C.—lβ

26

The following is a record of rainfall and temperature for the year: —

Statement of Expenditure. £ g d Amount at 31st March, 1908 ... ... ... ... 5,209 17 3 Formation ... ... ... ... ... ... 90 8 0 Tree-planting .. ... ... ... ... ... 95 7 6 Clearing ... ... ... ... ... ... 56 3 0 Cartage of trees ... ... ... ... ... ... 108 10 0 General upkeep of plantation ... ... ... ... 377 17 5 „ repairs ... ... ... .. .. ... 119 18 11 Horse-feed purchased and grown ... ... ... ... 144 311 Fencing ... ... ... ... ... ... 250 19 7 Buildings ... 370 3 3 Tools, implements, &c. ... ... ... ... ... 52 15 10 Miscellaneous works ... ... ... ... ... 300 Salaries — Supervision of prison labour ... ... ... ... 294 4 8 free labour ... ... ... ... 123 7 6 Nurseryman's proportion of ... ... ... ... 42 15 6 Supervision ... ... ... ... ... ... 24 6 8 £7,363 19 0 H. A. Goudie, Nurseryman in Charge.

Whakarewarewa Plantation. (Approximate area, 8,912 acres; approximate altitude, 1,200ft.) During the past season trees to the number of 2,078,250 were dealt with. 1,841,100 were planted on a new area of 838J acres, and the remainder —237,150 —were used to replace failures in former plantings. The total area planted to date in this reserve is 3,157J acres, containing 6,883,226 trees. Prison Labour. —The employment of prison labour has again been attended with very satisfactory results, for which much credit is due to the Prisons departmental officers for the manner in which they have assisted to carry out the various works on which the men were employed. The daily average of men employed was 13'16, and their work was valued at £971 10s., or an average for the year of £73 16s. sd. per man, thus showing an increase of 10s. 4d. per man on the previous year's results. Free Labour. —An average daily number of 32"72 men were employed, and the cost of the various works undertaken was as follows: Clearing for tree-planting, £1 10s. lOd. per acre; pitting, 10s. 6d. per thousand; planting, Bs. 6d. per thousand; and formation of roads, including clearing line, £1 lis. 9d. per chain. Taken all round, the area planted during the past season was the roughest so far taken in hand, and the growth of manuka, tutu, and fern on it was very heavy. This accounts for the increase that will be noticed in the cost of clearing, pitting, and planting as compared with the cost of the same works during the past season. In maintenance work the chief item was pruning, which was carried on amongst the older larch throughout the summer. A considerable amount of work was also done in keeping down the growth amongst the trees, and in the maintenance of fire-breaks.

Month. Number I of Days Total Fall. Rain fell. Maximum Fall. Date. Highest Reading of Thermometer. Date. Lowest Reading of Thermometer. Date. 1908. Lpril llay 'une "uly August September October ... November December 1909. 10 13 10 9 9 7 10 3 4 Inches. 3'66 6-18 2-90 2-23 3-65 3-81 3-76 1-37 4-06 Inches. 1-25 1-53 0-75 0-85 1-13 1-03 1-40 1-20 1-50 21st 31st 4th 31st 17th 16th 2nd 19th 23rd Degrees. 75 70 68 60 63 67 79 80 86 30th 2nd 6th 1st 31st 7th 9th 29th 19th Degrees. 37 24 20 17 17 25 25 25 34 18th 22nd 21st 31st 1st 19th 31st 3rd 9th lanuary ... February ... Vlarch 7 1 10 2-44 010 7-90 0-80 0-10 2-00 28th 12th 26th 83 83 86 23rd 16th 1st 30 32 32 17th 23rd 3rd Totals ... 42-06 93