H.—s

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learnt that lesson, and are now sending into Auckland clean fruit. Some of the Island fruit is also infected. But these are all matters that could best be dealt with by a Board of Horticulture, and I feel sure there is no way that would be more popular and effective than for the Government to hand the whole business over to such a Board, having the necessary power to give effect to its decisions. Briefly, what I would recommend would be this : The Government to appoint Boards of Horticulture for each provincial district (where required, say Auckland and Nelson), with a paid Inspector of Bruit-pests under each Board; the Inspector to also act as lecturer when travelling through the larger fruit-centres. The Board should have the power to appoint County Boards of Supervisors where required, and these County Boards could appoint two of their number as orchard-viewers, having the power to call upon an orchardist to w r ash his trees, if infected, within a given time, and, failing his doing so, to do it themselves at his expense. This would be an effective way of dealing with the insect-pests, and would have the recommendation of only costing Government the salaries of the Inspectors of Fruit-pests, whose duties it would be to go up and down the country inspecting orchards, giving advice, and doing everything possible to minimise the evil effects of the pests, and ridding the country of them as far as possible. Lest, in my anxiety to draw serious attention to this question of fruit-pests, I should give any one the impression that such pests are worse here than elsewhere, I must state emphatically that in America things are infinitely worse. With the aid of the information which such entomologists as Mr. Maskell, of Wellington, and some of the professors of our university colleges, who are at present studying the life-histories of many insects, can give, and the assistance of Government, we may reasonably hope to get the pests within measurable bounds before very long. Herewith I attach copies of the laws in force in California:— An Act to create and establish a State Board of Horticulture, and appropriate Money for the Expenses thereof. Sec. 1. There shall be a State Board of Horticulture, consisting of nine members, who shall be appointed by the Governor : two from the State at large, and one from each of the seven horticultural districts, which are hereby constituted as follows : — Sec. 2. The members appointed from each district shall be residents of the district from which they are appointed, and shall be specially qualified by practical experience and study in connection with the industries dependent upon horticulture. They shall each hold office for the term of four years, except that, of the nine first appointed, four, to be determined by lot, shall retire at the end of two years, when their successors shall be appointed by the Governor. Sec. 3. The Board shall appoint and prescribe the duties of a secretary, who shall not be one of their number, and elect of their own number a treasurer, both to hold office during the pleasure of tho said Board. The treasurer shall give a bond to the State, with sureties approved by the said Board, in the sum of ten thousand dollars, for the faithful discharge cf his duties. Sec. 4. The Board may receive, manage, use, and hold donations and bequests for promoting the objects of its formation. It shall meet semiannually, and as much oftener, and at such places, as it may deem expedient, to consult and adopt such measures as may best promote the horticultural industries of the State. It may, but without expense to the State, select and appoint competent and qualified persons to lecture in each of the horticultural districts named in section one of this Act, for the purpose of illustrating practical horticultural topics, and imparting instruction in the methods of culture, pruning, fertilising, and also in the best methods of treating the diseases of fruit and fruit-trees, cleansing orchards, and exterminating insect-pests. The office of the Board shall be kept open to the public, subject to the rules of the Board, every day, excepting the legal holidays, and shall be in charge of the secretary during the absence of the Board. Sec. 5. For the purpose of preventing the spread of contagious disease among fruit and fruittrees, and for the prevention, treatment, cure, and extirpation of fruit-pests and the diseases of fruit and fruit-trees, and for the disinfection of grafts, scions, orchard debris, and empty fruit-boxes and packages, and other suspected material or transportable articles, dangerous to orchards, fruit, and fruit-trees, said Board shall make regulations for the inspection and disinfection thereof, which said regulations shall be circulated in printed form by the Board among the fruit-growers and fruitdealers of the State, shall be published at least twenty days in two daily newspapers of general circulation in the State not of the same city or county, and shall be posted in three conspicuous places in each county in the State, one of which shall be at the County Courthouse thereof. Such regulations when so posted shall be held to impart notice of their contents to all persons within this State, and shall be binding upon all persons. Sec. 6. The said Board shall elect of their own number, or appoint from without their number, a competent person especially qualified by practical experience in horticulture for the duties of his office, who shall be known as Inspector of Fruit-pests (to hold office at the pleasure of the Board), whose duties it shall be to visit the horticultural districts of the State, to see that all regulations of said Board and provisions of law to prevent the spread of fruit-pests, and diseases of trees and plants injurious to the horticultural interests of the State, and all regulations of said Board in the nature of quarantining infected or infested districts, and also all rules and regulations of said Board concerning disinfection of fruits, trees, plants, grafts, scions, orchard debris, empty fruit-boxes and packages, and other material dangerous to orchards, fruit, and fruit-trees, are enforced. He shall also, whenever required, and under the direction of the Board, and may also upon his own motion, and upon the complaint of interested parties, inspect orchards, nurseries, and other places suspected or believed to be infested with fruit-pests, or infected with contagious disease injurious to trees, plants, or fruits, and he shall report the facts to said Board. If, upon report of said Inspector, or from well-attested facts otherwise before it, said Board shall be of the opinion that any locality,