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RuATANQATA NURSKRT (Area, 65 acres; altitude, 320 ft.) The past year has been the wettest experienced here since the inception of the nursery, rain falling on 200 days, with a total fall of 9566 in., the maximum rainfall being in March, when 13'78in. were recorded for twenty days. January and February were exceedingly dry months, the respective records being 019 in. and o'6B in.; and for the corresponding months of last year the rainfall was 1141 in. and ll"30 in. Maximum temperature, 82°; and minimum temperature, 30°. The year, taken as a whole, has been an exceedingly good one for tree-growing and cropping. Trees to the number of 268,750 were lined out at an average cost of 3s. s£d. per thousand. This work was commenced on the 13th June, and, owing to unfavourable weather, was not completed until the 15th October. Podocarpus tolara have made excellent growth, some thousands attaining a height of 2 ft. 6 in. Kahikatea, juniper, redwood, &c, have done well; tideland, spruce have made only fair growth; while Oregon pine have proved a complete failure. Podocarpus seed was gathered in September, and kept moist in a pit, with the result that from about 60 lb. of seed a crop of 157,000 fine strong plants resulted. Very satisfactory results weie obtained from 121b. Sequoia sempervirens seed, sown on the 19th October. The seed produced 37,000 sturdy seedlings about 4 in. in height. On the 13th November 2 lb. each of the following eucalypti-seed were sown — Eucalyptus rostrata, E. resinifera, and E. redunca; and on the 9th December the same quantities of E. amygdalina and E. Stuartiana, also 3 lb. Acacia melanoxylon seed : all of these have done well. The different species of eucalypti grown in the experimental plantation have done well, with the exception of Eucalyptus reynans, E. crebra, and E. teretecornis. E. hamastoma has attained a height of 15 ft., with a girth of lljn.; E. virgata, E. pauciflora, E. Stuartiana, E. amygdalina, E. corynocalyx, Califoinian, and redwood have done well. Cork-oaks are growing slowly,-but 240 seedlings are doing weil. Suitable labour not being procurable in the district, six Natives (two men, four women) were temporarily transferred from ltotorua Nursery to this station for the purpose of mossing the eucalypti. 353,230 trees were mossed at an average cost of 10s. 3d. per thousand, details of which will be found on Schedule 4. The total number of trees of all ages in the nursery at 31st March, 1908, was 761,410, valued at £1,715 4s. 3d.; 490,790 trees, valued at £1,295 11s. Bd., were transferred to Puhipuhi Plantation during the season. The approximate number of trees available for planting this season is 585,000. The total number of trees raised in this nursery since May, 1903, is 1,637,868, valued at £4,073 13s. 9d. The total number of trees transferred to Puhipuhi Plantation since the inception of this nursery is 951,795, valued at £2,502 18s. 4d. Buildings.— An additional room, 10 ft. by 12 ft., was added to the Natives' whare; and, the workshop being too small for the accommodation of Natives mossing gums, the implement-shed was converted into a workshop, and a lean-to erected for implements, &c. General. —During tho summer land was graded for lining-out ground; seed-bed ground extended; 16 chains of stone drains, 4 ft. by 3 ft., and 4J chains 3 in. drain-tiles, were put down for the purpose of draining the nursery; 15 chains of drums were opened up in the horse-paddock; the metalling of main road was completed; main entrance-gates were removed to a more convenient site; and a 5 ft. picket fence erected 22 ft. on either side. For the purpose of carting stone for drains, a road was formed through to back paddock, this necessitating a breast cutting of 2 chains in length, averaging about 4 ft. deep, the road being 10 ft. wide. A stone culvert was built, 14 ft. wide, across the creek, behind the stable. An odd corner in the nursery, about onethird of an acre, was planted with flax at 8 ft. apart, and is doing well. Eight chains of boundary-fencing was re-erected, the former posts having rotted, and the wire having been rendered worthless owing to the continuous fires in gorse on adjoining land. Oaten sheaves were grown to the value of £72. The average number of persons employed during the year was—men, 8"32; boys, 1*22; women, 146: total, 11. The following is a record of the rainfall and temperature for the year :—

Month. Rainfall. Number of Days of Bain. Maximum Temperature. Date. Minimum Temperature. Date. 1907. April .. May ... June ... July August September October November December 1908. Inches. 9-87 514 883 1139 11-26 4-59 6-54 3-23 1016 15 14 15 39 <27 20 W 14 14 Degrees. 78 65 62 62 59 66 68 74 79 25th 4th 5th and 6th 22nd 19th and 30th 26th 24th 28th 16th Degrees. 38 30 30 33 33 30 35 42 45 1st 15th 17th 10th 4th and 12th 18th 17th 1st 2nd and 4th January February March 019 10-68 1378 3 18 20 82 79 80 11th 16th 6th 48 45 42 19th 8th and 14th 17th Totals... 95-66 200