C—lb

11

last spring the ground was too dry to permit of the usual clover-crop being sown, but this has been remedied to some extent by making an autumn sowing of cape barley and winter tares. Much of the land, too, has been subsoiled as opportunity afforded, and this extra cultivation has made a marked difference in the vigour of the plants grown. Sorrel, which has been most plentiful in the past, is gradually becoming very scarce, but the exact reason for this cannot be stated, as no control plots were kept. The result may be attributed to a combination of circumstances, of which the most plausible reason is the use of basic slag. This manure has been found to be an excellent fertilizer for coniferous trees, and it may be said to be indispensable for a clover-crop. During the year 4,049,561 trees were sent out to local plantations and public bodies, &•<!., details of which will be found by referring to the attached schedule. The cost of various operations were as follows : Sizing and lifting lined-out trees, 3s. per thousand ; lining-out seedings, 2s. 6d. per thousand. The average daily number employed was 27-55. Attached are schedules of rainfall and temperature and of trees grown and sent out.

Schedule I.

Schedule II. — Details of One-year-old Trees, sown 1914.

Month. Rainfall. . _ Number of Days Rain fell. Temperature. I Maximum. Minimum. Number of Days Frosts occurred. 1914. 4.pril May June My August September .. 3ctober November .. December .. '.'. \ In. 7'695 3-37 2-43 3-85 0-66 2'44 117 0-91 2-045 18 14 11 16 9 9 6 7 9 11 5 16 Deg. F. Deg. E. 68 32 63 27 59 27 59 23 61 26 66 28 72 28 73 32 78 36 80 36 77 41 76 38 4 8 18 15 22 16 11 5 1. 1915. January February March 3-095 0-895 4'91 Totals 33-470 131 100

Name of Tree. Number in Seed-beds. Height, in Inches. sight, nchcs. Amount. ,, , ,. 0 , Remarks. ol: Seed sown. (Jastanea sativa . . Cupressus Lawsoniana Eucalyptus Andrewsii ,, Consideniana .. ,, eugenioides ,, globulus ,, Macarthuri ,, macrorrhyncha ,, Muelleriana .. „ piperita ,, resinifera grandiflora ,, tereticornis ,, Sieberiana ,, viminalis Larix Dahurica Pinus Banksiana ,, excelsa ,, Laricio ,, ,, var. cebennensis ,, ,, „ taurica ,, Massoniana ,, ponderosa ,, radiata ,, strobus ,, sylvestris (Norway) (Finland) Pseudo-tsuga Douglasii 70,000 12,000 500 300 1,200 500 250,000 100 300 200 100,000 200 5.000 5,000 50 1.500 200 ... 5,000,000 .. I 100 3,000 1,000 75,000 1,400,000 75,000 15,000 20,000 250,000 7,286,150 7 3 5 6 6 12 10 5 6 4 8 6 9 10 0J I 2 2 2 2 2 2 7 1 1 1 2 Lb. oz. 2,466 0 Very good. 4 0 Good. (1 I 1 0 1 0 4 0 Oi 8 0 0 1 [Thin crop; growth 0 0,1 ? good. 0 I 4 0 0 0| 0 i 0 3 J 0 0| Fair. 0 1 10 0 Thin. 500 0 Very good. 1 0 Good. 1 0 Very good. 0 01 Fair. 184 0 Poor. 167 0 Very good. 100 0 Thin. 1 0 Good. 1 0 Fair. 200 0 Thin.