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and material stored; 4 acres cleared and ploughed, &c, and planted in wattle; 18 chains road made, with light cuttings, through wattle plantation ; 42 chains ditching completed, thereby draining three small swamps; two culverts made across swamps ; two gateways constructed and gates hung on main read in plantation. A large proportion of my time has been taken up in miscellaneous work, such as attending to Ranger duties, gathering wattle-seed, raising young trees, pruning trees, &a. I have also on the ground material for erecting a shed, 35ft. by 15ft., for drying the wattle-bark in. The timber consists chiefly of split material, which I procured from the Government bush. N. Kensington, Nurseryman.

Papatawa Experimental Gardens. [Extract from a Report to the Whangarei Council.] Since the Whangarei County Council took over the Experimental Gardens, in October, 1890, Mr. Hislop has with the small means at his disposal succeeded in making several important changes which will greatly enhance the value of the institution, and tend to make it in a short time almost, if not altogether, self-supporting. Orders from all quarters are being received by each mail, and in almost every instance where trees were sent last year the orders are again repeated this season. A considerable amount of satisfaction is expressed at the quality of the trees, and the careful manner in which they were packed, showing that the manager knows how to perform his duty. In this connection one very grave mistake has been made in the choice of a site too far removed from the port. The distance not only precludes those interested in the experiments from visiting and inspecting the gardens, but it also precludes the general public from acquiring a knowledge of the different plants grown there and their commercial value, as well as acquiring that taste so essential to those who take an interest in planting either for use or ornament. Another drawback to the present position is the cost of carriage, which in the planting season is considerable ; also the difficulty in obtaining stable-manure, and distance from post-office, all of which tend to make the present site undesirable for future operations on an extended scale. Apart altogether from the choice of site is another question, and that is the selection of soil. The North Island being composed of clay and loam land in the proportion of 1,000 acres to one of volcanic (the pumice lands of Taupo, Upper Waikato, and Upper Wanganui district not included), experiments to naturalise and acclimatise plants should as far as possible be conducted on each of such soils. The principal fruit-growers of this district have been consulted on this matter, and they indorse this view. It will be for the Council to say whether the change shall be made or not. If the change is decided on I shall be prepared to offer suggestions which in my opinion will meet the case. The stock at present in the nursery consists of 64,500 conifers, 28,900 deciduous trees, 4,300 gums, and 4,300 fruit-trees, including imported American vines, and 2,600 sundries, making a total of 104,600 plants. The orders to date, accompanied by cash, amount to £33 9s. lid., and this before the time has arrived for lifting trees. Application has been made to the manager for trees to be planted on " Arbor Day," which your committee has thought wise to encourage to the extent of, say, four or five thousand trees, assorted, freight and packing to be paid for by the applicants. Suggestions. —That the Council or Government make arrangements with the Melanesian Mission Trust for a long lease of their reserve near the graveyard, Whangarei; that it will be necessary for the Government to subsidise the Council to the amount of £500 for a period of five years; that the works and expenditure be under the control of the Council, for the Government; that an elected Board of bond fide fruit-growers be formed to advise the Council on matters affecting them, and to indicate the direction in which, in their opinion, experiments should be made. J. D. McKbnzie.

APPENDIX No. 4.

DAIRYING. Mb. Sawees's Eepoet. The following schedule will give the names and number of factories visited, viz. : — Tabanaki Provincial Distbict.—Tikorangi Butter-factory, Banks's Farm Butter-factory, Reynolds and Co.'s Inglewood Butter-factory, Mr. E. Olson's Egmont Village Cheese-factory, Robbins and Pierard's Stratford Cheese-factory, Cardiff Co-operative Cheese-factory, Normanby Butterfactory, Eltham Butter-factory, Mr. J. C. George's Pungarehu Butter-factory, Mr. J. C. George's Opunake Cheese-factory, Mr. J. C. George's Otakeho Cheese-factory, Mr. J. C. George's Manaia Butter-factory, Mr. Breech's Butter-factory. Auckland Provincial District.—Townley and Scales's Cook County Cheese-factory, Barron Brothers' Cheese-factory, Ormond Cheese-factory. Hawke's Bat Pbovincial Distbict.—Woodville Cheese-factory. Wellington Provincial District. —Okoia Cheese-factory. Canterbury Pbovincial Distbict.—Tai-Tapu Co-operative Butter-factory, Maxton Butterfactory, Memington Cheese-factory, Temuka Cheese-factory. Otago Pbovincial Disteict.—Waiareka Cheese-factory, Shag Valley Cheese-factory, Waikouaiti Cheese-factory, New Zealand Milk-supply Company's Butter- and Cheese-factory, Taieri and Peninsula Milk-supply Company's Dairy Factory, Messrs. J. and R. Cuddies Mosgiel Butter-factory, Messrs. J. and R. Cuddies Outram Creamery, Mr. William Heenan's Maungatua Cheese-factory, Cranley Cheese-factory, Henley Cheese-factory, Bruce Cheese-factory, Stirling Cheese-factory. Southland Pbovincial Disteict.—Wayte Brothers' Otama Bridge Cheese-factory, Mataura Cheese-factory, Edendale Butter- and Cheese-factory, Wyndham Cheese-factory, Mr. D. Doull's