at 35., 80 chains at 25., 18 chains at 4s. 6d., and 24£ chains at 3s. 6d. per chain. 20 chains of fencing was erected ; the Department supplied the material, the adjoining settler the labour.