First Annual Report of the Pomologist.

I began my work in January by endeavouring to encourage orchardists to make shipments of apples and pears to the London market, in order to aid in developing the export of fruit. I visited many of the growers in the Whangarei, and also a number in the Auckland district. In talking the matter over, I found most of them very timid about venturing on shipments, owing to the high rates of freight and other charges. The general feeling was the rather selfish one of waiting to see how their fellow-growers fared during the present experimental stage of this young industry, when the probability of loss is most prominently present. However, my efforts were so far successful as to induce a number of growers to forward small consignments. Some twelve orchardists in the Whangarei district combined, and forwarded seven hundred cases during the season. The consignments consisted chiefly of apples, but also comprised a few cases of pears and grapes. From Auckland, fruit-growers who had shipped in previous seasons sent larger consignments; and I noticed some new shippers, whom I had visited, sending fruit to London per s.s. "Tainui," while I was superintending the shipments by that vessel; but I have no data as to how successful my endeavours were to promote shipments from that district. When the details of the result of this season's shipments come to hand I purpose furnishing a report on the subject to the Minister of Agriculture.

Secondly, with a view of ascertaining how the fruit is at present conveyed to London, and considering whether any improvements could be suggested, I came down with a consignment of 330 cases from Whangarei for London per s.s. "Tainui," and superintended the shipment of all the fruit by that vessel and the s.s. "Duke of Westminster." I came down to Wellington in the former, and watched the regulation of the temperature in the cool-chambers. My observations and suggestions on this subject are embodied in my special report to the Minister of Agriculture on apples exported by s.s. "Tainui." Shortly after my arrival in Wellington a proposed Order in Council to admit certain specified vine-cuttings was brought under my notice. On reading up the records it was very evident that the proposed Order in Council had been drawn up in misconception of the desires of many who had written to the department on page 4 the subject. As they evidently desired to import a number of varieties of wine-grapes (whereas the proposal was to permit the importation of several species of American vines that resist the phylloxera, and are used as stocks only), I therefore drew up a memorandum to the Minister of Agriculture pointing out how dangerous it would be to permit free importation of vines or vine-cuttings, while at the same time it was most desirable, in view of the many settlers in the colony who in their native land had been accustomed to vine-culture, and who, if they could obtain the right varieties, would engage in that important industry here, that a collection of the best wine-grapes should be grown in the colony. I therefore suggested that the Government should import under proper precautions, and cultivate at an experimental station, a collection of the best wine-grapes, to be obtained from reliable sources, free from phylloxera and other disease. My suggestions have met with the Minister's approval, and for fuller particulars thereof I beg to refer you to my memorandum.

During the latter half of March I made a tour through the Manawatu and Wairarapa districts for the purpose of ascertaining the condition of the fruit industry there. In the new settlements along the Manawatu Railway Company's line I found much interest manifested by the settlers in fruit-culture, and numerous young orchards planted, and others were preparing to plant as soon as the land can be cleared. The climate along the coast is mild, and well adapted to fruit-culture; but shelter from the seaward winds must be provided. In Wairarapa I found fruit-culture, on the whole, much neglected. Here and there might be found a well-cared-for orchard, which made its owner profitable returns; but they were the exception, and the rule was neglected orchards overrun with pests. The small settlers in the Wairarapa certainly want wakening up to the knowledge of the money there is in fruit-growing when properly attended to; but not more so than do the settlers in the Hutt Valley, which, owing to its being the only piece of arable land in close proximity to Wellington, one would expect to find almost a continuous stretch of orchard and market-garden. Instead, the cared-for profitable orchards might be counted on one's fingers, and vegetable-culture is almost abandoned to a few Chinese, and the land at the same time provides grazing for a few cows—land which, under a proper system of petite culture, could easily be made to yield ten or twenty times the present return.

