C—lb.

Statement of Expenditure. & t d Amount at 31st March, 1909 ... ... ... ...7,363 19 0 Pitting 117 1 9 Tree-planting .. ... ... ... ... ••• 164 12 0 Clearing 209 15 6 Cartage of trees ... ... ... ... •••• • • 88 9 6 General upkeep of plantation ... ... ... ... 374 10 11 „ repairs ... ... ... .. ■■■ ••• 418 3 Horse-feed purchased and grown ... ... ... ... 60 10 5 Fencing 80 12 0 Tools, implements, &c. ... ... ... ... ... 44 7 1 Formation ... ... ... ... ... ... 63 0 2 Salaries— Supervision of prison labour ... ... ... ... 265 0 0 free labour ... ... ... ... 50 0 0 Nurseryman's proportion of ... ... ... ... 35 0 0 Proportion of clerk and accountant's salary ... ... 44 0 0 £8,965 16 7 R. Maoßab, Plantation Foreman.

Wiiakahewakewa Plantation. (Approximate area, 8,912 acres; approximate altitude. 1,200 ft.) During the past year trees to the number of 1,648,800 were received from Rotorua Nursery. Of this number, 1,326,675 were planted on a new area of 625 i acres, 271,875 were used to replace failures in former plantings, and 50,250 to replace failures in the autumn planting of eucalyptus. The total number of trees planted out to date is 8,209,901, occupying an area of 3,784 acres. Prist,h /.ahoiir. — The prison camp was shifted to a new site at Lake Rotokakahi at the end of June, practically all the work in connection with shifting being done by prisoners, Foot months previous to shifting one officer was sent out with eight men, who levelled the site ami erected ihe buildings, which comprise a commodious kitchen, officers' mess-room, store-room and office, v workshop," ami a wash-house. A garden was also formed, and a horse-paddock cleared, fenced, and sown down in grass, with excellent results, there being now plenty of feed. The camp is supplied with water from the lake, from which it is pumped up by a windmill to a concrete tank Ix'hind the kitchen. Owing tc the shifting of the camp, no pitting or planting was done by the prisoners, and they have been chiefly employed clearing for tree-planting, clearing tire-breaks, and forming roads and sledge-tracks. The daily average number of men employed was 1089, and their work was valued at £789 7s. 6d., or an average per man of £72 10s. lOd. Ihe land round the present camp will probably provide employment for prisoners for the next five years. Pre* Lahour. —An average daily number of 33"26 men were employed, and the average cost nf the various works undertaken was as follows: Clearing for tree-planting, £2 3s. 4d. per acre: pitting, lis. 4Jd. per thousand; tree-planting, 7s. 9Jd. per thousand: and replacing blanks, 14s. sd. per thousand. As the ground is rough and the natural growth very heavy, temporary firebreaks \l chains in width have to be formed round the blocks liefore they can be burned off, and this adds considerably to the cost of clearing. The quantity of stumps and roots also makes pitting much more difficult. The portion of the block being dealt with at present is the roughest part of the enclosure, being steep and densely covered with fern. Pits to the number of 1,341,000 were prepared, about 15,000 of which are left available for next season's planting. The chief items in maintenance work were clearing of growth amongst (ho younger trees and the upkeep of fire-breaks. A small amount of pruning was also done amongst the older gums. 8,312 fencing battens were split in the bush from dead rimu trees, at a cost of 7s. 9d. per hundred. Convalescent Consumptives. —One hundred and fifty-three and a quarter acres of the lighter portion of the clearing for tree-planting was done by the Karere Camp convalescent consumptives, at £1 per acre. After the clearing the men were employed planting, at Bs. per thousand trees. The daily average number of men employed was 7-65, and their total earnings amounted to £515 19s. sd. At the end of the planting season, there being no suitable work available, it was decided to close the camp for about four months, at the end of which time the men would again lie given employment. A house for the forester was erected on the site of the old prison camp, the buildings, consisting of kitchen and storehouse, being utilised for this purpose. By placing them together, and building a new portion on to them, a very comfortable little cottage was made. The results of the year's tree-planting operations are very satisfactory. The species chiefly planted were Larix europaa and Eucalyptus Stuart i,nin. both of which have done very well. Very few failures occur in the larch, and scarcely any replanting will require to be done. Eucalyptus Stuartiana, which until the last year wore planted in the spring, were this year planted in the autumn without mossing. Although there may be a slightly greater percentage of failures, this method is to be recommended on account of its cheapness. Mossed plants require to be carted and distributed in boxes, which entails a considerable amount of labour, especially on rough country. Pinus Laricio and /'. ponderosa were used for replanting blanks in former planting. Both species of all ages are doing very well, and are both suitable trees for planting in this district. A small

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