39

A.—3b

Pests and Diseases. These are worst on the Island of Rarotonga, which appears to be a perfect paradise for all species. We understand that there is a little scale on Aitutaki, but the other islands visited are, so far as aur observations went, practically free from "pests, except black aphis. There being no matured fruit at the time of our visit we were unable to ascertain the area of distribution of the fruit-fly maggot, but believe it to be confined to Earotonga. At present all pestS are absolutely neglected. If all exported fruit were inspected it might be possible to trace infected fruit, and by the destruction of the crop, or trees if necessary, be the means of eradicating this troublesome pest. On the islands visited there are as yet no actual plantations of oranges, the trees scattered all over the islands being for the most part self-sown, and frequently attaining 30 ft. and 40 ft. in height. This being the case the impossibility of treating such trees for scale and other pests, except at a cost that would be prohibitive from a commercial aspect, is obvious; so that there appears to be but little hope for improvement in this respect until commercial orchards, systematically planted with varieties of comparatively dwarf habit, are established and managed as commercial orchards should be to turn out clean, sound fruit. Feesent Expobts op Fbesh Fbuit. So far as can be ascertained, these amount to between 40,000 and 50,000 packages. These figures could at once be increased fourfold could the Natives be induced to perform a little more work than is absolutely necessary to supply the wants of the moment. It is stated that at present fully one-half of the entire crop of oranges, &c, is retained by the Natives for making orange-beer, the consumption of which does not tend to improve the people. Large quantities of pines and cocoanuts'are also used for the preparation of intoxicating liquors. Complaints have been made that shipments frequently do not pay. This, however, is principally due to preventible causes, as will be seen by the following: Little care is taken in picking, although considerable improvement has been made of late. The fruit, after picking, is put into sacks, slung over a horse, the Native frequently mounting on top, and so conveyed to the port, getting sadly bruised on the way. There green and ripe, of all sizes, are packed together, the result frequently being disaster. When such packages have been a week in the hold of a steamer their condition may be imagined. We have often seen not more than one to two dozen good fruit picked out of a large double case of, say, 300 oranges on arrival at Auckland. It is pleasing to state that the steamers now give more care than formerly to fruit cargoes. Beyond the increase indicated above, no considerable commercial expansion need be looked for till the waste lands have been rendered available for occupation by Europeans. The Natives, with few exceptions, cannot be brought to realise the importance of care and system. Last year New Zealand imported 557,583 packages of fruit of all kinds. From the above particulars it will be seen that the colony could, if some protection were given its island dependencies, at once supply the greater portion of the tropical fruits required from within its own boundaries, while, with twelve months' notice, these islands could send us all the bananas we could possibly use. Summaby. Cocoa. —So far the cultivation of this has not assumed any proportions, a few trees only being found, and these have received no care. The pods produced, however, demonstrate the fact that good beans could be raised. Coffee. —Formerly considerable quantities were exported, but, as already stated, the plants receive no attention whatever. Still, even so, the export is said to have paid till New Zealand removed the duty. The island residents claim that a great injustice was thus done them, and New Zealand was flooded with cheap Costa Rica products. There can be no doubt that with proper care large quantities of coffee of high grade can be grown. At present the beans cured are sent to Tahiti. Cotton. —Formerly this plant covered considerable areas, and the quality was fair. Cotton is now found wild in many places. We do not, however, recommend its culture in the Cook Group, even if there were a sale for it, because it seems to have sadly exhausted lands which would give much greater returns under other crops. Copra. —At present the exports amount to about 2,000 tons, and are steadily increasing. There is, however, great waste. It is estimated that each Native uses, or wastes, fully fifteen hundred nuts per year. Much of the copra now made is not so good as it should be, the Natives drying many young nuts, while, as a matter of fact, none but ripe nuts should be used, and even those should be kept for some weeks, as they then give more oil and dry quicker. No use is made of the coir. Pine-apples. —These grow readily, and large crops can be got. The output could be readily increased. The cultivation of this fruit, for which both soil and climate of all the islands visited are eminently adapted, is hardly likely to expand to any great extent until there is a more frequent and speedy service between the islands and New Zealand. The difficulty of conveying this perishable fruit to markets at any distance, involving several days in transit, will be recognised. Still, it may be anticipated that the canning of this delicious and favourite fruit may in the future become one of the established industries of the islands. Arrowroot. —The scarcity of water at present precludes the preparation of this commodity on a commercial scale. Vanilla. —Several small cultivations exist, both of the Tahiti and Mexican varieties. At the request of Colonel Gudgeon, this Department some months ago secured 200 plants of true Vanilla aromatica, which will reach Rarotonga shortly. Further experiments will be made.