The matter of greatest importance to the fruit industry that has come under my notice is the want of a properly-equipped horticultural experimental station, at which all subjects bearing on profitable fruit-culture should be carefully studied, and practical results aimed at, for the benefit of the colony. The following would form some of the objects of such an experimental station : The growth of a comprehensive collection of fruits, embracing not only apples, pears, and stone-fruits, but likewise citrus fruits, olives, grape-vines, both table-and wine-grapes, small fruits, and any other fruits not commonly grown, but which present possibilities of profitable culture. All promising new fruits should be imported, and their value for this colony be ascertained. Records of the behaviour of each variety should be made from season to season : this, in time, will form a page 5 most valuable record of the commercial value of the variety. As in the American experimental stations, the head station would from time to time make arrangements with reliable persons to test varieties in their districts, and thus a mass of valuable information on that matter would be ascertained at little expense.

The nomenclature of our fruits is in great confusion, and causes no small loss to our orchardists. The loss occurs in this way : A man makes up his mind to go into fruit-culture, and he visits some orchards in the district where he intends to settle, and, finding certain varieties doing exceedingly well, he wisely determines to plant largely of that variety or varieties, and he orders from the nurseryman several hundred trees, perhaps, of those choice and profitable kinds. He plants and cultivates carefully, and in three or four years his trees begin to bear; when he finds, to his great disappointment and loss, the variety is something quite different to what he expected, and, probably, in comparison, nearly worthless. I write feelingly on this matter, as time after time have I experienced this loss, and I think every orchardist in the colony who grows a few acres of fruit can bear me out in this matter. Owing to the confusion at present existing in the names of our fruits there is hardly any dependence to be placed on getting kinds true to name. The standard collection at the head experimental station would in a short time do much towards putting this matter straight, and be very valuable as a reference by which the names of doubtful origin might be verified by comparing the fruit with that on the standard trees. Scions in limited quantity would be available for nurserymen and others desiring them.

When the experimental station is established, the importation of cuttings, trees, or fruits from countries where pests exist, from which this colony is at present free, should be prohibited, except such importations of new varieties as the Government might make from time to time, under proper quarantine precautions. This is of the greatest importance, as, although we suffer from a number of troublesome pests, yet there are a great many more, and very serious pests too, in other countries, from which this colony is at present free—for instance, the dreaded "peach yellows" of the Eastern States of America, a most infectious and fatal disease, from which a tree once attacked has never been known to recover; it has done millions of dollars' worth of damage to the peach-growing industry there. Then, there is the curculio weevil, which destroys the plum, apricot, and nectarine crops in the United States; also, a borer insect which ruins many peach-trees, and quite a large number of destructive scale-insects, which do great damage not only to the orange and lemon, but also to all deciduous fruits. In Australia there are also many destructive insects from which this colony is at present free—for instance, the curve-winged apple-moth, apple-tree borer beetle, apple-root borer, the apple beetle, the Rutherglen fly, cherry borer, &c. I consider an immediate effort to protect the colony from the importation of any more pests is of great importance to the fruit industry. The work of the experimental station would have a large field of usefulness before it in the experimental study of stocks. The most profitable stocks on which to grow the many varieties of fruit is a subject which has as yet received but small at- page 6 tention, but which offers a large field of investigation. The insect and fungus enemies of our fruit trees and vines call for more effectual, cheaper, and more easily-applied remedies than we at present possess. Experiments in this direction would form no inconsiderable part of the station's work. The study of the life-history and means of destruction of any other noxious pests that may from time to time appear; the effects of various manures, varied styles of pruning, and methods of preserving various fruits—these and other subjects of study and experiment would all come within the sphere of usefulness of a well-regulated horticultural experimental station.

Another matter which has come under my notice is the want of typical collections of the different varieties of fruit grown in the colony, modelled and coloured to nature, in order to enable the fruit-growers to arrive at some correct system of nomenclature.

In conclusion, I may say the recognition of horticultural interests by the Government has already created considerable interest, as manifested by the number of visitors bent on inquiry, and the letters seeking information that are coming in; and it not only has the effect of assuring the fruit-growers of the appreciation of their wants as a class by our public men, but also of securing to them many beneficial results in the near future.