482 Journal of- Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Aug., 1917. 



THE POMOLOGICAL COMMITTEE OF AUSTRALIA. 



1917 MEETING. 



{E. E. Pescott, F.L.S., Pomologist, Department of Agriculture, 

 Victoria, Secretary.) 



The Pomological Committee of Au.stralia held its fourth conference 

 at Sydney, and at the Bathurst Experiment Farm, ISTew South Wales, 

 in April, 1917. The following delegates were present: — Messrs. W. J. 

 Allen, Department of Agriculture, JSTew South Wales ; C. C. Tucker 

 and F. Chilton, Fruitgrowers' Association of New South Wales, and F. 

 J. Adamson, Nurserymen's Association of New South Wales; Messrs. 

 J. M. Ward, Department of Agriculture, Tasmania, and L. M. Shoo- 

 bridge, Fruitgrowers' Association of Tasmania; Messrs. Geo. Quinn, 

 Department of Agriculture, South Australia, and Geo. Laffer, M.H.R., 

 Fruitgrowers' Association of South Australia; Messrs. Jas. Lang, J. P., 

 Fruitgrowei's' Association of Victoria, and E. E. Pescott, F.L.S., 

 Department of Agriculture, Victoria, secretary. Mr. C. C. Tucker 

 being taken suddenly ill at the first session, his place was taken by Mr. 

 E. K. Wolstenholme. It is to be recorded with regret that the death of 

 Mr. Tucker occurred on the day that the conference closed its sessions. 

 The Committee desire to record here, with great regret, the death of Dr. 

 Harry Benjafield, of Tasmania, which occurred in June. Dr. Benja- 

 field was one of the early promoters of Pomology in Australia, and his 

 loss will be keenly felt by the Committee. Mr. James Lang, the 1916 

 chairman, opened the proceedings, and Mr. L. M. Shoobridge was 

 afterwards chosen as chairman. The report of 1916 was adopted, and it 

 was decided to include in future reports all previous decisions, so that 

 each report would be complete. 



Representation of Various States. — The Secretary read correspon- 

 dence from Queensland and Western Australia, neither of which States 

 could see its way clear to send a representative to the Conference — the 

 principal reason why Western Australia was not represented being the 

 distance which the representative would have to travel. 



The secretary was asked to write to the Department of Agriculture, 

 Queensland, and ascertain if it were willing to agree to the decisions 

 arrived at by the Conference. 



Report of Proceedings. — In order that no particular State would 

 receive the report of the proceedings of the Conference before the 

 other States, it was decided to have a copy of same forwarded to each 

 Department to be printed simultaneously in the August number of their 

 official publication. It was also decided that the report should be made 

 retrospective since the inauguration of the Committee. 



Fruit Models. — The Secretary informed the Committee that he had 

 placed an order with Mr. White for four sets of models of 23 varieties. 

 He had recently received advice from Mr. White that, owing to illness, 

 he had been unable to complete the full number, and now required 

 twelve specimens to get the exact colouring of them. A number of 

 varieties was selected for this purpose. 



The Secretary also stated that Mr. Wliite informed him he would 

 not undertake to make further models unless for an order amounting to 



