A.—4

Experimental Station. During the year it was decided to take over a portion of the Tapatapao cacao plantation for the purpose of establishing an experimental station. The work carried out is partly educational, arrangements having been completed to accommodate, for short periods, Samoan youths at the farm as cadets in order to receive some training in practical agriculture. Lectures and demonstrations in the field are from time to time held at the station, and are attended by both teachers and children of the Native schools. A plant-propagation area has been prepared, and various plots of economical plants and fruit-trees are now established. The best types of Samoan fruits are being cultivated with the object of improving the strains by budding, grafting, and selection work. Diseases and Pests. No new pests or diseases have appeared during the year. Our chief pest, the rhinoceros-beetle, remains thoroughly under control, the present combative methods having proved by long experience to be effective and economical. Several cacao plantations have suffered from black-pod disease during the prolonged rainy season. The methods required to be adopted to combat black-pod disease should be thorough, and a certain amount of extra expenditure must be incurred in conjunction therewith. Flying-foxes and rats were reported as doing a good deal of damage in the earlier part of the year, but of late very little has been heard of their depredations. Neither limumea nor pink disease (Corticium Javanicum) has been much in evidence. Outbreaks of pink disease have occurred among those cacao plantations interplanted with rubber or otherwise overshaded, but the disease is easily controlled when promptly attended to.

Beetles collected on Native and European Plantations.

CUSTOMS AND MARINE DEPARTMENT. The financial year 1926—27 has, from a trade point of view, shown a decrease on the previous year, the total trade being £79,654 less than for 1925-26. However, three factors must be taken into account for this decrease—first, the storm of January, 1926 ; secondly, the drought experienced during the succeeding months ; and, thirdly, the temporary shortage of shipping facilities whereby produce to the value of £34,000 was held over to the year 1927-28. Revenue; The total money collected by the Department during the year amounted to £70,505, as compared with £81,463 for the year 1925-26, a decrease of £10,958. The following headings show a decrease : Import duties, £8,085 ; export duties, £3,024 ; taxes, £88 : shipping fees, £60 ; lease of shed, &c., £18 ; and there was an increase in other receipts of £317. The following are the receipts under the principal headings, showing a comparison with the previous year:—

The actual revenue under Customs taxes and Marine is £478 short of the estimated revenue for the financial year 1926-27. Customs Statistics. Statistics dealing with the trade, commerce, and shipping of the Port of Apia for the calendar year 1926 are now in the printers' hands. The total trade for the year amounted to £645,723, as compared with £725,377 for the year 1925, a decrease of £79,654.

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Native. j European. Beetles. Larvaa i Eggs. Beetles. Larvse. Eggs. Upolu .. .. .. 76,298 | 3,026.185 298,480 11,325 156,604 30,745 Savai'i .. .. .. 63,602 I 1,391,069 197,317 4,121 42,709 10,076

1925-26 1926-27. Decrease. Increase. £ £ £ | £ Import duties .. .. .. .. 51,076 42,991 8,085 Export duties— Copra .. .. .. .. ' 14,068 10,874'] Cocoa .. .. .. .. .. 1,306 1,087 3,024 Rubber.. .. .. .. .. j 71 460J j Shipping fees .. .. .. .. J 2,439 2,379 60 J Lease of sheds, towage, &c. .. .. .. j 700 682 18 Taxes .. .. .. .. .. 9,509 9,421 88 Miscellaneous .. .. .. .. I 2,294 2,611 .. 317 81,463 70,505 11,275 317 Less .. .. .. ... .. .. 317 Net decrease .. .. .. .. .. 10,958