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Two two-roomed houses were purchased, at a cost of £31 3s. 3d., including the haulage and re-erection of one of the houses to a convenient site, near to the stable, for the use of the horseman. The season has been very favourable for tree-growing, but owing to part of the area being very poor, the results are not as good as might be expected. Eucalyptus Stuartiana have done exceptionally well, E. rostrata and E. resinifera have also made good growth; in many instances these have attained a height of 2 ft. Fully 20 per cent, of the Eucalyptus amygdalina have died, while E. redunca have been a complete failure. Some 400 of each species of eucalypti grown were planted unmossed, and the result is very gratifying. E. Stuartiana, E. rostrata, and E. rosinifera have done equally as well as those that were mossed. In E. redunca the deaths were 25 percent, and E. amygdalina about 11 per cent. With one exception these trees were planted on flat land, in rather better soil than the mossed trees. The E. Stuartiana planted on a hillside stood the dry spell in February very well. This species has proved itself to be wonderfully adapted to this soil and climate; being a very sure grower, it has not been necessary to plant up the blanks in the break planted two seasons ago. One specimen of this planting has reached a height of 10 ft. 9 in. Of the trees planted five years ago, there are several specimens of E. redunca 25 ft. high, the girths varying from 14 in. to 19 in. ; also a few E. rostrata of a like height, with a 13 in. girth. The E. rostrata and the E. resinifera are the best growers of the earlier plantings. Podocarpus totara being a very slow and somewhat uncertain grower against the vigorous growth of the fern, the cost of cleaning is necessarily great; it has been deemed advisable to discontinue planting this tree, the area now occupied with totara to be planted up with eucalypti. Cleaning and planting trees and upkeep of fire-breaks, &c, cost £463 10s. lOd. Average number of men employed, 9'92. The following is a record of the rainfall and temperature for the year: —

Statement of Expenditure. „ Amount at the 31st March, 1908 ... ... ... ... 4,788 13 4 Pitting ■•■ ... ... ... ... ... ... 386 18 9 Tree-planting ... ... ... ... ... ... 254 12 10 Clearing ... ... ... ... ... ... 46 17 6 Cartage of trees ... ... ... ... ... ... 58 16 4 General upkeep of plantation ... ... ... ... 463 10 10 repairs ... ... ... ... ... ... 41 10 11 Horse-feed purchased and grown ... ... ... ... 18 15 1 Fencing ..: ... ... ... ... ... ... 91 4 0 Buildings ... ... ... ... ... ... 43 15 3 Tools, implements, &c. ... ... ... ... ... 49 18 10 Miscellaneous works ... ... ... ... . 539 Purchase of land ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 4 3 Salaries— Supervision of free labour, Forester's .. ... ... 170 0 0 Nurseryman's proportion of ... . . ... ... 20 0 0 Supervision ... ... ... ... ... ... 36 10 0 ' £6,486 11 8 J. Mason, Assistant Forester. A. Gordon, Forester in Charge.

Number of Days Rain fell. I I Month. Rainfall. Maximum j Temperature. Date. Minimum Temperature. Date. 1908. Inches. 6'31 5-63 5-76 6-87 8-52 Degrees. 78 70 66 64 64 Degrees. 40 30 32 28 24 April ... 10 12 12 22 16 14th 4th 4th 22nd . 22nd, 23rd, and 25th 6th, 7th, and 21st 6th and 8th 10th, 24th, and 30th 21st 24th 31st 19th 31st 7th May ... June .. July ... August September 5-73 16 68 34 1st and 12th October... November 5-26 5-52 20 13 74 78 38 38 28th 15th December 1909. 7-40 12 87 44 2nd, 3rd, and 13th 16th 19th and 21st 31st January February March 4-54 0-93 8-98 13 7 16 87 82 80 6th 16th and 23rd 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th 42 46 46 Totals 71-45 169