322 Report on State Experimental Forest, [july, 



About 169 acres were newly planted during the season, in 

 addition to replacing the casualities in last year's work. In 

 all 664,100 plants were put out, of which 287,000 were pur- 

 chased and 377,100 taken from the nursery at Ford. They 

 consisted of 107,970 larch, 44,100 Scots pine, 362,450 spruce, 

 12,800 Sitka spruce, 10,880 Douglas fir, and 16,000 silver fir, 

 planted on new ground, and 15,000 larch, 45,600 Scots pine, 

 40,000 spruce, 1,300 Sitka spruce, 7,000 Douglas fir and 1,000 

 silver fir put out where the previous year's planting had 

 failed. The planting season was not very favourable, 

 although the winter was. not severe. The prolonged drought, 

 combined with the north-east winds, have seriously affected 

 the young plants, and will, it is feared, cause a high death- 

 rate. 



The area to be planted was thoroughly cleared of bracken, 

 rushes, and other growth in the early summer, and where 

 necessary was drained. More draining was required than in 

 the previous year, and in one very wet place, about one acre 

 in extent, the plants have been planted in the inverted sods 

 taken from the drains. 



Every effort was made to kill all rabbits inside the enclosure 

 before the planting season. To prevent their ingress, as well 

 as that of hares, practically the whole block has now been 

 enclosed with wire netting. The result has been very satis- 

 factory. Black game have again played havoc with the 

 young plants, although men were regularly employed in 

 trying to drive them away. They were more numerous than 

 last year. 



The area planted last season has been cleared wherever the 

 growth threatened to suppress the young plants. The 

 bracken has been cut over part of the ground to be taken in 

 hand next season. 



The nursery at Ford has been extended to its limit, and 

 the whole is enclosed with rabbit-proof netting. Part of the 

 new ground was cultivated in the summer and cleaned, and 

 has since been filled with young plants ; the remaining part is 

 still too foul and will be cultivated and cleaned this season. 

 In all, 431,000 seedlings have been lined out, of which 215,000 

 were purchased and 216,000 taken from seed-beds in the 

 nursery. They consist of larch 108,200, Scots pine 65,700, 

 spruce 180,700, Sitka spruce 40,300, Douglas fir 19,600, and 



