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Red Mite. —Weather conditions in the Auckland, Canterbury, and Otago districts have been favourable for the development of red mite on fruit-trees. Codlin-moth.—Fruitgrowers who used D.D.T. for the control of the codlin-moth were well pleased with the results obtained. Citrus Canker.—Officers of the Division have maintained a thorough inspection in all citrus groves to detect this disease. A small number of citrus trees near Tauranga and in some non-commercial districts had to be destroyed because of the disease. However, the rigorous measures taken in the past have kept the disease down to a minimum. Mealy Bug. —Mealy bug has been prevalent in the Hawke's Bay district, and some lines of apples and pears intended for export had to be rejected because of it. Wax Scale.—The hard-wax scale is widely distributed among the citrus orchards -at Kerikeri. Though soft-wax scale is not so widespread, it is proving difficult to control. There are many diseases affecting vegetable crops throughout the Dominion. By the more general use of D.D.T. it has been found that the white butterfly and diamondbacked moth can be kept reasonably under control. Beekeeping The beekeeping industry in New Zealand is recovering fast from the effects of conditions during the war, when many beekeepers were obliged to reduce their hive stocks because of a shortage of necessary labour and restricted transport facilities. Statistics show a sharp increase in the number of apiaries and hives kept by beekeepers. There are now 7,285 beekeepers in New Zealand, who own 11,386 apiaries containing 154,508 colonies. The distribution in the various apiary districts is as follows :

The establishment cost of the beekeeping industry in New Zealand (bee stocks, Mves, and plant) based on present registered holdings is estimated to be £1,036,000. Climatic Conditions and Production. —Spring and early-summer conditions were favourable for beekeeping in most parts of New Zealand. Mild temperatures with almost •complete absence of strong winds induced the bees to build up colony strength generally much earlier than usual. Beekeepers, however, experienced some difficulty in maintaining colony strength during prolonged spells of dry weather, which reduced nectar secretion on stony and light-soil areas. Though heavy crops of honey have been obtained in some northern areas of New Zealand, disappointing results were obtained in the Hawke's Bay, Central Otago, and Palmerston North districts, where pastures dried up early and did not recover in time for normal honey-production. The estimated quantities of honey and commercial beeswax harvested during the year were 4,750 tons and 118,750 lb. t *s: ectively.

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Apiary District. Number of Beekeepers. Number of Apiaries. Number of Hives. Auckland 1,757 2,079 18,584 Hamilton 1,015 1,781 38,910 Hastings 938 1,427 16,389 Palmerston North 1,346 2,167 25,834 Nelson 554 691 7,177 Christchurch 789 1,801 , 26,031 Dunedin 886 1,440 21,583 Dominion totals 7,285 11,386 154,508