D.—l.

Waikato Heads and Kariotahi.—A total area of 3,600 acres has now been planted in marram-grass. 01 that area, about 1,800 acres are under lupin. Lupin-seed gathered amounted to 5,030 lb., and four-fifths of that quantity has been sown. The nursery contains 50,000 trees, P. radiata and P. muricata bsing ready for lining out. Trees lined out last season to the number of 9,000 are ready to plant out. Grass and trees planted last season are growing satisfactorily, and general progress and results to date in this undertaking are most encouraging. Napier District. Kumeti Drain. —A flood of unprecedented severity occurred on the 2nd February, resulting in the washing-out for the second time of Thorburn's Road Bridge and the wooden chute beneath it. Certain survey work was necessary to determine the special features of repair work. Until this flood occurred the only maintenance work carried out had been the planting of 220 bitter-willow cuttings. This flood, however, scoured holes 6 ft. deep on the down-stream side of weirs No. 4 and No. 1, and also degraded the bed down-stream from weir No. 1 for a depth of 10 ft. These weirs were repaired by constructing additional stone and netting gabions and mats and plastering them with 2|in. of concrete to protect the wire from general wear and tear during more difficult conditions. Other repair work included the raising of end contraction gabions of most of the weirs, as the flood had overtopped them, although no actual damage resulted. On the 21st February a cloud-burst caused a second flood, which for a short period was equal in severity to the first. The system of weirs as a whole stood up to both floods very well indeed, and both weirs No. 14 and No. 13 were buried and weirs No. 4 and No. 1 were seriously threatened, though no actual failure took place. Taumarunui District. Willow-clearing, Mokau River. —The river has been cleared of willows from the Eight-mile Junction Bridge (Te Kuiti - Bulls Main Highway) to a point 10 ch. west of the Mapiu Stream, a distance of 16 m. 50 ch., leaving about 5 m. of clearing to complete the programme. Mokauiti Willow-clearing, &c.—About Im. of the Huioteka and Mangawhero Streams was cleared. There is yet a distance of 35 ch. in the Mokauiti Stream to be completed. Land-development. —The single men's camp at Aukopae was continued until the end of May, when the men were transferred to small-farm schemes. The work carried out was in the nature of various improvements on private properties by arrangement with the landowners, and comprised 28 acres of bushfelling, 89 acres of stumping and logging, 357 acres of scrub-cutting, 9 acres cleared of fern, and 8 acres of rushes grubbed, 98 acres ragwort cut and/or sprayed, 35 acres top-dressed, 127 chains of fences erected or reconditioned, 770 posts and 3,000 battens split, 3 ch. of 12 ft. road and 119 ch. of farm tracks formed, four culverts constructed and 8 ch. of ditching. General Land-improvement, Taumarunui and Manunui Districts. —There has been a considerable surplus of labour in and about Taumarunui Borough, and, while a few men have been employed on works similar to that at Aukopae, the majority have been engaged in improving adjacent highways and roads, and on river-protection works. Much useful work has been done in this way, though it is hardly possible to tabulate it in a very informative manner. Wellington District. Eastbourne Foreshore Protection. —The Department has completed the construction of 33 ch. of stone walling and apron protection as well as eleven timber groynes. The Eastbourne Borough Council is proceeding to extend the work. Sand-dune Reclamation between Manawatu River and Ohau River. —64,200 trees have been planted out over an extensive area ; 330 acres have been planted in marram-grass with flax in swampy places, and break-wind fences have been provided where necessary. Makowhai Stream Improvements. —The work of straightening, widening, and deepening this stream is now completed and the camp closed down, 74,505 cubic yards of earth being shifted during the period. Paraparaumu Drainage and Clearing. —Single men located in three nearby camps have been busily engaged in draining, clearing, and stumping considerable areas of rich land, which in its former condition was of little value as farm pastures. Hutt River Estuary Reclamation. —A commencement has been made with the reclamation of a considerable area at the northern end of Wellington Harbour. Two drag-lines have been installed for excavating the bed of the Hutt River and depositing the material on the low-lying ground in the estuary. Two steam locomotives are being used for hauling material for filling, and quarries have been opened up to provide additional spoil. General Land-clearing, Hutt Valley. —There were considerable areas of Crown lands in and about the Hutt Valley on which gorse and other weeds had obtained a firm hold. The clearing of this gorse, &c., and the levelling of rough areas, together with the reclamation of low swampy patches, has received attention during the year, and the programme is now complete. Nelson District. Fireblight Prevention. —The Department has had a camp of men engaged in cutting hawthorn hedges with the object of preventing fireblight in the apple-growing districts around Nelson. During the year lOi m. of hedges Were cut and burned. Wairoa River Protective Works, Brightwater. —Additional work for the protection of farm lands in this locality was commenced during the year, the construction of four stone crate groynes each 36 ft. long and the formation of 6| ch. of stop-bank having been completed. Further surveys were made, and, in view of the progressive erosion of valuable farming-land by the Waimea River and its tributaries, the Wairoa and Wai-iti, it seems necessary to again extend the survey to cover the whole area between Wairoa Gorge and the sea. Clarence River Protective Works. —A stop-bank 195 ft. long, situated approximately 2 m. above the mouth of the Clarence River, has been completed as 'a protection for Crown leasehold and freehold farm land. It also affords a greater margin of safety for the main highway.

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