C—l.

The following is the record of temperature and rainfall: —

Record of Rainfall and Temperature at Starborough Nursery.

Survey Paddock Plantation, near Naseby, Otago. (Area, 725 acres.) Trees to the number of 134,950, covering 50 acres, were planted permanently here during last spring, the area planted to date being 76£ acres. With the exception of Abies doug asii, all have done well. The intensely cold frosty winds seem to turn the foliage of Abies douglasii a rustybrown colour in a single night, and death quickly ensues. It is a remarkable fact that this usually hardy tree is so tender m this district and yet flourishes in Canterbury and other parts of Otago where much lower temperatures are recorded. Pitting costs £1 ss. per thousand holes, and planting 19s. lOd. per thousand trees planted For next season's planting 85,036 pits were dug at 31st March, and fully two hundred thousand will be opened before the winter frosts put a stop to this work. Chaff to the value of £107 19s. 7d. was grown here and transferred to other nurseries, and about 35 tons of oaten sheaf remain to be " chaffed " as required. GIMMERBURN FOREST EeSERVE, OtAGO. (Area, 420 acres.) Fencing of this reserve was completed in December last at a cost of £238 4s. Id., the total length being 307 chains. A hundred acres of this area was leased in January last for cropping twice with turnips, to be afterwards eaten off by sheep, at a rental of 2s 6d. per acre per annum. It is proposed to plant 100 acres yearly, and this area will be under turnip for two seasons prior to being required for planting, and then handed over already ploughed. Dusky Hill Plantation, Otago. (Area, 845 acres.) The trees throughout have made excellent growth during the year, showing that both soil and local conditions are alike favourable to their success. Trees to the number of 354,480 (included under Schedule B 8 ) were planted permanently during the past season, with an estimated loss of barely 2 per cent. 90,000 acorns were also planted permanently in situ on steep hillsides where " pitting" was impracticable. These have germinated and grown well, and, as no disturbance to the root system takes place, it is certain that much more rapid and healthy growth will ensue under this method than by using transplanted trees. The system will be followed with acorns in future where existing undergrowth is not too strong to check by overcrowding the young tr66S. The area covered by this season's planting is 172| acres, the total area to date planted being 266 acres. Pits for tree-planting have cost £1 10s. per thousand, 393,840 having been opened to date. Fully 600,000 trees are in readiness at the Tapanui Nursery for transference to this plantation during the coming season, and 200,000 acorns will also be planted. Planting trees costs £1 ss. 6d. per thousand, the work being done by a man and a lad the latter carrying a supply of trees and holding them in position while being planted. The moist summer and autumn being favourable to grass-growth necessitated a considerable expenditure in keeping it from smothering young trees, but this work is only necessary during the first two seasons after planting. Babbits have been kept under successfully, and no damage resulted from these pests, as in previous years.

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Month. Eainfall. Number of Days Rain fell. Highest Reading ol Thermometer. Date. Lowest Reading of Thermometer. Date. 1901. Inches. 0-83 0-46 1-79 4-87 1-00 1-63 012 0-44 4-58 Degrees. 63 72 70 68 68 75 82 86 86 April May ... June .. July ... August September October November December 1902. 5 4 8 16 4 5 2 5 10 9th 5th 5ch 19th 21st 16th 28th 13th 26th Degrees. 34 32 30 28 30 34 35 38 43 28th 25th 24th 5th 17th 19th 7th 11th 17th January February March' 0-99 0-73 2-53 9 4 8 94 94 86 20th 5th 6th 42 44 40 29th 17th 19th Totals... 19'97 80