H.—29

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cent. The herds tested totalled 713, or 291 more than the preceding season, an increase' of 69 per cent. The number of cows tested by divisional officers on the association method numbers 19,799, as compared with 10,460 for the previous year, thus showing an increase of 9,339, or 89 per cent. In addition to the number of cows which have been tested and had their records computed by officers of this Division, some 15,958 have been tested for a whole or a part of the season by the dairy companies to whom the herd-owners were supplying milk or cream. Staff. Much regret is felt by the officers of the Division concerning the Director's continued ill-health. One and all wish Mr. Cuddie a speedy recovery. The staff of the Dairy Division now includes twenty-four Dairy Instructors and Graders (butter, cheese, and casein), nineteen Farm-Dairy Instructors, twenty-three Milk-testers, and eighteen officers connected with the clerical work. During a particularly busy season all have performed their duties efficiently and well.

HORTICULTURE DIVISION. REPORT OF THE DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR. The Director-General. Wellington, 25th June, 1921. I have pleasure in submitting herewith the annual report of this Division for the year ended 31st March, 1921. T. W. Kirk, Director. Introduction. The following are the principal activities dealt with by the Horticulture Division:— (1.) Instruction in fruit and vegetable production; inspection of orchards, vineyards, gardens, and nurseries, 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.) Administering fruit-export regulations and the regulations relating to the sale, for consumption within the Dominion, of New-Zealand-grown fruit. (3.) Demonstrations and instruction in the grading and packing of fruit, and in pruning and spraying. (1.) Testing new brands of spraying-compounds for the purpose of ascertaining their efficacy under local conditions. (5.) Affording advice on the preserving of fruit and vegetables both for commercial and domestic purposes ; cool storage ; advances under the Fruit-preserving Industry Act. (6.) Advice on orchard shelter, hedges in general, &c. (7.) Control of the horticultural stations at Te Kauwhata, Tauranga, and Arataki, and the experimental orchard at Papanui. (8.) Registration of all orchards and nurseries in the Dominion. (9.) Orchard-tax : Issuing of tax-demand notices, &c. (10.) Inspection of all imported fruit, plants, vegetables, 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. (11.) Viticulture and winemaking : Giving advice on the growing of grapes, both outdoor and under glass, the control of pests and diseases, and on the making of wines. (12.) Affording information on beekeeping generally and the production of honey for market. (13.) Inspection of apiaries and instruction in up-to-date methods of controlling disease. (14.) Grading of honey for export; registration of honey-export brands. (15.) Registration of apiaries. The Fruitgrowing Industry. The 1920-21 season, generally speaking, can be regarded as having been a favourable one from a fruitgrower's point of view, and satisfactory prices are being realized for clean well-graded fruit. Weather conditions were suitable for the proper carrying-out of orchard operations—cultivating, pruning, spraying, &c. In most districts the crop of apples and pears was a good one, particularly in Canterbury and Otago, where the crop of stone-fruits was also very satisfactory. In other localities stone-fruits were medium to light. In the Auckland District a record area was planted out in strawberries, and a large crop harvested. A considerable number of returned soldiers have turned their attention to the growing of this class of fruit. An increase in the acreage devoted to tomato-growing is also noticeable. The lemon crop has been a light one, owing to injury from frosts which occurred during June and July. The requests for information and advice on the many points connected with fruit and vegetable growing continue, and the time of officers of the Division is fully taken up attending to these and