45

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GIMMERBURN PLANTATION RESERVE. (Area, 425 acres; altitude, 1,200 ft.; commenced operations, 1903.) Owing to the favourable season, the trees at this station have made very good growth, and at the present time are looking very healthy. Owing to the work of planting being abandoned, there has been no one employed except to plough, up land for oats and destroj' vermin. The cost of breaking up land, &c, has been borne by the nursery. The land ploughed was sown down in oats, and a good crop was the result, as will be seen by the report on Eweburn Nursery. The expenditure amounts to £5 for the year, and to date £2,621 Os. sd. Schedule ll. — Statement of Expenditure. For Year. To Date. Planting operations and maintenance — £ s. d. £ s. d. Tree-planting ... ... ... ... ... 857 4 3 Pitting ... ... ... 29 9 0 Clearing Cartage of trees ... ... ... ... 97 10 9 General upkeep of plantation ... ... ... 379 8 5 General repairs ... ... ... ... 9 13 5 Horse-feed ... ... ... 420 4 0 Permanent works— Fencing ... ... ... 387 11 2 Formation ... ... ... ... ... 50 0 0 Buildings ... ... • ... ... ... 57 3 9 Stock, implements, &c. —Tools, implements ... ... 19 19 0 Supervision and clerical— Salaries— Supervision of free labour ... ... 5 0 0 233 0 0 Superintending Nurseryman's proportion and clerical assistance ... ... 79 16 8 £5 0 0 £2,621 0 5 Schedule lll. — Trees Account. Number. Trees received during year Less to replace blanks Planted on new area Previously planted ... ... ... ... ... ... 152,896 Total number planted on 173 acres (average age, seven years) ... ... ... ... ... 152,896 Schedule IV. — Property Account. £ s . a. Land (420 acres) : Crown land not charged to Forestry Account Buildings ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 57 3 9 Live-stock ... Improvements ... ... ... ... ... 50 0 0 Fencing ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 387 11 2 Stores in hand ... ... ... ... 19 19 0 £514 13 11 Balance-sheet. £ s d Total expenditure ... ... ... ... 2 621 o' 5 Less Property Account ._,. ... ... 514. 23 jj Cost of operations ... ... .'.. 106 6 6 173 acres planted (average age, seven years). Estimated value of plantation per acre ... £10 2 6 A. W. Roberts, Nurseryman in Charge.

Hanmeb Spring Nursery, Canterbury. (Area, 40 acres; altitude, 1,225 ft.; established, 1902.) Rain fell on 139 days during the year, the total precipitation being 5073 in. The maximum monthly tall of 14-87 in. was recorded during July. The highest shade-temperature (W>\ was registered on the 20th February, and the lowest (150) on the 4th August. Frosts were recorded on eighty-nine nights during the year, exceptionally low. temperatures beino- registered durine the months of July and August, which were easily the coldest and most boisterous months of the year, the heaviest snowfall on record for the last thirty years taking place during July The snow lay on the ground for a period of six weeks, completely suspending outside operations for the time being. The rainfall throughout the year was very unevenly distributed fairly moist