success at Bridgetown. There is another pest, the Fruit Fly. We claim credit for the work which has been done in connection with the eradication of that. Everyone who speaks of it refers to some special influence by which the pest had been reduced, but I think our efforts have had a good effect. Some people say that we have had such a change in the weather conditions, that the past three winters have been so wet, that the pest has been drowned out. We have had it since the nineties, and though there has been such a variation in the weather conditions, that variation did not affect it. Three years ago we destroyed 2,287 cases of fruit in the Perth markets on account of the fruitfly, and those cases of fruit were sent in by growers under the impression that the fruit was clean.

11756. Is that the fruitfly for which Mr. Newman devised a bait?—Yes. In the following year the number of cases destroyed was 118, and in the last two seasons the number has been under 50.

11757. How long have you been using the bait?—The lessening of the pest began with the use of the bait. To be fair, the growers had become positively scared of the pest. If the pest had been only as bad as it is at the present time, we would have had great difficulty in getting the growers to take the united action they did take when it was really bad. The pest spread at that time from Perth to Albany and from Perth to the Warren. During the past two season we have not found it south of Pinjarra or beyond York.

11758. We have had repeated complaints from witnesses who have stated that, in buying trees, they have not always been able to get those which were true to name. What efforts have been made to overcome that state of affairs?—That is a question which has been brought up at the annual conferences, and we have not been able to devise a means of overcoming the difficulty. The trees have to be put in and must bear before it is possible to say that they are not true to name. The nurserymen, of course, will not admit any intention to defraud. So many of our trees are also imported from the East, that I do not know how we would proceed against the people who sent them over. They have not always been sent out true to name. Once I was asked to name the varieties in an orchard on the Upper Blackwood. The owner though he had eight, but I counted 46 in apples alone. However, that does not obtain to anything like the extent it did in the early days. In those days nurseries were absolutely cleaned out, fruit being worth about a shilling a pound wholesale.

11759. Do you think the nurseryman's trade is any better or worse here than in the other States?—I do not think it is any different. Every orchardist curses the nurserymen.

11760. There will be a gradual improvement as the growers learn to rely on reputable nurserymen?—Yes.

11761. Evidently seed potatoes are hard to get?—Yes. I spoke to the Commissioner of the Wheat Belt about that before leaving the office. He is to see you today and he has that information ready for you.

11762. What is the present attitude of the department towards the use of second-hand fruit cases?—We have always strongly objected to their use without treatment. Finally, at the request of the growers, we had a regulation framed prohibiting their use altogether. Considering the economic loss entailed, I do not know that we were justified in that. For last season's fruit crop it was estimated that 1,200,000 cases were required. Of course, of that number, export, and the quantity that goes in the farming areas and other districts too remote for the return of the cases, take a tremendous lot. But suppose half the total number might have been re-treated and used a second time, putting the second-hand price at 4d. or 5d., it would represent over £12,000. It is a big economic loss. In the Eastern States a scheme has been proposed for a fruit-case exchange, which we might perhaps introduce here. We would require a place, not necessarily a Government institution, where the second-class cases would have to be brought for treatment under the supervision of an inspector. Afterwards they would be re-sold to the growers. The new collapsible case is altogether too fine an article to be broke up after being used only once. The flat cases can be bought at 5s. 9d., dumps 8s. 9d., on rails, Coolup, from Paterson & Co., but agents handling cases from the State Mills and Millar's charge 6s. 9d. for flats, 10s. 1d. for dumps on rails, Manjimup or Mundijong. If the dump case were to be used again it would certainly mean an economic saving. Of course, if disease were disseminated by the use of the second-hand case £12,000 would be a mere bagatelle. This question was brought up at the last annual conference of fruit growers, at which practically every fruit-growing district was represented. The proposal to use second hand cases was emphatically turned down. The Department has since had considerable correspondence on the subject with the member for Albany. I do not feel inclined to recommend anything while the men we are endeavouring to assist say that they do not want anything done. I intend to bring up the question at the next conference. My suggestion will be for the appointment of a committee to see if some scheme cannot be evolved.

11763. Are the available manures satisfactory and true to analyses?—Mr. Sutton will be able to give you all details concerning that.

11764. Can you tell us what is being done to render lime deposits available to the growers?—I do not think very much is being done. Possibly a little is being done at Gingin. The last I saw on the file in connection with that deposit is that Mr. Gordon has a certain amount of stuff at grass, but is stuck for crushing machinery.

11765. He had a small plant when we were there?—He must be wanting a larger one, because he is asking the Industries Assistance Board for help in getting it. I fancy that Mr. Johnson at Lake Clifton is hung up for material. Then there is the man at Capel, who has the right to the dredging up here.

11766. Do you think that supplies of cheap lime would be of assistance to the growers?—I am sure of it.

11767. Are they urgently required?—Yes; more particularly owing to the lack of potash.

11768. What soils would lend themselves most readily to lime treatment?—Practically all of them would benefit. On the claylands potash would be released, sour soils would be sweetened, and a big advantage would accrue to the swamp lands. I do not think there are any of our soils which would not benefit. Of course, lime apart from its physical effect, only acts indirectly; it is not a manure, and