5

I.—6b

equal to the demand at the present time. Olives may be cultivated in suitable situations from the North Cape to Drury. In Europe the olive requires a long period before it bears fruit; but in New Zealand two-year-old trees will fruit the fourth or fifth year from planting, but of course some years must elapse before they yield a maximum return. Trees sft. and 6ft. high laden with fruit now. The walnut and Spanish chestnut are valuable alike for their fruit and their timber. Both commence to fruit at a very early age in this colony, the contrary being the case in Europe and America. For small fruits, such as gooseberries, currants, and strawberries, the supply is not generally equal to the demand, although in some localities it is rather in excess. In Auckland strawberries commonly sell at from 4d. to 6d. per quart; I have never known them under Is. in Wellington. Ido not recommend the cultivation of the banana for profit. 12. For what reason?— The temperature and sunlight are not sufficient. In the Kermadec Islands, six hundred miles nearer the tropics, bananas are not of first-rate flavour. There is too much moisture in the atmosphere. 13. You have mentioned that pome fruit are suitable to New Zealand: will you give us any information as to the best variety to grow ? —lt depends so much on locality, and on the objects for which they are grown, that I could scarcely do that off-hand. li. I mean chiefly for export purposes: can you give us any information on that point?—l could hardly do that off-hand. I should like to consider the question. I shall prepare a statement on that subject for the Committee. 15. Can you tell us why it is that large quantities of fruit are brought over from Australia and Tasmania to New Zealand?—We do not grow sufficient here. 16. Is it because fruit grows more readily in Tasmania than in New Zealand ?—Not in any way. I can say, as a matter of fact and observation, based on long experience, that fruit grown in the Waikato, where I tasted it, is equal to any grown in any part of England. No country grows better apples than England, but I am sure we grow quite as good. 17. You have told us that the poorer soils of the Auckland Province are quite capable of producing fruit in large quantities ?—Yes. 18. Do you allude to the white clays north of Auckland?— Yes. 19. Do you think the volcanic soil south of Auckland, in the Waikato and other places, is equally valuable ?•—Yes ; the pumice soil grows splendid fruit. 20. Do you think the pumice plains of Taupo would be suitable for fruit-trees ?—They are suitable for both fruit and timber, if properly treated. 21. Coming further south, do you think the yellow clays here are suitable for fruitgrowing?— Some of them. They are not all alike. They vary much in tenacity. Wherever they are fairly friable they will grow fruits well. The Canterbury stiff soil is a splendid vehicle for anything you like to put in it. 22. Does your experience extend to the inland plains of Otago?—Yes. Ordinary fruit has grown very well there indeed. 23. That would be mica-schists ?—Yes. 24. With respect to the olive, have you seen trees in a good state of production in Auckland? —Yes, I saw Dr. Campbell's plantation ; I paid a special visit to it four years ago. 25. What is the area of that plantation ?—I think it is over 20 acres. 26. Entirely devoted to olives ?—Yes. 27. Can you give us any idea of the present production?—l cannot; I have not been in Auckland during the last three years. 28. What age would Dr. Campbell's trees be?— They must have been six years old when I saw them. Two years ago I was informed that they produced heavy crops, that excellent oil had been extracted, and that the pickled olives were all that could be desired. 29. Was it the common Italian olive or the Spanish olive he planted ?—I think he had two or three kinds, but the fruit was not sufficiently advanced to enable me to say anything. There are a large number of olives. Some half-dozen kinds are planted on the experimental grounds at Whangarei. 30. Will you now speak of the best mode of dealing with blight in trees ? —lt is such a large subject that one scarcely knows where to commence. I produce to the Committee a copy of a report I prepared some time ago, " Fruit-blights, and Diseases of Fruit-trees." 31. Can you tell us whether anything has been done to lessen the evil of the eodlin-moth?— A great deal has been done. I think the most efficient plan after all is the old one—fixing bands of paper or cloth around the trunks of the trees, and examining them at intervals of three or four days for the caterpillars. 32. The whole of your experience is to be found in this book ?—No, not the whole of it. That was drawn up somewhat hurriedly as a report for the Government. A large number was printed, but it very soon went out of print. The Queensland Government requested permission from our Government to reprint it. That copy was printed in Queensland. Since that time the New South Wales Government has requested permission to reprint it, and it is now being sold by the Government of that colony. 33. A good deal has been already done to keep down the codlin-moth ?-—Yes, in applying bands and insecticides. When the caterpillar leaves the fruit it falls to the ground, and after a short interval it ascends the tree. It takes advantage of a tuft of moss, a fragment of loose bark, or the fork of a branch for a resting-place, and enters the chrysalis state, spins its cocoon, and passes the winter. By fixing the bands of which mention has been made around the tree, very loosely at the bottom and rather tightly at the upper edge, a suitable resting-place is formed for the caterpillar to pass the chrysalis state in—one from which it can be easily removed. In orchards largely infested by codlin-moths numbers of these chrysalides may be taken in this way almost daily. I think, take it all round, this is the most efficient method of keeping the codlin-moth down. There