18 DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS OF VICTORIA : 



held, regularly ever since. The Board felt the loss of 

 Mr. Neilson's services by death in January, 1898. His 

 services were of great value, and the vacancy caused 

 by his decease has not yet been filled. 



Kegulations. 



The regulations provide for the steps to be taken by 

 growers and importers in dealing with disease ; the 

 duties to be performed by inspectors ; the manner of 

 appointment and election of local boards of advice with 

 their duties ; instructions to persons dealing with the 

 scheduled diseases ; dividing the colony into fruit-growing 

 districts ; and for the inclusion of insect and fungous 

 diseases under the Act. 



So as not to make the working of the Act too cum- 

 brous at the start, only as few diseases as it was found 

 actually necessary at the time to proclaim were gazetted, 

 viz., five (5) insect diseases and three (3) fungous dis- 

 eases. As occasion arose more were added, and approved 

 by the Governor in Council, viz., five (5) additional in- 

 sect and two (2) additional fungous diseases ; the total 

 at the present being ten (10) insect and five (5) fungous 

 diseases. Others will be added as circumstances arise. 



Local Boards of Advice. 



The regulations provide for the appointment of a 

 local board of advice for each fruit-growing district by 

 the fruit-growers, who are at liberty to register their 

 names with the returning officer for each district. This 

 course has not so far proved a success owing to want of 

 interest on the part of the growers themselves, except 

 in five instances. Out of ten districts only five complete 

 boards were elected by the growers, notwithstanding 

 the fact that each board was to consist of seven members 

 only. 



We think that this difficulty might be met by the 

 local boards of advice being made nominee boards, 



