26

C.-^lB.

The nursery-formation, roading, shelter-belts and shrubberies (outlined five years ago) have now been completed. The shelter-belts have made fine growth, and are an object-lesson to settlers in this treeless portion of Marlborough. Men's quarters : This much-needed work is now completed. Every convenience for the com fort of the men has been provided, and should assist in making them more contented, and cause them to take greater interest in the work of the Department. Horse-feed to the value of £113 was grown during the year, and 110 pounds' worth was sent to other nurseries. The daily average number of men employed was eight. Details of expenditure, values, and schedules of stock are appended. The following is a record of rainfall and temperature for the year : —

N. Craig, Nurseryman in Charge.

Dumgeee Plantation. (Area, 881 acres; altitude, 100 ft.) The work for the year has been done partly by free labour and partly by prisoners. Free men were employed as follows : Pitting—26B,sl3 pits were dug at a cost of £2 10s. 6f-d. per thousand. Planting—2l4,72s trees were planted, at a cost of £1 2s. If d. per thousand. Improvements by labour, £65 ss. Id.; digging trenches and heeling-in trees, £10 17s. ; supervision of prison labour, £85 Bs. 6d. ; supervision of free labour, £51 Bs. 6d. ; cartage of trees, £29 ss. ; general maintenance, £22 15s. . The increased area planted during the year was 130 acres, containing 354,250 trees. To fill up blanks on 62-J- acres 11,000 trees were used, making a total number of trees planted for the year of 365,250, valued at £1,244 10s. 3d., as per Schedule D 3. All the trees have done well. The splendid rains and good growing weather experienced throughout the year have made an assured success of the work, and the loss over all will not exceed 5 per cent. The trees planted during the two previous seasons are now well established, and are making good growth. The total number of trees now in this plantation is 536,086, and the total area planted 192£ acres. Revenue Account. For 163 tons 17 cwt. 2qr. of flax the sum of £61 9s. was received, and for rent £22 195., making total receipts £84 Bs., which was duly paid to the credit of the State Forests Account. The expenditure for the year was £1,349 19s. 10d., and the total expenditure to 31st March, 1906, including purchase of land, £6,240 15s. The average daily number of free labourers employed for the year was eleven. ,t ; Prison Laboue. The record of prison labour for the year is excellent. The average daily number employed was 2706. The increased value of prisoners' labour for the year is also satisfactory. For 1904-5 the daily average earnings for each prisoner was 2s. 4d., whilst for 1905-6 the amount is 2s. 9d. The following works have been done during the year, and the values are based on free labour at 7s. per day ; the average value of work done per man for the year is £29 15s. 7-J-d. : Pitting, 158,025 pits dug, valued at £332 17s. 6d. ; planting 146.150 trees, £159 3s. 8d."; reopening 11,000 pits, £7 13s. Id.; pit-marking, 174,085 marked, £50 2s. 7d. ; roadmaking, £60 4s*. 6d. ; trenches for trees, £35 Bs. Id. ; heeling-in trees, £14 18s. sd. ; pruning trees, £1 13s. ; cleaning amongst trees, £107 55.; repairs to roads, £13 10s. 7d. ; taking down Awatere Accommodationhouse, £23 Is, 9d. ; total, £805 18s, 2d.

Month. Rainfall. Number Maximum of Days TemRain fell, perature. Date. J Minimum Temperature. Date. 1905. April ... May .. June July ... August September ... October November December 1906. Inches. 1-07 094 7-43 1-80 1-54 4-04 6-28 1-77 1-69 5 5 12 14 11 16 11 10 11 Degrees. 82 72 68 68 66 80 79 81 . 90 1st 'llth 14th 24th 15oh 30ch 1st 21st 21st Degrees. 30 31 20 20 24 30 31 39 32 22nd 21st 6th 19th 12th 25th 15th 16th 24th January February March 2-36 2-65 1-57 8 5 7 96 89 88 26th 23rd 13th 35 35 30 7th 20th 24ch Totals ... ... 33-14 33-14 115