9

C.—lβ

The work has been done partly by prison labour and partly by free labour, the latter being employed on the remote parts of the block that could not be profitably worked from the prison camp. Of the 3,452,725 trees planted, the prisoners planted 2,679,525, and the free labour 773,200. All the trees planted here last year have done well, the growth made by the different species being up to the average of former years. 50,000 Douglas fir were planted at 16 ft. apart among the larch. The Douglas fir appears to be doing better at this early stage among the larch than the redwood. After due consideration it is questionable if it is a wise policy to plant redwood here, as it is not giving very satisfactory results even in the older parts of the plantation. It appears to grow well where sheltered, but afterwards the larch grows too fast for it, and eventually suppresses it entirely. Pinus strobus and Pinus ponderosa continue to do well. The larch in the older part of the plantation have put on a phenomenal growth, owing to the absence of frost. Pruning has been attended to, and the question of thinning-out will have to be faced in the near future. Some of the hill-tops of pure pumice were planted some years ago with Eobinia pseudoacacia. This species has not done well except where sheltered, and the failures amongst them have been replaced with larch, Pinus austriaca, or Pinus Laricio. The following trees, in the order named, appear to be the ones best suited for planting at Waiotapu: Larch, Pinus Laricio, P. ponderosa, P. strobus. The fire-break on the boundary adjoining the Rainbow Mountain Reserve and Run No. 79 was continued, three miles by 1 chain wide being cleared, stumped, ploughed, and disced. This is considered an efficient safeguard at this particular part of the reserve. Another fire-break running diagonally to the above one was formed, being a mile long and 1J chains wide, while another 1 mile 3 chains in length and \\ chains in width was formed to protect the trees between the prison camp and the Galatea Road. The total area for the year used for fire-breaks is 50 acres. Twenty acres of fire-breaks in the older parts of the plantation was sown down with grass as an experiment, and will be grazed with sheep later on. A further area of 50 acres will have to be attended to in the same manner next year, as the area of fire-breaks now under cultivation is becoming too large to permit of them all being kept cultivated. The eucalypti which were planted experimentally from 1902 to 1905 have in many cases failed miserably, owing to the unseasonable frosts. Several areas under this class of tree were replanted witli larch, which have done well, and during the coming winter it is proposed to entirely restock the eucalypti areas that have failed with larch or Pinus LMricio. In order to facilitate the distribution of trees this next winter, a road has been formed from the prison camp on to the land to be planted. This road is so situated that it will probably be much used later on when the tree-planting camp is removed in the direction of the Kaingaroa Plains. The preparations for the coming winter's work are well forward. 1,200 acres have been cleared and burnt off, and two million pits dug by prison labour. The free-labour gang have also made preparations for planting 500,000 trees, and it is expected that between the free and prison labour something like three million trees will be planted. Judging by the present rate of the tree-planting work, the present enclosure will be completed about November, 1911, and it will then be necessary to shift the prison camp on to another block of land. Vast areas of land suitable for this work are obtainable on the Kaingaroa Plains, and it is proposed to make the next remove in that direction. In anticipation of this, an area of perhaps 50 acres will be enclosed with a post-and-wire fence and shelter-belts of pines, and sown down with grass. The value of work done, by prison labour during the year was £3,164 19s. 2d., or an average for each of the 27"81 prisoners of £113 16s. The thanks of the Department are again due to the Prisons Department's officers for the able assistance given in carrying out the various works. Details of expenditure are appended. Following is a record of rainfall and temperature for the year : —

2—C. Ib.

Month. Days Rain fell. Amount of Rain. Minimum Temperature. Maximum Temperature. 1909. Inches. 2-03 4-93 4-00 7-42 11-87 4-64 4-83 2-93 2-28 April May June July August September October November December 1910. 5 12 9 12 13 13 10 8 6 29 25 24 21 20 23 27 33 38 43 43 36 72 69 63 62 63 69 73 80 84 88 85 80 January February March 8 6 8 7-60 9-97 5-70 110 68-20