H.—44.

Last season arrangements were well in hand for the export of a limited quantity to Canada where our eggs have duty-free entry during December, January, and February in each year, but price considerations finally resulted in the shipment being cancelled at the last moment. There is a probability that in the near future the United Kingdom market may be tested with several consignments of dressed poultry. TOBACCO INDUSTRY. Steady progress continues to be made in the growing of tobacco-leaf in the Dominion close attention being given to the production of varieties that have a better value for manufacturingpurposes. 8 Owing to unfavourable climatic conditions the acreage this season laid down to tobacco has been less than m the previous season, but the quality of the leaf was good. A number of settlers have been placed on holdings at Pongakawa, in the Bay of Plenty district, where the soil and climatic conditions appear to be very favourable for the growing of tobacco, and this crop is being produced in Auckland <l uantltles - Ttls tobacco is being used by one or two tobacco-manufacturing firms The quality of tobacco previously grown in the Auckland District has not been so good as that grown m Nelson Province, but it is hoped that by close attention to the experimental growing of new strains under better cultural conditions and close supervision of the curing methods a better-class tobacco will be produced in Auckland. The following are the statistics of tobacco-production in the Dominion : Year. Number of Yield. iq qn ~ Acres. Pounds. loo? - 09 932 722,329 1.726 1,318,624 1932-33 .. .. .. .. ~ 2,126 1,784,676 " •• •• 2 > 500 2,000,000 193435 •• •• •• •• •• •• 1,800 1,44-0,000 PASSION-FRUIT INDUSTRY. The headquarters of this industry are at Kerikeri, and the export trade in passion-fruit juice in bulk is almost entirely 111 the hands of a company, Messrs. Pashon Products, Ltd. This concern experienced difficulties last season owing to certain troubles in connection with bacterial infection but an investigation made by a consulting chemist determined the cause of the infection and means were taken to effect a remedy. Owing to bad weather experienced in the Kerikeri district the season proved to be decidedly unfavourable for the production of passion-fruit of the highest quality and fruit received at the factory was m consequence below the usual standard of excellence. As a matter of fact, it required 45 lb. of passion-fruit to produce one gallon of juice, compared with 40 lb of_ fruit m the previous season. The quantity of fruit received was 146,000 lb., and the quantity of juice exported (to date) is 2,812 gallons. J All juice exported this season was packed in glass containers, as this method has been found to be the only one giving satisfactory results on out-turn. TUNG-OIL INDUSTRY. The planting of land in tung-oil trees in the North Auckland district continued during the year and it is estimated at the end of the year the plantings extended to 3,500 acres. ' It is understood that one or two companies are winding up for various reasons, such as difficulty conditions 118 " ° ft 0 k ° k ° f adequate shelter and unfavourable soil * w./ 6 ! 7 feW !° f tte P lantations llave been established more than three years, and the great maioritv of the trees do not exceed three years of age. As the tung tree does not reach the" age at which commercial crops can be looked for until its fifth year, some considerable time must still elapse before it can be definitely proved whether or not the plantations will bear commercial crops. The following is a list of the tung-oil plantation companies in the Dominion : N.Z. Tung Oil Corporations, Ltd., plantation at Kaikohe. Tung Oil Plantations (N.Z.), Ltd., plantation at Kaihu. Northern Tung Oil, Ltd., plantation at Kaingaroa. Parenga (N.Z.) Tung Oil, Ltd., plantation at Parengarenga. Natural Products (N.Z.), Ltd., plantation at Mangawai. Tung Oil Debenture Trust, Ltd., plantation at Warkworth. Tung Oil Securities (N.Z.), Ltd., plantation at Matauri Bay. Australasian Plantations, Ltd., plantation at Karikari Peninsula Empire Tung Oil Products, Ltd., plantation at Bay of Islands. THE CITRUS INDUSTRY. Subsequent to the close of the financial year the matter of permitting the importation of oranges from Australia was considered by the Government, and it was decided to adhere to the same conditions as during the 1934-35 season—namely, to permit the entry of restricted quantities only from the State of South Australia. The first shipment left Melbourne by the s.s. " Waitaki "on 26th June It was also decided to allow the importation of oranges from Norfolk Island without restriction as to

20