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Other road, bridge, and drainage works have been actively prosecuted, in the Auckland Land. District, but as they have been mostly referred to in former reports it will suffice to merely name the localities here. Maunganui Bluff; Helensville, Kaipara; Crown lands west of Churchill and Huntly, Waikato ; Te Aroha to Katikati, and drainage works at Te Aroha; Orraond to Waiapu (this work has been much hindered by the Natives) ; cross-roads through Ruakituri Block. Taranaki and West Ooast North Island. —Road-clearings have been made through the surveyed blocks in the bush behind the Continuous Reserve as the surveys have progressed. The Armed Constabulary, in partial co-operation with the department, have made roads, opening out the Crown lands adjacent to the Native reserves in Parihaka and Oeo Blocks. Roads and bridges are also now being constructed, in rendering accessible the lands in Momahaka Block, near Waverley. ITawlce's Bay. —The bush lands in Ahuaturanga district, near Woodville, were opened by formation of a through road to the banks of the Manawatu, and the lands afterwards offered for settlement, partly for cash and on deferred payment, were all taken up. The formation of a road to Puketitiri Bush was also gone on with. Wellington. —The Forty-Mile Bush, on both sides of the coach road, is being penetrated at several points for a few miles by cross-roads running in from the main line. About 40,000 acres are now sectionally surveyed, and when road works are more advanced can be offered for sale. The roads to open Tokomaru Block, near Wanganui, are in course of formation by the local Road Board, for the department. Nelson. —The track from the Buller up the Matakitaki has been widened out and improved for fifteen miles, and other ten miles are in progress. This line runs on to Reefton, and opens out an extensive region of bush land, where the pursuits of the miner and settler may be advantageously combined. The track from Cobden to Seventeen-Mile Beach, and also the intersection by tracks of the extensive area of woodland and bush from Grey Valley to Teremakau, has been, and is being, actively pushed forward by Mr. Martin, the District Engineer, on behalf of the department. Marlborough. —A dray-road has been formed up the Awatere through the Shearing Reserve, which has been surveyed, and will be offered for settlement soon after the maps are published. The Road Board of the Awatere district is endeavouring to extend the road further up the valley, till it runs into the road leading to Christchurch. When this is consummated a very important through line of communication will be established. Westland. —The last section of the line of road from Mahitahi to Haast, or rather to the mouth of the Waita River, is now under contract. The first section on the line, Mapourika Lake to Grillespie's Beach, has been let. Both of these works arc parts of the main road line which will ultimately connect Hokitika with Jackson's Bay and Ofcago. The prime object sought in the construction of this line is not so much the opening of Crown lands to settlement as affording the opportunity to miners to prospect the country—a thing quite or almost impossible until a pack-track is made. Canterbury. —With the exception of some preliminary trial lines on the Mathias Pass track to Westland, there has been no other expenditure in this district. It is proposed, however, as soon as a vote is obtained to form roads, to open out 71,000 acres of land recently surveyed at Teviotdale, Black Hills, and Malvern Hills, with a view to settlement. It is also proposed to open out the west end of Oxford Bush by a road run in from west of Gorton's and coming out on the Townsend River, Upper Ashley. A preliminary report on the cost of bringing water from the Eyre River on to a block of 10,000 acres of Crown lands near Burnt Hill has been obtained. In the success which has attended similar works on other parts of the plains, it seems worthy of a trial in this case. Otctffo. —The principal works have been in the Tuapeka County, in opening a road to pastoral and agricultural deferred-payment lands on the banks of the Pomahaka. 2. A road from Kelso to Block XIII., Grreenvale. 3. A road to laud on Run No. 106 : this land was opened on deferred payment and readily taken up, part of it being eagerly competed for at auction. 4. Road to Block X., Benger. 5. Beaumont to Miller's Flat: the preliminary work of survey and setting out of works has been done, and the formation is now to go on. Other works to open Crown lands near Lawrence and Kelso are projected, and will be gone on with if the money is voted. In the Taieri County tenders have been accepted for roads and bridges, to render accessible the land withheld from lease on Runs Nos. 307 and 218, near Blair-Taieri. In the Maniototo County the County Council, on behalf of the Survey Department, has undertaken the supervision of works on a road to give access to land withhsld from Run No. 210. Similarly, the Vincent County Council has undertaken the formation of a road-line from Cromwell up the east bank of the Clutha River on the line to^Bendigo, There are a number of other road formations, and one or two bridges absolutely required before the land withheld from the Otago runs should be offered for settlement. As the land to be offered is good it will well repay any judicious outlay on roads. Southland. —The Forest Hill Crown lands have been opened by a railway or tramway running in from Winton, and by an extension of road-line from Wilson's crossing to the south end of Crown lands. The formation of a road to open a block at the mouth of the Waiau will be gone on with shortly, and there are several other lines in Southland for which it is desirable a vote should be obtained. SekICITLTUKE. —MtTLBEBBY AND OIIVE CULTURE. Through the agency of Mr. Creighton, of San Francisco, cards of silkworm eggs (grain) were obtained from Mr. Alcock, of Japan, and placed in the hands of Mr. Federli, who devoted himself to the acclimatization of the grain—an arduous task, requiring almost unremitting attention day and night during the first two or three weeks. Having once succeeded in hatching the worms the same extreme care will not be necessary again. He was at Akaroa in February and March, where much interest is taken in the subject, for the purpose of showing in practical detail how to manage and rear silkworms. Many persons availed themselves of the opportunity, and silkworms were distributed to eighteen