13

I.—6b

birds from them. Mine are all out of doors. I have several kinds which bear well against a wall with a northern aspect. For the benefit of those who have mildew on their vines, I clip the following formula from the Canadian Horticulturist, as I know it to be most effective both for mildew and rot: "Sulphate of copper, 21b.; quick-lime, fib.; water, 24 gallons," applied with a sprayer. 160. The Chairman.] Do you know anything of the cultivation of olives? —No. Dr. Campbell has a very large plantation of them at One-tree Hill. I have seen the branches of his trees literally covered with fruit. There is no doubt that in the North, about Hokianga, olive-growing as an industry could be very largely gone into. 161. Is it necessary to have any particular soil to grow olives in? —Not that I am aware of. Dr. Campbell's is volcanic. 162. Would pumice be at all suitable? —No ; there is not much in pumice-soil. 163. Did you ever try it ? —No ; but I have seen the effect of it on fruit-trees. 164. Do you know anything of prunes?—No; I do not. I know that large quantities are produced in Canada. The processes of drying, evaporating, and crystallizing are all described in these books which I now have before me—the Canadian Horticulturist. They show that this industry is of great value. It is all described here. It is out of the proper order of things to see so much pulp and small fruit coming here from Tasmania. It should not be when we have such climate and soil of our own suitable to grow all these kinds of fruits , . 165. Do you think that, with proper attention, small fruit, such as the raspberrries and currants, can be grown in Auckland ? —Easpberries can, but currants will not do in Auckland. I have taken a great deal of trouble, and have had bushes sent me from Tasmania, but I have not found that they would bear well. There is only one man in Auckland (Mr. Collins, of Tuakau) who has been fairly successful in growing currants. The same with apricots: they are not a certain crop in Auckland. I took the trouble of sending to Adelaide for some, but I found them not at all certain. 166. Can you tell us anything of the peach industry? Can you speak as to the loss of peachtrees from blight?—l may say that in America and Canada, where they have taken such great pains to experiment and ascertain the real cause of the blight, they are still doubtful as to the origin of the "yellows" peach-blight. 167. Is it at all analogous with the peach-blight here?— There are different kinds of blight. There is the " curl," as it is called. Some five or six years ago in Auckland the seasons seemed to alter. The spring came in very early, and the fruit-trees came out in bloom, the young buds also coming out. Then there was a sudden change of weather, coming in from the south-east, which seemed to check the sap. Just as in human beings, who become unhealthy when the circulation is impaired, so the trees became affected which up to that time had been doing well. My trees seemed to go into a decline. All the tender young shoots were just as if they had been dipped in boiling water. Since then we have had two or three seasons of the same kind. Last season was different: it was warmer—more like the spring of old times. The consequence is that peach-trees and other trees have grown well, and bear a nice lot of fruit. I have now in my ground a good lot of peach-trees. I have paid much attention to peach-trees of late years. I have been planting the peach-stones and allowing them to grow up without grafting. I believe they will produce as good fruit as grafted trees. 168. Is there not a remedy for these blights?—l recommend manuring the trees well. As to specifics, there has been no result so far as " curl" is concerned ; but that is not the only blight. In the autumn some of my peach-trees w r ere affected by a small insect, which developed into a very small fly. I have examined these insects with a powerful lens; they live on the sap of the leaf and tree. I purpose sending some of them to Mr. Hudson, of Wellington, who is writing a book on the subject of insect-pests. I have brought down to this gentleman specimens of the codlin-moth in every stage of its existence. I believe this pest can be combated by syringing with Paris green, and by bandages, which should be removed every ten days. The insects hatch out so rapidly that there are no fewer than three generations of codlin-moth in one season. We have proved that by getting the grubs and putting them in confinement. If you want to keep your trees clear of codlin-moth you must examine the bandages every ten days. They should be tied tightly at the top a foot or eighteen inches from the ground, and given plenty of room at the bottom, where the grubs can creep up and secrete themselves. 169. That pest is all over the Auckland District ?—Yes, pretty well; although there are some places where they have not reached as yet. Here are a number of formulae for preparing and using blight-curing washes, which I have extracted from this book, " California Fruits." I know them all to be effective :— " Winter Washes for Decidttous Trees. —Oil-and-alkali wash : gallons whale-oil, 251b. salsoda. Dissolve the sal-soda in 25 gallons of water, and heat it to boiling. When boiling pour the whale-oil in. Apply the wash when cooled to 130° Fahr. The whale-oil forms a kind of emulsion, most of the oil remaining free. After allowing this dose to act for three or four weeks apply a wash of alkali, employing either of the following caustic solutions in this proportion: lib. concentrated lye (American), of 80 per cent.; or fib. of Greenbank powdered caustic soda, of 98 per cent.; or lib. of solid caustic soda, of 76 per cent.; or of solid caustic soda, of 63 per cent. These varying proportions are given because the caustic soda in the markets are of different strength and purity. Whichever one is chosen, add to each amount named Jib. of commercial potash, and dissolve in 6 gallons water. One advantage of using the potash with the soda is that the former collects moisture and keeps the compound acting, when the soda alone would dry and crystallize and cease working on the scale. The object to be obtained by using the caustics after the sal-soda and whale-oil is to saponify any oil that might have remained on the tree, and which would have a tendency to clog the pores of