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oppresses the farmer, consequently some compulsory measure would be in the interests of fruit-growers. Will it never occur to such thickheads that wcj have infallible remedies for all diseases mentioned in the Sheep Act, and easy to comply with? When ihe same can be said of garden pests it will be time to think of legislation. But in the meantime every legitimate effort should be used to prevent such an act of tyranny and oppression as the one in question ever being placed on the statute-book. Therefore, whatever step your meeting shall take in this direction has my unqualified support and sympathy. And, sir, your action in placing the principal clauses of the Bill before the public, and taking such prompt action in calling a meeting, is deserving of the thanks of all fruit-growers.—Youra truly, H. Batt. The chairman explained some of the provisions of the Orchard and Garden Pests Act of 1896. Mr. Avery supported the motion, and characterized the Bill as iniquitous. Of the half a dozen Government Inspectors who had visited Nelson, not one could give a specific for fruit-diseases. It was also strange why Auckland, which was eaten out by blight, should be excluded from the operation of the Bill as to the pest. Mr. Marshall said that if neighbours would only help each other and show a little consideration of complaints it would be much better than visits from Government Inspectors. 132. Will you point out what parts of the Bill you chiefly object to, or do you condemn the whole ?—We know nothing about phylloxera or the San Jose scale, and we know very little about apple-scab. What we do know is the American blight and the codlin-moth. The American blight has been in our district for fifty years, and no one has ever been able to destroy it altogether. It is very eccentric in its movements. Nobody would ever think of trying to get rid of it wholly or expect that they could do so, and it does not injure the apple. The codlin-moth every one can keep down if he tries to do so. 133. Do you not think you require a Government measure to force all alike to take steps to keep their orchards clean, and keep down the pest? —No, we do not. 134. Then you are against the Bill ? —Yes. 135. Mr. Massey.] Is the association which you represent a large one ? —-We had forty members when it started, but it has dwindled down, as most of these associations do, and now we just keep it alive. 136. You have told us that the fruit-growers in Nelson generally do not approve of this Bill ?— They do not. 137. What do they object to ? —What they say is that the Government have never been able to get an infallible remedy for the pests, and the result would be that it would be worse to have some one coming into your garden and taking charge of it than the disease itself. 138. The Inspectors would be worse than the codlin-moth ?—Yes. 139. Do I understand you to say that the Nelson fruit-growers are of opinion that it would be quite time enough to bring in a compulsory Bill when we have a perfect remedy for the codlinmoth. ? —Yes. 140. Are there many orchards in your district which are badly affected with the codlin-moth ? —In 1894 we had our annual meeting, and then we made this statement: " The codlin-moth is not now the trouble that it was seven years ago, the mussel-scale is mastered, and the Icerya purchasi is scarcely to be seen." Mr. Hood said the codlin-moth had been in the Nelson district for thirty years. It could never be eradicated, but it could be kept in check. The San Jose nothing to be much afraid of here. Mr Hale said that as for the eradication of the codlin-moth, by the time it was removed from one part of an orchard it would appear in another. 141. Would you approve of handing over a badly affected orchard to the experts of the Agricultural Department to amuse themselves with in trying to find a remedy for the codlin-moth?—lt would be a very good thing; and if any district wanted it too—well, hand that district over to the Inspectors. 142. Do you know any of the Inspectors personally ?—I know Mr Blackmore. 143. Has he been giving you advice?— Yes ; he has been giving advice in Nelson. 144. Do you consider him a practical man ?—He has not any acquaintance with the codlinmoth in Nelson, at all events. The information we have collected is practically from what we have been experimenting on for nine years. We say that there is only one brood of the moth in the year, and consequently we recommend bandaging in the beginning and then taking them off at the end of the season. He says that there are two broods, and lam sorry to say that he will insult you if you contradict him. 145. Is the gentleman whom you have mentioned popular in the Nelson District ?—No ; he is very unpopular. 146. They do not consider his advice of much value ?—Not upon blights. Of course, upon grafting and that sort of thing his advice may be very valuable. 147. Do you consider bandaging effective ?—Yes, it is effective. 148. Do you know anything of the natural enemy of the codlin-moth?—No; we tried to get the naturally enemy from Mr. Allan White, of Auckland, many years ago—the insect enemy. We thought that from his experience he would be able to tell us the best thing to do. At the Fruitgrowers Conference in 1896 Mr Becroft stated that he had an orchard, and that he had been continuously syringing, and yet he had more codlin-moth than ever, but that his brother, next door to him, who had not been syringing had very much less of the codlin-moth than he himself had. I said at once, "It is possible that you have been killing the natural enemy." 149. You think, then, that by so much spraying there is a possibility of killing the natural enemy ? —Yes ; and some people in our district who sprayed have discontinued it because they were afraid that it was injuring the young fruit-buds. 150. Of course, you think the codlin-moth is the worst pest?—No; I think it is universally admitted that the mussel-scale is; that destroys the tree ; the codlin-moth destroys the fruit only. If you are isolated from any other orchard, there is no doubt you can get rid of it by picking your fruit for a year or two. I may say I myself have taken the moth from the peach and also from the apricot. 151. How many years experience have you had?— Eleven years, during which I have been secretary to the association.