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HORTICULTURE DIVISION. REPORT OF T. W. KIRK, DIRECTOR. Wellington, 9th May, 1916. The Secretary of Agriculture, Industries, and Commerce. 1 HAVE pleasure in forwarding herewith the annual report of this Division for the year ended 31st March, 1916. T. VV. Kirk, Director.

Introduction. The work coming within the scope of this Division has been energetically carried out during the past year. The following arc the principal activities dealt with by this branch of the Department :—■ (1.) Instruction in fruit and vegetable production, inspection of orchards, vineyards, and gardens, and affording information as to the most up-to-date methods of controlling diseases and insect pests; also giving advice as to suitable varieties of fruit, vegetables, &c, to plant. (2.) Demonstrations and instruction in the grading and packing of fruit and in pruning and spraying. (3.) Testing new brands of spraying-compounds for the purpose of ascertaining their efficacy under local conditions. (4.) Affording advice on the preserving of fruit and vegetables, both for commercial and domestic purposes. (5.) Advising on tree-planting, giving information as to the most suitable varieties of trees to plant, both for shelter and timber purposes, in different localities. (6.) Control of the horticultural stations at. Te Kauwhata, Tauranga, and Arataki. (7.) Inspection of all imported fruit, vegetables, plants, bulbs, &c, at the ports of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Bluff; also inspection and grading of all locally grown fruit, plants, vegetables, &c, intended for export. (8.) Giving advice on the growing of grapes, both outdoor and under glass, the control of pests and diseases, and on the making of wines. (9.) Affording information on beekeeping generally and production of honey for market. (10.) Inspection of apiaries and instruction in up-to-date methods of controlling disease. (11.) Grading of honey for export. The Fruit Industry. Orchard planting is still making rapid development. The area actually planted in commercial orchards during the year was 3,588 acres, being an increase of 286 acres on the previous year's figures, and bringing the total acreage under fruit for the whole of the Dominion up to 45,687 acres. The following figures show the area planted during the 1915 planting season in each Orchard Instructor's district :— Acres, Whangarei ... ... ... ... ... ... 145 North Auckland ... ... ... ... ... 500 South Auckland ... ... ... ... 30 Poverty Bay ... ... ... ... ... ... 58 Waikato and Bay of Plenty ... ... ... ... 67 Hawke's Bay ... ...' ... ... ... ... 150 Taranaki ... ... ... ... .. ... 5 Manawatu and Wairarapa ... ... ..'. ... 40 Hutt ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 23 Nelson ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,577 Marlborough ... ... ... ... ... ... 180 North Canterbury (including Westland) ... ... ... 170 South Canterbury ... ... ... ... ... 43 Otago... ... ... ... ... ... ... 600 Total ... ... ... ... ... 3,588 The following figures, showing the total area under orchards throughout the Dominion, will give a good idea of the rapid strides that have been made in orchard planting during the last five years : — Acres. 1910.,. ... ... ... ... 31,769 1911 ... ... ... ... ... 35,839 1912... ... ... ... ... 36,967 1913... ... ... ... ... 38,797 1914... ... ... ... ... 42,099 1915... ... ... ... ... 45,687