C.—3.

Plantations. —The planting-season began on the Bth May and ended on the 21st October. Climatic conditions were favourable, and the total area planted was 2,281 acres, the predominating species being P. Laricio (934 acres), Pseudotsuga taxifolia (768 acres), and P. ponderosa (382 acres). Nine compartments were blanked, 79,800 trees being used for this purpose. Deer caused a fair amount of damage in parts of the plantation adjoining the native bush where they take refuge. Special measures will be taken early in the new year to deal with this pest. Eabbits were also something of a pest, and hares appear to be increasing. Noxious animals destroyed were fifty-three deer, forty-three pigs, and a large number of rabbits. At Dumgree Plantation the main work of the year was clear felling inferior patches of pine and larch, which will be sold for firewood ; 6 acres was replanted with P. radiata and 2 acres with P. muricata. Work will be continued this year on a small scale to replant felled and unstocked areas. Westland Region. Nursery. —With the exception of some experimental sowing, the work in the nursery was confined to general maintenance and routine operations. Of the trees lifted —viz., 913,000 —the major quantity (344,000) was used for the plantation, and a considerable number was despatched for planting at Golden Downs. Plantation.—The planting of 272 acres was carried out with 344,000 Thuya plicata, with an espacement of-4 ft. in lines 8 ft. apart. Four-year-old locally raised stock was used, and a strike of 95 per cent, was obtained. The ground was typical cut-over forest with a dense second growth, and linecutting was necessary as a preliminary step to planting. Canterbury Region. Nursery.—Operations under this head were practically confined to Balmoral Plantation, where the available stock at 31st March was 1,980,000 trees. 1,684,800 trees were lifted and 207 lb. of seeds was sown, the estimated crop being 1,157,000 ; of the first-mentioned number 1,527,000 trees will be retained for local use, 43,000 will be available for disposal for local-body planting, &c., and 410,000 are being held for 1935 planting. From Eyrewell field nursery 51,000 rooted Populus serotina, obtained from cuttings from good-type trees in Oxford district, were supplied to Southland Region. Plantations.—New areas established were Balmoral Plantation, 31 acres (21,100 trees) ; Eyrewell, 88 acres (58,800 trees). These areas were made up of closed firebreaks, three-year-old P. ponderosa being used ; a fair average strike was obtained. Reconditioning was carried out over a total area of 1,713 acres, being mostly hard grassy land at Balmoral and Eyrewell. Owing to the past few years of drought periods, these areas have been very difficult to establish. Pitting was essential, as three-year-old P. ponderosa was used, and it was necessary to get the large roots well down. Of the total area mentioned 132 acres was located at Hanmer Springs. Southland Region. Nurseries.—ln the small field nursery at Beaumont a sowing was made of 76 lb. of seed, but the work was delayed by wet weather, and germination was affected by dry weather which followed. The main species represented were P. ponderosa, C. macrocarpa, and Tsuga heterophylla, and small quantities of eucalypts were also sown. About 50,000 lined out P. Murrayana seedlings will be available for planting ; 32,000 one-year-old P. radiata were lifted for planting and blanking. The estimated stock in the Beaumont Nursery is 233,000. Approximately 16,000 poplar cuttings were prepared and lined out at Tapanui Nursery. At Pebbly Hills 42 lb. of seed was sown, and it is estimated that 220,000 young trees will be available for future use. At this nursery 59,000 trees were lined out and 13,700 lifted. Plantations.—Planting operations were : At Pebbly Hills, blanking 784 acres ; at Blue Mountains, blanking 54 acres ; at Conical Hills, replanting of 115 acres of poorly stocked spruce compartments with 47,000 P. ponderosa. Cleaning of rank growth at Pebbly Hills covered an area of 594 acres, and was carried out by relief labour. This is a very necessary work as, owing to rank growth, many of the young trees would be suffocated if it were neglected.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given; printing (1,600 copies), £2'

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