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Total Returns for Yeak from 66 Acres Leasehold Land. (1.) Keturns from Sheep,- - £ b. d. £ c. d. By Net proceeds sale of wool ... ... ... 46 13 1 ~ ~ skins ... ... ... 15 9 245 lambs ... ... 178 11 5 ~ Value of ten lambs killed for meat ... ... 8 0 0 234 0 3 (2.) Returns from 11 Acres Potato-crop,— By Net proceeds siile of 87t tons potatoes ... ... 545 0 0 ~' Value of 22 tons potatoes used ... ... 108 0 0 ~ ~ 12J tons pig-potatoea ... ... 12 10 0 ~ ~ 8i tons picked seed-potatoes ... ... G8 0 0 733 10 0 967 10 3 It is not easy for us to arrive at an exact estimate of the expense that would have had to be incurred by the ordinary farmer in cultivating, providing seed, planting, harvesting, and delivering the crop at a railway-siding, but it may be mentioned that no manure was used, and that care in the selection and keeping of the seed were the only special factors involved, apart from early working of the ground and early planting. The season was a peculiarly dry and unfavourable one, and the average crops throughout the district were remarkably poor. In contrasting these results with what we should have expected from the ordinary methods used by us until a few years ago, 1 need only say that the profit of the year's operations was certainly more than double what it would have been under the former conditions. Additions which are now under construction for both male and female patients will be a great advantage. During the coming year ;i leading necessity will be the renovation and improvement of the oldest annexe of the Institution, portions of which do not afford proper accommodation. Regular religious services have been held by the various denominations throughout the year. The thanks of the authorities are due to the Otago Daily Times ;tnd Witness Company and to the Evening Star Company for newspapers and journals supplied free. To Dr. Tizard and to the other officers and members of the staff I wish to express thanks for hearty co-operation in carrying out the work at Seacliff ; similar thanks are due to Dr. Donald and the staff at Waitati. I have, &c, F. Trubt Kino. The Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals. Wellington.

PORIRUA MENTAL HOSPITAL. Sir, — Mental Hospital, Porirua, 30th June, 1908. I have the honour to submit the following report on the Porirua Mental Hospital for the year 1907. On referring to the statistical tables it will be found that the total number of patients under care was 755. The average number resident was 596 (322 males and 274 females) —a slight decrease from the corresponding figures of the previous year. The admissions totalled 133 and the discharges, removals, and deaths 132. Of the admissions, 59 males and 43 females were admitted for the first time : 14 males and 7 females were readmissions, and 4 males and 6 females were transferred from Mount View Mental Hospital. About a third of the admissions were suffering from chronic mental alienation. Twenty-four patients were removed to the Hokitika Mental Hospital. These were all suffering from chronic mental trouble and were recorded as not improved. Five others were discharged as relieved, while 63 were discharged ;is recovered—a ratio of 51 per cent, to the number admitted, exclusive of the ten chronic cases from Mount View. Forty patients died, making a death-rate of 67 per cent, of the average number resident. On the whole the general health of the patients has been good. A sporadic case of typhoid fever occurred on the male side in May, but precautions taken were successful in preventing the spread of the disease. The patient made a good recovery. In October there was an epidemic of influenza, and this, unfortunately, was accountable for five deaths. Several of the cases were complicated by pneumonia. The produce from the farm and gardens consumed in the Hospital, and amounting in value to a little over £1,800, shows a substantial increase on the previous year. In the winter an inspection of our dairy herd was made by an officer of the Agricultural Department, and eleven cows reacted to the tuberculin test and were destroyed. A like number were condemned for the same reason in the previous year, and it became necessary to make good these serious losses. Accordingly about forty well-bred young Ayrshire cows and heifers were purchased in the South, of which about half were selected from the well-known herd at Sunnyside. Mr. Prebble, the late farmmanager, left the service in February, and he was succeeded by Mr. Carter, who was promoted from the staff of the Sunnyside Mental Hospital. The staff has worked harmoniously and well. At the end of February Dr. Jeffreys, Assistant Medical Officer, was granted twelve months' leave of absence to pursue his studies and gain experience in the treatment of mental cases in England. His place was taken by Dr. Barron, who proved himself a capable and painstaking officer. He took a keen interest in the tuition of the nurses anil attendants, of whom fifteen were successful in passing the State Examination on Mental Nursing.

4-H. 7.